Marc Marquez “starting from scratch” in Brno, Bagnaia chasing “something more”

Marc Marquez may be riding a wave of dominance heading into Brno, but the MotoGP title leader insists he’s “starting from scratch” at the returning Czech venue.

The six-time MotoGP champion celebrated his 69th premier-class victory and fourth consecutive Sprint-GP double last weekend at the Sachsenring.

But with Brno last appearing on the calendar in 2020, and Marquez yet to ride a Ducati at the circuit, which has also been completely resurfaced, the Spaniard is approaching this weekend with caution.

Marquez will also be aware that, after a perfect ten-race win streak at the start of 2014, he slumped to fourth place at the Czech track: 

"It was simply that we didn't have the same feeling as on other Sundays," Marquez said after that 2014 defeat, at the hands of Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa, plus the Yamahas of Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi. 

"In a way, it's taken a weight off my shoulders, as now people won't be asking me if I can win every race anymore."

Fast forward to 2025, and Marquez has won the last eight races in a row, counting Sprints. He will reach ten in a row for the first time since 2014 if he sweeps the Brno weekend.

“I'm coming from an attacking mood weekend,” said Marc Marquez. “I tried to manage things, especially considering Saturday's weather, but in the end I took a few risks and achieved my maximum goal—even in terms of points.

“Here in Brno we'll be starting from scratch. I've never ridden here with the Ducati, and even in terms of tarmac, we don't really know what we'll find.

“This is definitely one of the most beautiful and challenging tracks on the entire calendar and I can't wait to get out on track.”

Marquez’s momentum sees him holding an 83-point lead over nearest challenger and younger brother Alex, with Francesco Bagnaia a further 64 points behind in third.

Even if Marc were to skip the next two races, he would still be leading the world championship.

Meanwhile, team-mate Francesco Bagnaia arrives in Brno after a tough weekend in Germany.

The Italian finished a distant 12th in the wet Sprint but rebounded to take third place in Sunday’s dry race, helped by late falls for Fabio di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi.

“Even in Germany, after a really difficult Sprint, we managed to make a step forward in Sunday’s race,” Bagnaia said. “I'm happy with the podium, even if I’d like something more.”

Bagnaia missed the 2020 Brno round through injury and finished 12th on his last MotoGP visit as a rookie in 2019. His best result at the circuit remains a Moto2 podium in 2018.

“Brno has always been one of my favourite tracks and I'm happy to be back racing here. We'll continue to work, especially to find more rear grip, something we struggled with last weekend,” he added.

Ducati has claimed past Brno victories with Loris Capirossi (2006), Casey Stoner (2007) and Andrea Dovizioso (2018).