Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez has secured his sixth pole position of the 2025 MotoGP season at the Grand Prix of Italy. But the championship leader arguably faces his biggest challenge to try and convert that to victory.
Mugello has not been a successful track for the Spaniard in the past. Marquez has retired four times from the Italian Grand Prix, having only won the event once.
Marquez was once left frightened of his Honda bike after a violent accident at Mugello in his first season in 2013. It would be the start of a difficult run of form at the circuit, but now with Ducati, he is looking to end that streak.
The 32-year-old secured pole position over his teammate Francesco Bagnaia and brother Alex Marquez. The three championship protagonists have looked strong all weekend as they set up an exciting front row.
With Mugello being his 100th pole in MotoGP, Marquez will be keen to capitalise and grab another victory in what has been a dominant season. However, his teammate’s strong form on home soil has left him having an interesting mentality.
Marc Marquez has told Marco Rigamonti he has to ‘lose as less as possible’ if he does not win at Mugello
Bagnaia has won the last three events at Mugello, with it being one of his strongest tracks. The 2025 campaign has been a struggle for the Italian as he cannot find any feeling from the GP25, but he has finally made a breakthrough.
Ducati have given Bagnaia heavier brake discs, which have significantly improved his feeling from the front end, especially in braking. The 28-year-old seems more confident than ever on the GP25 as he was just 59 thousandths of a second behind Marquez.
With Bagnaia clearly showing performance and with his track record at Mugello, Marquez is aware that he could be beaten this weekend. His Ducati crew chief Marco Rigamonti revealed via MotoGP’s Inside The Paddock that he is looking to ‘lose as less as possible’ if he cannot win the race.
“The first three are strong, so we will see. But Marc says this track is like Qatar, he’s always struggles. And with this performance, he is very happy,” said Rigamonti.
“Even if he will not win, he says I have to lose as less as possible. So, we are confident, we will see.”
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With Marquez looking to simply secure as many points as possible if victory is off the cards at Mugello, it is the perfect chance for Bagnaia to pounce and get his season back on track.
He is sat 93 points behind Marquez, but the Italian is clearly gunning for victory this weekend. Davide Tardozzi has a surprise reaction to Marquez’s pole lap as he had a subdued response to him beating Bagnaia – he was seen pumping his fist as the #63 rider went fastest before his teammate.
Tardozzi could have had a better reaction off-camera, but it is clear that Ducati are giving the 28-year-old their full support as he hopes to turn his form around. Luigi Dall’Igna is ‘convinced’ Bagnaia can cope with Marquez as his teammate.
Bagnaia plans to ask Marquez for his feedback at Mugello, having shelved Ducati’s new fairing to prioritise finding the right setup. Bagnaia and Marquez are fighting ‘an internal war’ for parts for their bikes; winning the Italian GP will go a long way for the former.
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