Top 10 riders for the 2025 MotoGP season

The 2025 MotoGP season was an impressive yr for Marc Márquez and Ducati, but it surely additionally featured plenty of star performances.

All of the reward and admiration in 2025 went to 32-year-old Marc Márquez, who lastly overcame the detrimental results of his damage in 2020 to win his seventh MotoGP world title and his first with Ducati.

His youthful brother Alex Marquez was a pressure to be reckoned with at instances within the first half of the marketing campaign, however he confronted little opposition, though Aprilia’s rising menace ought to be a slight trigger for concern.

Elsewhere, standout rookies, underachievers made massive strides, and dominant machines punched effectively above their weight.

Under is Crash.web’s rating of the highest 10 riders for the 2025 season.

10. Luca Marini, Honda HRC

Finest outcome – fifth place

Finest dash – 4th place

Championship – thirteenth place, 142 factors

I wasn’t too enthusiastic about Luca Marini being chosen as a potential successor to Marc Marquez at Honda’s manufacturing unit crew in 2024. Throughout his time on Ducati’s satellite tv for pc machines, he achieved just a few podiums, however was by no means in a position to match the outcomes of Marco Bezzecchi, Enea Bastianini and even Fabio Di Giannantonio.

After a reasonably gradual 2024, issues picked up in direction of the tip of the season, however Marini appeared like a way more aggressive rider within the 2025 low season on a much-improved Honda.

His 4 top-10 finishes in his first seven races supplied a basis he had little to construct upon after being pressured to sit down out three races because of a severe crash throughout the Suzuka 8 Hours take a look at. Nevertheless, upon his return, he stepped up his recreation, attaining consecutive 5-second instances in Hungary and Indonesia, and a 4-second time within the Hungarian dash.

He completed the yr simply six factors behind Honda’s race winner Johann Zarco, proving to be a dependable finisher and an awesome improvement asset for HRC.

9. Raul Fernandes, Trackhouse Racing Aprilia

Highest outcome – 1st place (Australia)

Finest Dash – 2nd place (Australia)

Championship – tenth place, 172 factors

As Aprilia’s solely returning rider in 2025, many expectations have been positioned on Raul Fernandez. Nevertheless, after eight races, he had solely two top-10 finishes, and was subjected to a tricky take a look at from rookie teammate Ai Ogura, in addition to criticism from Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola.

Regardless of repeated denials by Trackhouse, Manu Gonzalez was examined at Aragon within the crew’s RS-GP, and Fernandes issued a warning. For the reason that Italian Grand Prix, Fernandes has been the perfect model of himself to this point in MotoGP, persistently ending within the prime 10 earlier than scoring his first podium on the Indonesian dash.

He seized the chance to take his first Grand Prix win in Australia and backed it up with a brutal two-second cost towards Marco Bezzecchi in Valencia, only a week after his massive crash on the Portuguese spherical.

Fernandes will rating 106 extra factors in 2025 than final yr. The potential Trackhouse noticed in him has come to the fore, however he should now put that inconsistency apart and make the second half of 2025 his baseline type for 2026.

8. Johann Zarco, LCR Honda

Highest outcome – 1st place (France)

Finest dash – 4th place

Championship – twelfth place, 148 factors

Turning his again on the perfect bikes on the grid to affix Honda final yr was a daring transfer for a rider within the twilight of his MotoGP profession. Nevertheless, Johann Zarco was the one vivid spot for HRC in a disastrous 2024.

He remained Honda’s favourite for the primary half of the 2025 season, ending within the LCR prime seven within the first two races and scoring the model’s greatest lead to over a yr with a fourth place in Qatar.

His greatest second of the season was his dominant run to victory in moist circumstances on the French Grand Prix. This historic second was aided by LCR’s wonderful judgment of what the climate can be like firstly of the race.

A second place end at Le Mans capped off a spring he’ll always remember, however his outcomes declined within the second half of the yr because the upgrades trickled all the way down to him. Zarco has a brand new contract till 2027, and there may be nonetheless a superb probability he’ll make a mark with Honda.

7. Pecco Bagnaia, Ducati Corse

Highest outcome – 1st place (USA, Japan)

Finest Dash – 1st place (Japan, Malaysia)

Championship – fifth place, 288 factors

That is an entry that’s too low for some and too excessive for others. Nevertheless, there is no such thing as a denying that the 2025 season was nothing wanting a catastrophe in comparison with the lofty expectations set by Pecco Bagnaia.

The 2-time world champion by no means settled into the GP25, persistently missing front-end really feel, and suffered the double blow of seeing teammate Marc Marquez effortlessly dominate in a comparable automotive.

Wanting again, the 2025 marketing campaign received off to a gradual begin, however was truly fairly robust. He completed on the rostrum in 5 of the primary six races, together with a win in America after Marquez fell from the lead. He then had three extra third-place finishes at Aragon, Assen and Sachsenring, earlier than the season actually received into full swing.

