Luca Marini kept focused amidst the chaos to produce an eighth-place finish in Austin, Joan Mir suffering an unfortunate fall on the second Honda HRC Castrol machine.

Wet, dry, wet and dry again – the minutes before the lights went out were some of the most unexpected in recent time, a dramatic start to what many had predicted to be a hot race as light but consistent rain fall saw half of the grid enact last-minute bike swaps moment before the sighting lap began. As a result, race direction red flagged the start and all riders returned to the grid with slicks as conditions continued to improve.

With the grid reset and the race distance reduced to 19 laps, Luca Marini lined up in seventh place and immediately went for the dry line. On tender hooks, the grid tipped in to Turn 1 and Marini’s race-long battle with his fellow Honda riders began. Marini, Zarco and Mir traded places as they closed in on the group ahead who were battling for the top five, arriving with the other riders during the mid-stages of the race. From here, the Italian focused on defending his spot in the top ten on soft tyres as the track continued to dry. Crossing the line in eighth place, his best Grand Prix result so far on the Honda RC213V, the #10 rises up to ninth in the World Championship standings and is five points shy of Zarco who leads the Honda quartet. Despite suffering in the closing stages, Marini and Honda HRC Castrol leave Austin pleased with the result and especially the improvements made.

Joan Mir’s race looked set to be one of his best as he overcame a last-minute decision to switch tyres and started in eighth place, giving as good as he got in the opening battle with Marini and Zarco. Able to stay with his Honda HRC Castrol teammate, Mir began to battle with Bastianini for tenth place. Turn 14 would see Mir suffer his third fall of the weekend, losing the front as he tried to hold off the KTM rider. He was unharmed in the fall. Mir was again left to rue what could have been.

36 points in hand, Honda hold second in the Constructor Championship in a tight battle with KTM and Aprilia. The Honda HRC Castrol team will now enjoy a brief respite before getting back on track for Round Four of the 2025 MotoGP World Championship at the Lusail International Circuit. Weather is not generally a concern at MotoGP’s only night race.

Luca Marini ¹⁰: Eighth 

“We confirm that our package is improving with each GP, and I think we were able to make a good a good step with the setting. The bike is working better, and I am really enjoying riding it, especially in the entry phase. But there were some mistakes from my side which limited our performance. I went with the wrong tyre, I put soft-soft and it was not a mistake I have ever made before in this situation. The track was able to dry very quickly, unlike on Friday when it took a long time to dry. Even with the wrong tyre, we made a really good race so this is the positive that we have to focus on. If we can put everything together, we can achieve even more.”

SEATTLE,  Wash. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton and Aaron Plessinger raced to a pair of podium finishes at Round 11 of the 2025 AMA Supercross Championship in Seattle tonight, with Sexton claiming a hard-fought second position and Plessinger taking third place in a lively 450SX Main Event.

Sexton powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to the second-fastest qualifying time inside Lumen Field, posting a lap time of 47.121s on a circuit recognized for its technical, rutty conditions.

That momentum would continue into his Heat Race, overcoming an average start to steadily slice his way through the field. A spirited ride for the number 4 saw him reach the rear wheel of his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Plessinger by the race's end, with the team scoring a 1-2 finish.

In the Main Event, Sexton entered the lead of the race after clawing his way from a sixth-place start as the difficulty of the Lumen Field conditions intensified. Following a spectacular performance at the front of the field, Sexton ultimately finished in P2 following a final lap showdown for victory. Chase is positioned second in the standings, just 11 points outside of the lead following Round 11.

Chase Sexton: "Tonight was gnarly and I think the pace this year was even higher than last year, which is crazy. We were pushing the limit – I was getting that long rhythm, which helped me, and then Coop [Cooper Webb] was faster in the tight stuff. There was a lot of cat and mouse out there, but it was a balance of pushing the pace, while also keeping your balance, because you had to hit your marks and try not to make mistakes, which was almost impossible on that track.”

‘The Cowboy’ claimed the holeshot in 450SX Heat 1, which continued his run of form throughout the recent rounds. Managing the pace at the front, the always-popular Plessinger charged to first position onboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, setting himself up well for the upcoming Main Event.

Once the gates dropped on the Main Event, Plessinger posted a measured ride on a soft, rutty surface, steadily climbing his way up into a calculated third place finish by the conclusion of the night when the checkered flag flew.

