MotoGP: Marquez did not expect Aldeguer to mount a challenge for the victory

Having clinched his maiden victory at the Red Bull Ring, six-time MotoGP champion Marc Márquez has admitted that he had not expected Gresini Ducati rider Fermin Aldeguer to mount a challenge for the victory at the Austrian Grand Prix.

With the MotoGP field having returned to action following its well-deserved summer break, Ducati has continued its dominant form in the 2025 MotoGP. Although Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi snatched pole position on Saturday, Marc Márquez grabbed victory in the Spielberg MotoGP Sprint.

In Sunday's 28-lap Spielberg race, Francesco Bagnaia took a great start to move himself up to third, but his team-mate Marc Márquez passed him on Lap 2.

Having moved himself ahead of Bagnaia, Márquez began his chase of race leader Marco Bezzecchi. He then overtook his rival after a hard-fought battle on lap 20, and looked on course to take another dominant victory.

However, in the final stages, Márquez had to defend the lead from the resurging Fermin Aldeguer. The Gresini Ducati rider diplayed eye-catching pace in the dying stages of the race, but Márquez kept his composure to claim his first victory at the Red Bull Ring.

His team-mate Bagnaia held third position for two-thirds of the Spielberg round. However, he then started to struggle to keep his rear tyre alive, and he gradually lost ground and ultimately crossed the finish line in eighth place.

Reflecting on his victory, Márquez stated: “I was obviously eager to win here. When on Thursday I got asked what the goal at this track was, I said that, with the red bike, it was the win, as this is the bike against which I had lost many times before at this track.

"I knew that Marco (Bezzecchi) and Pecco would be my main opponents over the long distance as Alex had to serve a long-lap penalty, from which it’s hard to bounce back.

"We had already noticed that, among all Ducati riders, Fermín (Aldeguer) was the one who could manage tyre wear the best, so when I saw his name on the pit board I knew I had to start pushing again, and we finished with a good pace.

"I’m happy, we’re doing some great work and now Balaton awaits us," concluded the six-time MotoGP champion.