A relentlessly dramatic British GP plays out as Aprilia return to winning ways right on cue.
As they say, timing is everything in sport and for Aprilia Racing, Marco Bezzecchi’s victory at the Tissot Grand Prix of the United Kingdom couldn’t have come at a better time. In a drama-filled Sunday at Silverstone that saw Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) crash, and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) suffer a heartbreaking technical issue while leading, it was Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) who clinched a fantastic P2 finish behind the Italian. Meanwhile, Marc Marquez, following a red-flagged stoppage, was able to bounce back and pick up P3 in a podium fight then went down to the wire in an unforgettable Silverstone encounter.
DRAMA, DRAMA AND A BIT MORE DRAMA
Straight from lights out, drama unfolded. From the middle of the front row, Alex Marquez got a fantastic launch and led but once the front brake was applied heading into Turn 1, the front end folded without an ounce of warning. Like a flash, the #73 was down and out of the Grand Prix – or so we thought at the time – as Marc Marquez gained the lead ahead of Quartararo and Bagnaia.
At the end of the first lap, Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Aleix Espargaro (Honda HRC Test Team) crashed together at the Vale chicane, which would eventually bring out the red flags due to an oil spillage. But before we learned that, Grand Prix leader Marc Marquez was down at Turn 11! The top two in the World Championship both suffered crashes but because there hadn’t been three laps completed, all riders were eligible for the restart which would be a 19-lap Grand Prix. Was it a get out of jail free card for the Marquez brothers? Yes. But they’d both be starting on their not-so-preferred number two machines.
THE RESTART
Take two saw Bagnaia grab the holeshot into Turn 1 but at Turn 3, Quartararo struck to pounce into an early lead. Marc Marquez was passed Alex Marquez and then so was Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) at Brooklands.
1.2s was Quartararo’s advantage at the end of Lap 1 and at Turn 3, Miller carved his way past Marc Marquez for P3 and then at Brooklands, we had a Yamaha 1-2. The Australian launched it up the inside of Bagnaia and then Marc Marquez ran wide at Copse, which dropped him behind Zarco.
2.4s was now Quartararo’s advantage and we then had Zarco pass Pecco for P3. And sniffing an opportunity, Marc Marquez was through too. Then, Copse caught out both factory Ducatis. Marquez and Pecco were wide after separate moments, and that saw them drop to P9 and P10. Work to do.
Things then went bad to worse for Pecco. Going through Luffield, the front end said no more and that was the Italian’s Grand Prix over. Meanwhile, Bezzecchi was now P3 ahead of Zarco, Alex Marquez was P5 while Quartararo held a 3.9s gap over Miller. What a Grand Prix this was.
One thing to note was this: the current front four – Quartararo, Miller, Bezzecchi and Zarco – were on the soft front Michelin tyre. A compound that hasn’t yet completed a race distance, so would it hold up?
On Lap 6 of 19, Bezzecchi and Zarco got the better of Miller as the latter dropped from P2 to P4 in a couple of seconds. Now, what kind of pace did Bezzecchi have up his sleeve? The gap to Quartararo was 5.3s. That was then five seconds flat as Bez shaved three tenths off the disadvantage in clean air.
Elsewhere, Marc Marquez was now right behind Alex Marquez – the top two were P6 and P7, behind Morbidelli and Miller, and just ahead of Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol). The #93 then sliced his way through on the #73 at Vale, and on the next lap, the Championship leader picked off Miller. On the same lap, Alex Marquez made a mistake at Vale and that cost him both time and a place – Mir was now ahead.
The fastest lap of the race, a 1:59.770, was slammed home by Bezzecchi as the Italian ate into Quartararo’s lead. On Lap 10 of 19, the gap was down to 4.7s and on the next lap, it was down to 4.4s. Elsewhere, Marc Marquez was now P4 ahead of Morbidelli and now had three seconds to make up to get onto the rear wheel of Zarco for the podium places.
QUARTARARO’S HEARTBREAK
Suddenly, we saw Quartararo with his arm raised. What had happened? It looked like a technical issue meant the rear ride height device was stuck and despite the efforts of trying to disengage it for more than half a lap, the YZR-M1 was having none of it. Heartbreak for Quartararo and Yamaha. A potential return to the top step snatched away in such cruel circumstances.
However, Quartararo’s gut-wrenching end to the Grand Prix was Aprilia’s gain because that was the lead handed on a plate to Bezzecchi.
THE RACE TO THE CHEQUERED FLAG
The Italian was 2.9s up the road from Zarco, who in turn was two seconds clear of Marc Marquez. But it wasn’t a comfortable P3 for the title chase leader. Miller, Morbidelli, Marquez and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) were all in with a shout of claiming a Silverstone podium with five laps to go.
In that podium fight, Miller and Alex Marquez were treating us to a brilliant battle as Morbidelli tried to cling onto Marc Marquez who was now eight tenths clear of the chasing pack. At the front, Bezzecchi was four seconds clear as Zarco kept Marquez just over a second adrift.
Last lap time at Silverstone. Bezzecchi was 4.6s clear but plenty of focus was on the podium fight. Turn 3 saw Morbidelli pass Marquez but the latter bit straight back. Could Morbidelli respond? Yes he could. Copse corner was the chosen place, now the question was on Marc Marquez to have a say.
And he did. A great run out of Turn 14 allowed Marquez to get the inside line at Stowe – but it wasn’t over yet. Morbidelli slammed his Ducati down the inside at Vale, but running wide, his exit was compromised and Marquez managed to shove his way back through on the cutback to just, and we mean just, earn a P3 as Alex Marquez finished right behind his brother and Morbidelli in that fantastic fight.
Up the road though, elation for Bezzecchi and Aprilia. A debut win in Noale colours came for the Italian and after his French GP heroics, Zarco claimed another fantastic result in P2. Chapeaux to the top two.
Acosta delivered some cracking middle to late race pace to finish in P6 ahead of Miller, as Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) clinched an equal-best Honda result in P8 – but that was wiped away post-race due to a 16-second tyre pressure penalty. That meant Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Mir rounded out the top 10, with Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and the penalised Marini the final points scorers in the UK.
NEXT UP: ARAGON
Wow. What a Sunday that turned out to be. Drama aplenty and a first victory for Aprilia in 2025—Silverstone, you delivered. Next, we head to MotorLand Aragon to do it all over again. What lies ahead in Spain? Who knows? That’s the beauty of this sport.
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