Aaron Plessinger: "I got the best jump out of the gates I got all day for the Main Event, then coming into the first corner, I guess I hit the brakes too quickly and stalled the bike. I was trying to bump start it for about 50 feet and smacked right into Malcolm [Stewart], which I feel so bad about as he might’ve been up on the box with us. It happens. I had to ride hard, and it was not an easy track... The ruts here are like no others, it’s like a sponge, which makes it super-wild. Huge thanks to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team for keeping me comfortable on track – let's keep this going!"

The 250SX West Class returned to action in Seattle following a three-week hiatus, with Julien Beaumer recommencing his hunt for this year's championship. Equipped with his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Beaumer collected the second-fastest qualifying time before finishing P2 in his Heat Race.

Upon delivering a solid ride throughout the Main Event, Beaumer battled inside the podium placings for the entirety of the race before eventually landing a fourth-place result in Seattle to remain well in title contention.

Julien Beaumer: "Fourth place in Seattle, just a bad line choice in the Main cost me a lot. I should have been blitzing the whoops, then I got stuck behind the lapped riders, too, and didn’t make good choices there. I became frustrated, which ultimately cost me a lot of time. Overall, it was a step in the right direction with my riding, as my shoulder is improving, and we’re on an upward trajectory. I'm ready to get back to work and come out swinging in Philly.”

Next Race: April 5 – Foxborough, Massachusetts

The opening round of 2025 MotoGP provided hot and oppressive racing conditions at the Buriram International Circuit but Brad Binder was able to sweat his way to 8th position after starting in 14th. The sixth Thai Grand Prix to occur at the flat and fast layout over 400km north of Bangkok welcomed a sell-out crowd and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3 drilled their KTM RC16s to two points-scoring positions.

The first of 22 Grand Prix races in 2025 lapped the 12 corners of Buriram 26 times, and the temperatures hovered in the high 30s with the asphalt sizzling in the 50s. The heat and harsh demands of the track created headaches for grip, wheelspin and durability. Pedro Acosta, Brad Binder, Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini had to gauge the most effective pace while also learn more about optimization of their 2025 KTM RC16s set-up.

Acosta rasped to the edge of the leading group and Binder made his customary rapid getaway and proactive first laps but Pedro’s was decided by a slip into Turn 1 in the formative phases. The Spaniard reboarded the KTM RC16 but circulated far behind the pack and he finished 19th. Brad pushed to the maximum to preserve his speed and tussle for positions. He passed the flag in P8 to grab points for the second time this weekend.

Red Bull KTM Tech3 were thrilled to watch Enea’s steady progress through the field and his expert handling of race rubber. The Italian started from the final row of the grid and made it up to 9th for a very encouraging beginning to his KTM career. Teammate Maverick Viñales struggled with traction from the first laps and could only reach the line in 16th.

MotoGP will jet across the continents and return to the Termas Rio Hondo circuit for the Grand Prix of Argentina in two weeks.

Brad Binder, 8th and 7th in the championship standings: “A really long race, for sure. I knew we had to be really easy on the rear tire and I had to be smooth on corner exit. Very tricky, especially because it is tempting to get excited and chase harder after people. I knew I had to be clever today but I also think I made a bit of a mistake with my tire choice. Anyway, I think we did a pretty good job considering it wasn’t an easy weekend. The team did a great job, so we’ll keep on fighting and hope for more in Argentina.”

Enea Bastianini, 9th and 9th in the championship standings: “I think we made a step this morning and I was positive for the race…but I did not expect the top ten. I think the soft tire helped give me confidence. In the second part of the race I was riding very smooth and was doing OK. It was important to check what I could do with other riders and to work out how and where I can do more. The race was good for this.”

Maverick Viñales, 16th and 18th in the championship standings“Well, we have a starting point. This weekend we had ups-and-downs trying to understand feelings on the bike. Now we need to be more precise and try to improve because I had problems with front grip today. It effected my corner speed. I made the rear tire last until the end of the race but had to use the front too much and it means the lap-times did not come easy.”

Pedro Acosta, 19th and 14th in the championship standings: “A tough day. A shame. We need to understand better what is going on because I had trouble stopping. After the crash trying to brake behind another rider my pace then was not too bad, the guys told me it might have been good enough for the top five. We have to move on and start again in Argentina. That’s it.”

Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Generally the first race weekend of the season is very important for information, and we need a couple of races to see where we are. Every lap is important and after two tests and a GP in extreme conditions this is helpful for the future. We know we need to improve in these types of climates but we also know that when it’s a bit cooler then we are competitive. We are learning, and in this way I’m happy. Performance-wise we have work to do.”