There was one prime 5 between Brno and Misano, fifteenth and twenty first in Hungary and Barcelona with Q1 losses, after which a clear Classic Pole/Dash/Grand Prix win at Motegi. Disasters adopted in Indonesia and Australia, with a dash victory from pole place at Sepang adopted by 5 no-scores between Mandalika and Valencia on Sunday.

Bagnaia was 257 factors behind Marquez within the rankings and was utterly at a loss to clarify his downside.

Firstly of the yr, he was anticipated to struggle for the title with Marquez, however the season ended with a giant query mark over his future with Ducati.

6. Fermin Aldeguer, Gresini Racing Ducati

Highest outcome – 1st place (Indonesia)

Finest Dash – 2nd place (Indonesia)

Championship – eighth place, 214 factors

Ducati had finalized a take care of Fermin Aldeguer earlier than the beginning of the 2024 Moto2 season. And at one level, that promotion appeared rushed as he was struggling to mount a severe title problem.

The race for Rookie of the Yr, who stepped as much as MotoGP with Ducati after a yr off, appeared like it will be a tricky battle with Ai Ogura. However beneath the steering of crew chief Frankie Carcedi, Aldeguer rapidly made an impression. A string of prime fives in Qatar was changed by a string of podiums in France.

He completed on the rostrum once more in Austria after a stable factors haul, earlier than taking his first win in Indonesia. He developed a robust means to handle tire put on, which he used to utterly dominate Mandalika.

He was on the dash podium at Sepang however was dominated out because of a tire stress penalty, however completed within the prime 5 within the closing two races and was named Rookie of the Yr.

Ducati knew that they had one thing particular with Aldeguer. However, he defied the chances and had a stronger than anticipated season, abruptly establishing himself as the highest of the 2027 rider market.

5. Pedro Acosta, KTM Manufacturing unit Racing

Finest outcome – 2nd place

Finest dash – 2nd place

Championship – 4th place, 307 factors

From his personal private perspective, the 2025 season was an enormous disappointment for Pedro Acosta. After breaking out throughout his rookie season, many thought-about Acosta to be a possible championship menace in 2025 and at the very least able to profitable a number of races.

As an alternative, he has gone two full seasons with out reaching the highest step of the rostrum. The 2025 RC16 was undoubtedly less than the duty within the first half of the season, and the Spaniard let his frustration boil over as he started to think about the truth that his aspirations would more than likely not be achieved.

KTM made some upgrades to the bike for the second half, but it surely was a change in mindset that allowed Acosta to be a constant podium menace. By the twelfth spherical in Brno he had received his first race and had received eight of the final ten occasions in each races.

He moved into fourth place, forward of two-time race winner Pecco Bagnaia, and was 152 factors away from the following greatest KTM rider. Acosta additionally went his second full season undefeated by his teammates in qualifying.

Acosta believes he “fought in useless” in 2025. Whereas that could be true, he as soon as once more proved why he’s thought-about a generational expertise and the way a lot KTM will miss him if 2026 seems to be his final season with the model.

4. Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Manufacturing unit Racing

Highest outcome – 2nd place (Spain)

Finest dash – 2nd place (Barcelona)

Championship – ninth place, 201 factors

There was a variety of discuss Yamaha going into their first race after a robust pre-season in M1 urged the Japanese model might compete for semi-regular podiums. And Yamaha definitely had a greater yr than 2024, however that was largely as a result of Fabio Quartararo received extra out of that bike than he ought to have been in a position to.

That was particularly evident between Qatar and Silverstone, the place he took the M1 to the entrance row 5 instances in a row, taking pole place 4 of these instances and ending second on the Spanish Grand Prix. Had he not crashed within the difficult circumstances at Le Mans, he might have been on the rostrum, however a failure with the coilover system meant he miserably missed out on victory, that means victory at Silverstone was all however sure.

The one-lap tempo allowed Quartararo to earn race leads to his M1 that it in any other case would not have, together with robust top-five finishes and a sprinkling of dash podiums in Germany, Barcelona, ​​and Malaysia.

However the M1 lacked energy and grip, so he was restricted in what he might do. He had a 122 level lead over the following greatest Yamaha rider within the rankings, making him the one consultant of the Japanese model to complete within the prime 10 within the championship.

As Yamaha strikes into a brand new V4 period, Quartararo’s persistence to get again right into a race-winning package deal seems to have reached its restrict. Whereas hopes for his first victory because the 2022 German Grand Prix linger, there was no scarcity of reminders that rider Quartararo’s expertise will nonetheless be in MotoGP in 2025.

3. Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing Ducati

Highest outcome – 1st place (Spain, Barcelona, ​​Malaysia)

Finest Dash – 1st place (UK, Portugal, Valencia)

Championship – 2nd place, 467 factors

Alex Marquez had a very nice season, so it was extremely tough to determine on the quantity two rider in these rankings. After a tough yr with GP23 Ducati, the soar to GP24 led to a right away enchancment in efficiency for Alex Marquez.

He began the season with three second-place finishes, his first win at Jerez, and stable sprints and Grand Prix podiums till the summer time break. He made pointless errors in Brno, leading to two DNFs, whereas a penalty for a collision with Joan Mir hampered his podium tempo in Austria on the weekend.

An additional fall in Hungary and a crash on the entrance of the dash in Barcelona added additional stains to his copybook. However his response on the Catalunya Grand Prix was a reminder of the rider he has change into, as he absorbed the massive stress of Marc Marquez within the manufacturing unit GP25 and took his second win of the yr.

He took his third win in Malaysia and received two sprints within the final two races. He surpassed the factors he scored in 2024 by virtually 300 factors, taking a snug runner-up spot within the rankings and qualifying for subsequent yr’s Manufacturing unit GP26.

Alex Marquez is at all times in comparison with his older brother, however the 2025 season proved past doubt his degree as among the best riders on the earth.

2. Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Manufacturing unit Racing

Highest outcome – 1st place (UK, Portugal, Valencia)

Finest Dash – 1st place (Misano, Indonesia, Australia)

Championship – third place, 353 factors

In the summertime of 2024, Aprilia made a splash by signing eventual world champion Jorge Martin. The appointment of Marco Bezzecchi felt like Aprilia was securing a succesful quantity two quite than a rider who might step as much as the position of crew chief.

Nevertheless, though he confronted this case on the primary day of pre-season testing after Martin suffered 4 main accidents, Bezzecchi rapidly tailored to Aprilia’s improvement reference and level man on monitor.

The begin to the season was stable sufficient, with a robust race tempo capped by an underwhelming qualifying outcome. Issues began to click on collectively simply days after Martin had a nasty contract dispute with Aprilia, profitable the Grand Prix from eleventh on the grid at Silverstone.

Nevertheless, the Aragon take a look at just a few weeks later proved essential as Aprilia overcame stability points beneath braking. Bezzecchi completed fifth at Mugello, and at Assen he raced Marc Marquez onerous to win the Grand Prix and take back-to-back podiums.

It turned an annual occasion, with Bezzecchi ending on the rostrum in both the dash or grand prix in 10 of the ultimate 12 races after the Dutch Grand Prix. Bezzecchi’s collision in Indonesia and Marquez’s absence because of damage opened the door for back-to-back wins in Portugal and Valencia, with the 5 pole place gamers demonstrating Marquez’s time-attacking talents.

Much like Alex Marquez, Bezzecchi made few errors, however when he did, he tended to lose his probabilities of a podium. Resolving them might be essential if he has any ambitions of preventing for a world title in 2026.

He proved he might win races when he was a satellite tv for pc rider for Ducati. However attaining it in a very totally different automotive, towards a backdrop of main off-track drama, is as a lot a testomony to Bezzecchi’s progress as it’s a job effectively completed for Aprilia in 2025.

1. Marc Marquez, Ducati Corse

Finest outcome – 1st place (Thailand, Argentina, Qatar, Aragon, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Misano)

Finest Dash – 1st place (Thailand, Argentina, USA, Qatar, Spain, France, Aragon, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Barcelona)

Championship – 1st place, 545 factors

Should you anticipated another person to take the primary spot, you most likely weren’t paying consideration in any respect in 2025. There was little doubt that Marc Marquez entered the 2025 marketing campaign as the favourite to win the world title, however he’s now linked to manufacturing unit Ducati.

However the way in which he went about profitable three of the primary 4 Grands Prix, racking up 37 factors over seven weekends from Aragon to Hungary, 11 Grands Prix wins total and 14 sprints within the 18 races he began was a degree of domination not seen since 2019, when he was the final world champion.

He made errors early within the season in America and Spain, however they have been rapidly resolved, and his subsequent fall from the entrance of the dash at Misano was the one non-finish of his personal. His outcomes have been extra spectacular in comparison with these of Pecco Bagnaia and Fabio Di Giannantonio within the different GP25 automobiles, however each struggled to search out consistency of their package deal.

Marquez rewinded plenty of years to indicate the shape he was accustomed to in his pre-injury days. However to do this on the age of 32 after sustaining such a severe damage is one thing you not often see within the sports activities world.

A crash attributable to Marco Bezzecchi sadly ended his season in Indonesia prematurely, denying him the possibility to see what he might do with out the stress of a World Championship.

Whereas Aprilia’s menace is rising, so long as Marquez maintains his present type with Ducati, I do not see how they are often defeated.