This press conference of the Grand Prix of Italy MotoGP 2025 gathered at Mugello Marc Marquez , Alex Marquez et Fabio DiGiannantonio for their debriefing, after another perfect weekend for the #93 which won pole position, the Sprint and the GP.
Marc Marquez claimed his 93rd victory in all categories, and his 67th in MotoGP (one less than Giacomo Agostini, who is the second most successful rider in MotoGP). He claimed his fifth double (Sprint and GP victories) of the season, equaling the record for most doubles in a single season set by Francesco Bagnaia last year. He now leads the world championship with 270 points, 40 ahead of his brother Alex and 110 ahead of Bagnaia.
As usual, we report here in full the words of the latter, without the slightest formatting, even if it is translated from English.
(I.e. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Sunday race press conference following the Brembo Italian Grand Prix here at Mugello.
Congratulations to our top three today!
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The Ducati Lenovo team rider, Marc Márquez, sign the 93rd victory of his career for number 93, after a very intense start to the race against Pecco Bagnaia.
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In second position in the Grand Prix, the driver Alex Marquez from the BK8 Gresini Racing team.
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And finally, to complete the podium today, what place to do it than at its home Grand Prix, Fabio Di Giannantonio, driver of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team.
Congratulations to all three of you, gentlemen!
🎤 Marc, we'll start with you. Your Grand Prix winning journey began right here at Mugello fifteen years ago, in 2010. Today, you take your 93rd victory... for number 93. And what a place to do it: Mugello, on your first appearance here with the official Ducati team! How special was this day for you, Marc?
Marc Marquez: “Yes, I am super happy and proud to win with an Italian bike, an Italian team, Ducati Factory, on an Italian circuit, here at Mugello.
Throughout the weekend, I felt like it was something very special for the whole team, and I really feel part of this team.
So I had that extra focus to fight at least for the podium, which was the main goal. But then, during the race, I saw that victory was possible.
And yes, after a normal start, we had a great fight with Pecco and Alex, then the second part of the race was a little calmer."
🎤 Marc, let's talk about these first laps, because they were anything but calm with this battle against Pecco and Alex. We saw contact very early in the race. How difficult were these clashes?
"Yes, I was trying to manage the tires, because everyone at Ducati knows that, during the first five laps, with the soft rear tire, if you push too much at the beginning, you will pay for it at the end. And actually, in this fight, we really used the tires a lot.
When Pecco passed me, I saw that he was pushing really hard, so I tried to manage it in such a way as to stay very close in the last laps to try to win. At the same time, it was important to be in front to preserve the front tire, to avoid it overheating. It was very difficult to manage.
But then when Alex passed us, I saw that the race pace had changed, it was a different tempo. So I tried to find the best way to follow him, then attack him, and just lead the race."
🎤 For many years you were of course Ducati's enemy, when you were at Honda. How special was that moment today, in Turn 12, in front of the Ducatists, by planting this flag in the gravel, a nod to Jorge Lorenzo? I imagine this is a moment you never imagined you would experience one day in your career, Marc?
“Yes, it was nice. And it's true that I often had to fight here against Ducati, I remember 2019 against Petrucci and Dovizioso. But today it was a little easier thanks to this power in a straight line: the Ducati engine works really well.
And yes, I did that gesture without thinking too much at the time, but then it felt a bit like Lorenzo's style! Because it's Ducati territory, a Ducati corner. So we celebrated with that Ducati flag, because it's a very important year, for a very important brand. And frankly, in 2025, I feel great."
(I.e. At the start of the season, you had a lot of trouble with the rear tire pushing on the front, which caused crashes. Was this problem corrected with the GP25, or did you simply learn to work around it?
"It's true that the team tries to help me, to support me to better understand the first laps of Sprints and Grands Prix, when the tires are new. But in the end, it's the driver who makes the biggest difference. So I tried to adapt my driving style a little, to be more focused, more precise when entering corners, especially in the very last phase, the one where I usually fall with new tires.
We've made a step forward in that respect, even though I always feel better when the tires are already a little worn. But the most important thing now is that I'm at a very close level to Alex and Pecco, who are the two strongest riders at Ducati."
(I.e. You've had many victories, but you've also faced some difficult times in your career. Can you understand or feel compassion for what Pecco is going through right now, as he seems to be struggling a bit?
“Yes, you know, Pecco is going through a complicated period at the moment, and it's true that he's trying everything, he's giving it his all. As we saw today, he pushed hard at the beginning of the race, maybe even a little too much, because I was following him and I could see that he was putting a lot of strain on the tires. Sometimes it's the only thing to do, because when you fight with the bike, you get more tired and the lap times get slower. But we also saw this weekend that Pecco was fast throughout the sessions. Today he had some problems at the end of the race, maybe with the soft rear tire, we'll have to check the data, but I think the tire wear was high for everyone.”
(I.e. Why didn't you use the new aerodynamics?
"It's true that with the new aero, we have to understand the overall balance of the bike even better. And then, my two main rivals for the championship, Alex and Pecco, are riding with the old configuration. So with the same "weapons," I feel better.
I'll continue testing the new version in the upcoming races, in Assen and elsewhere, but first we need to find the right balance. But if there's only a small advantage, I'd rather stick with the same equipment as Alex and Pecco."
(I.e. Was the rear tire choice uncertain or was it clear to you that you could race with the soft?