The Thai GP rounded off a positive first weekend of the 2025 MotoGP World Championship for Honda HRC Castrol, Luca Marini taking 12th after an early mistake and Joan Mir showing top ten speed before an unfortunate fall.

Progress continued at pace inside the Honda HRC Castrol garage as the first Sunday of 2025 arrived at the Chang International Circuit. Oppressive conditions met the MotoGP paddock as they arrived, ambient temperatures quickly climbing towards 40°C in the morning. Undeterred, Luca Marini and Joan Mir completed their final preparations ahead of the race with a few final tweaks in Warm Up.

Luca Marini’s 26-lap Thai GP was a race of recovery, the Italian dropping back to last at the first corner after an early error just before the start line. Putting his head down, Marini steadily worked his way through the field to quickly return to battling for the points. Ending just over half a second back from Jack Miller, the Italian finished in 12th position – matching his best result from the 2024 season which was also achieved during the Thai GP. Although his full potential was masked, Marini leaves Thailand pleased with the work done and ready to deliver on his, and the Honda RC213V’s, full potential next time out.

A lightning start when the lights went out had Joan Mir immediately battling with the top ten as he continued to show his impressive improvement in pace over the previous season. Unfortunately, a crash at the last corner while chasing down Miller ended Mir’s race early, the 2020 World Champion unable to remount and continue. Despite the fall, the #36 has had his confidence boosted by the overall shape and result of the weekend – a clear change in fortunes from the 2024 Thai GP.

There will now be a brief moment of rest before the Honda HRC Castrol team return to action in just under two weeks’ time at the Argentina GP, March 14 to 16.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing ripped out of a Grand Prix start gate for the first time this year and Sacha Coenen produced the goods with his KTM 250 SX-F to score 2nd place in Argentina. Simon Laegenfelder was 3rd overall meaning an MX2 double trophy haul for the opening round of 20 in Cordoba.

MXGP discovered a brand-new circuit for the Grand Prix of Argentina and the Infinito Race Track offered a different setting compared to the venue at Neuquen that had been the home of the South American fixture since 2015. The teams and riders tried to unlock all the fastest lines and potential of the course in Cordoba that was initially wet but quickly dried through the Sunday motos thanks to the warm climate and soft, sandy nature of the surface.

The Red Bull KTM Factory line-up flew across the Atlantic with one representative in the MXGP class (Lucas Coenen) and four in the MX2 category (Andrea Adamo, Sacha Coenen, Simon Laegenfelder and Marc-Antoine Rossi) and with Jeffrey Herlings on the comeback path from injury. On Saturday the MX2 crew set a marker with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd best lap-times in Timed Practice. Adamo, Coenen and Laegenfelder hit the front again in the RAM Qualification Heat and the Italian logged the first maximum points of the campaign with victory ahead of the Belgian in P2 and the German in 4th. Rossi was 19th after a poor start. Lucas Coenen was also struggling at the launch of the MXGP Heat as contact with another rider put him on the floor into Turn 2. He remounted and made it to the flag in 19th.

Sunday’s motos was the scene for more drama as the track invited a high pace and full commitment. Coenen fell on the first lap of the opening MX2 sprint (with the course in its wettest state) and worked his way back to 9th but then owned the second moto holeshot and took the checkered flag. Laegenfelder was P2 in the first moto but two small late falls in the afternoon dropped him to 6th and meant the third step of the podium. Adamo had to pull out of the initial moto with a technical issue and after spinning on the metal gate at the start. The former world champ was strong in the second moto to follow home Coenen for P2. Rossi ended the day with 19th after a 16-20 scorecard.

In MXGP Lucas Coenen closed a steady day of action with 7-8 scores and took home 27 points for P6. With the championship now underway, MXGP will hurry onto Cozar for the Grand Prix of Castilla la Mancha in two weeks.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders has won the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, extending his lead in the 2025 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship to 17 points. Dominating round two in the United Arab Emirates, Sanders secured two stage wins and finished nearly six minutes ahead of his closest rival. Teammate Luciano Benavides put in a strong performance too, narrowly missing the overall podium with his fourth-place finish. Meanwhile, Rally2 contender Edgar Canet showed early promise with a fourth-place result in the prologue but was unfortunately forced to retire after a crash on stage one.

The four-rider Honda HRC contingent of Tim Gajser, Ruben Fernandez, Ferruccio Zanchi and Valerio Lata have arrived in Argentina, ready to take on the challenges that the first round of the 2025 World Motocross Championship present.

Held at a new venue in Cordoba, Argentina, it will be a brand-new circuit for all four riders, as well as a brand-new country for the team’s most recent addition – Lata. Previously, we’ve headed to Patagonia for the Argentina round, but Cordoba, the second-largest city will now host the exciting prospect of the world’s best motocross riders battling it out for the first time in 2025.

Gajser is heading there as one of the favourites for the MXGP crown, after narrowly missing out on the title in 2024. His pre-season races have gone very well, and the Slovenian knows how to manage what will likely be another long, gruelling campaign. Solid points, and staying healthy is the key, but the #243 knows that winning motos, and the extra points that comes with that, will also be critical.

For fellow CRF450R teammate, Fernandez, his goals are to solidify his status as one of the fastest riders in the class and challenge for wins and podiums on a regular basis. Having won in Argentina in 2023, this is one of his favourite countries to visit, and he’ll be motivated to put on a good showing in front of his Spanish-speaking fans.

Returning with the team for his second year in the MX2 class is Zanchi, who now has a much better understanding of what to expect in the world championships. The young Italian put in a solid season last time out, finishing 10^th overall and having several good rides, but now the hope is to be fighting for positions nearer to the front of the field and trying to get himself on the podium.

Joining him on-board another Honda CRF250R is Lata, who moves up from a successful EMX career into the bright lights of the Honda HRC awning. The Italian has won races in pretty much every year of his career so far, but this will be his biggest challenge yet and the team has stressed that this first year will be one of learning and building. He has never raced outside of Europe before, so Argentina will be a completely new experience, however he is ready to embrace everything that comes his way and show that he has the speed to mix it up with the best MX2 riders in the world.

With the travelling complete, all that awaits the riders now is to take to track and see what this new circuit holds for them. Early photos and video show an impressive set-up, but there is a threat of storms over the weekend so everyone has fingers crossed that we can escape the worst of the weather and just enjoy the spectacle of the 2025 MXGP World Championships.

History was made in Australia today as Stefano Manzi took the all-new Yamaha R9 to a maiden victory in its debut outing in the FIM Supersport World Championship at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. 

It was poetic for Yamaha, as Manzi opened the R9’s World Championship account with victory just 126 days after closing the iconic R6’s chapter in the history books with a win in Jerez back in October. 

It hasn’t been a straightforward week ‘down under’ for the Italian, who struggled initially in the two-day official test but, working hard with the Pata Yamaha Ten Kate team, he made progress session by session. The twice vice-champion qualified eighth for the R9’s debut race but being on the third row of the grid didn’t hinder Manzi as he launched off the line to join the battle for the podium on the opening lap. 

It was Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Racing’s Can Öncü who took the holeshot from fourth on the grid, with Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) holding his third-place starting position in the opening exchanges. 

As the race reached the halfway point with the mandatory pit stop window opening, it was Öncü, Manzi and Jaume Masia fighting for the lead. Entering the pits on the same lap, Masia seemed to gain an edge on the two R9s on the restart but was later handed a 3.5 second penalty for leaving pit lane too early. 

Following the pit stops, Marcel Schroetter and Tom Booth-Amos joined the fight for the lead making it a five-way scrap at the front. Manzi asserted himself at the head of the field, but was unable to make a break, leading to a dogged battle with Masia in the closing stages. A pass at the bottom of Lukey Heights was enough to secure the Italian enough breathing room to cross the line first and make history with the R9’s maiden win on its race debut. 

Öncü crossed the line fifth for Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Racing, with 2017 champion Lucas Mahias completing his race in ninth. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (GMT94 Yamaha), who had looked to have pace to fight for a podium, retired with a technical issue on lap six. 

Having shown impressive pace as a rookie, reigning WorldSSP300 champion Aldi Satya Mahendra’s (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Racing) WorldSSP debut came to an early end as he crashed unhurt at turn ten on the opening lap.

In WorldSSP, the grid for the second race is set by the fastest laps in the opening race meaning Manzi, who set the third fastest lap, will start from the front row. Mahias moves to sixth on the grid with Öncü ninth.