"No, it was clear. Yesterday, after the Sprint, it was very obvious that the software would be the right choice."
🎤 Regarding your fantastic weekend in Qatar, you said it wasn't a turning point because it was the start of the season, but it was an important victory because Qatar isn't one of your favorite circuits. Here, it's the same. How do you evaluate this weekend? Is this victory more important than the others because Pecco and Alex were favorites?
"Yes, I rate this weekend like the one in Qatar, an unexpected victory. It's the kind of circuit where you normally have to defend, but I was able to attack and take even more points against Alex, who is my main rival at the moment, because he is very consistent, very fast, and he excels especially in the fast right-hand corners."
(I.e. Marc, you said earlier that Pecco was quite aggressive in the opening laps, perhaps a little too much. Do you think that wasn't the right strategy to start the race?
“No, I think for him it was the best strategy. I was already expecting a very aggressive Pecco, because I rewatched a bit of his last victories here, and he always led from the first to the last minute. He feels very comfortable when he's in front, so I knew he would try. Today, he maybe just lacked a bit of speed, but he managed the first laps very well, it was the right strategy. And in the end, that's racing.”
But when Alex passed us, he was faster than everyone else at that point in the race."
(I.e. It seems that with what we saw today from Máximo Quiles in Moto3, you have found a gem...
(Laughter) “Yes, Máximo arrived in the championship with very good energy, a good state of mind, and that is the most important thing in a young talent. He is well surrounded by his family, and we are very happy, because many people say: “He is Marc's young talent”, but in reality, it is a project that we share. It is we both, with the support of Vertical Group, we are building a team. And yes, this kid, this young teenager if you will, has something special. But now he has to enjoy it, make the mistakes that young drivers make, he has to appreciate all these moments in the world championship. And above all, what is most important is that he remains aware of everything around him, especially social media and the comments. Keeping his feet on the ground is fundamental for a young driver.
(I.e. I wanted to ask you a question about the crowd's whistles during the podium: what do you think? How did you feel when, yesterday, Davide Tardozzi addressed the audience to say “Stop, it’s a pilot in red” ?
“Yes, yes… Honestly, this is one of the years where I feel most welcomed, and in the end, it's something you can't control, I can't control it. But I really appreciated Davide Tardozzi's gesture, who tried to defend me, well, in this case, to defend me but also the Ducati riders. It could be me, Pecco, Bastianini, or Miller in the past. He's really an excellent team manager, and he defended me yesterday. He also supported the fans who were cheering on Pecco, and that's good. It's always nice for the other riders when the local hero, here Pecco, is cheered.
What about the whistles? Ultimately, it's something we can't control. But today, for example, when Alex stood on the podium, some people whistled at him too... even though he only has the same last name! (laughs) He didn't do anything wrong.
(I.e. Marc, do you think Alex is a real contender for the title, or a loyal squire like Sancho Panza?
“Listen, when you're a factory rider, there's the pressure of having to fight for the championship, especially if you're with Ducati, because it's the best bike on the grid. Alex is riding last year's bike, while in the factory team we're trying to introduce new parts to increase the advantage. But despite that, Alex is super fast.
I have to say it's only the ninth race of the championship, but I'm in one of the best moments of my career... and Alex is here, so that means he's one of the toughest opponents.
He's my brother, yes, but he's also one of the toughest opponents I've had in my career: he's very consistent, very fast, and has very good balance on all circuits.
So right now, I'm taking full advantage of this beautiful moment... for my family."
(I.e. Fifteen years ago you won your first ever Grand Prix victory here, and now, fifteen years later, you're at 93: how special is that?
And you mentioned Máximo Quiles: the fact that he followed exactly the same path as you, first pole at Le Mans, first podium at Silverstone, first victory here, that's even more special, isn't it?
(Laughter) “Yes, they are statistics! As you say, my first victory here fifteen years ago… and my 93rd victory here, at Mugello. And Máximo, it’s the same: first pole at Le Mans like me, first podium in England, back then Donington for me, today Silverstone for him, and now his first victory here in Italy. In the end, they’re just statistics, and sometimes I don’t really believe in anything other than chance… but sometimes it seems like someone is organizing all this.”
🎤 Can it copy all your stats?
(Laughter) "Don't put pressure on him! Don't put pressure on a young talent. In the end, he'll have his own career, and we'll do everything we can to support him."
🎤 Marc, I imagine you dreamed of this first victory in red leather at Mugello. So, the taste, the atmosphere... Was it better or worse than what you had imagined?
"It's exactly what I expected: the whole team with a big smile, everyone enjoying themselves. Today was also very nice during the parade, we stayed there, in front of the Ducati grandstand. It was exactly what I had imagined.
And yes, we come from Aragon, which was one of my home circuits for the Spanish riders, but this is really the home circuit for the Italian teams and bikes. So it was an even busier weekend than usual… but it was great.
🎤 If you had to describe your feeling with the motorcycle in one word?
" Gentle. " (“Sweet”)
2025 MotoGP Italian Grand Prix Results:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
MotoGP Mugello Debriefing Marc Marquez MotoGP Mugello Debriefing Marc Marquez MotoGP Mugello Debriefing Marc Marquez MotoGP Mugello Debriefing Marc Marquez MotoGP Mugello Debriefing Marc Marquez