RACE 1 RESULTS

Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) – 1st

“It is amazing to open the era of the new R9 with a win! There are not many words at the moment, I need to thank Yamaha and the team as they have put a lot of effort in to this project to make this possible. It was not easy, because it was a hard fight and the pit stop also made things challenging, but I am happy to be able to say I finished first! In the winter tests in Spain, the test earlier this week and even yesterday I was not super quick, but in the end we were able to close the gap. When we left the pits and Masia had a gap on me, I thought either I’ve done something wrong, or he did something wrong, so my only goal was to catch him and win. It was a hard fight, like always in this class, but I am a fighter, so in the end it was good for me!” 

Niccolò Canepa – Road Racing Sporting Manager, Yamaha Motor Europe

“This is an incredible result for Yamaha, for the R9 to take the win in its first WorldSSP race is a dream. We felt confident in the package heading into the season, but pre-season testing was hampered by bad weather and our WorldSSP teams participated in private tests away from their rivals. Since we arrived in Australia, our teams have made progress session after session and fighting for the podium was our target. Stefano rode an incredible race in true ‘Manzi style’ and he will now go down in history as the last winner on the R6 and first on the R9. Congratulations to him, the Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team and all of the engineers who have worked so hard on this project over the last year. We still have work to do, but we could not have made a better start!”

Jonathan Rea has undergone surgery to stabilise the foot injury sustained in his testing crash at Phillip Island earlier this week. 

In the opening day of the final test session at Phillip Island on Monday, Rea fell at turn two and sustained multiple fractures to his left foot. After treatment at the circuit medical centre and further scans and specialist consultation, Rea flew home to Belfast on Wednesday. 

On Friday, he met with Dr Michael McMullan at the Kingsbridge Private Hospital in Belfast and underwent surgery to stabilise the fractures. The procedure was deemed a success and Rea has since returned home to begin his recovery. 

While the exact timeframe for rehabilitation remains unclear, Rea will miss the upcoming Portimão test (14-15 March) and Round 2 at the Autodrómo Internacional do Algarve (28-30 March). 

Jonathan Rea – Pata Maxus Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team 

“I would like to thank Dr Michael McMullan and his team at the Kingsbridge Private Hospital in Belfast for the urgency and care to deal with my foot injury. After reviewing the scans from my crash in Australia we made the decision to fly home directly and perform surgery to stabilise and fix the injuries in my foot. The surgery was successful and I will continue my recovery at home with my medical team. I want to thank my team, my family and of course all my fans who have been sending me positive messages during these difficult days.” 

Niccolò Canepa – Road Racing Sporting Manager, Yamaha Motor Europe

“We are missing Jonathan here in Australia, as he travelled to the opening round of the season fully motivated and with a growing confidence in the Yamaha R1, only to be sidelined by the testing crash. Unfortunately, the recovery time for the injury he sustained means he will not be able to race in Portimão next month. We extend our best wishes to Jonathan for a speedy recovery and hope to see him back soon.”

Monster Energy Honda HRC’s Tosha Schareina made the strongest statement possible in his first participation of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge with a fantastic second consecutive stage win.

With the riders getting their first taste of the expansive Arabian dunes, stage one today provided a true test of skill and endurance over the 243km special stage as they navigated away from the first bivouac at Al Ain across to the awe-inspiring landscapes of the Liwa region and onto the finish line at Mezaira’a.

As the prologue winner, Schareina secured a prime starting position for today, setting tenth off the line that played into the Spaniard’s hands as the heat of the day rose.  He mastered the sandy terrain and dunes to finish nearly two minutes ahead of second place finisher Ricky Brabec. This result has put him firmly at the top of the overall standings with a 2’07” margin over his Honda teammate.

A late charge from Brabec, the 2022 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge runner up, saw him move up from fifth during the stage as some key adjustments he’d made to his Honda CRF450 RALLY last week in testing helped him hand over fist towards a fast finish.

With the difficult task as one of the opening riders today, Adrien Van Beveren was joined on the stage by Rally 2 rider Michael Docherty as the pair set the pace together at the front.  Although he finished the day over seven minutes behind Schareina, the Frenchman had expected to lose time with no tracks to follow, however, he came away pleased with his performance.

Happy to get to the finish was eighth placed Skyler Howes who relished the challenges of the soft sand even if some small mistakes lost him time as he continued to adapt his Honda CRF450 RALLY setup for the desert.

Stage two will be a 302km loop around Mezaira’a as they head into the iconic Rub’ Al Khali, also known as the Empty Quarter that is one of the world’s most legendary and mesmerising desert landscapes that spans parts of Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.  The towering dunes, some of which can be over 250 metres high, will test the riders both physically and mentally under the intense heat.