Rain before the start of the race meant a mix of strategies. Just three riders were going to start on slicks while the rest were shod with treaded wet weather tyres.
Factory KTM rider Brad Binder, Enea Bastianini on the Tech3 satellite KTM, and Aprilia-powered Trackhouse Racing rookie Ai Ogura were all on slicks and set to benefit from the drying track.
After the bizarre scenes in the 2018 Argentine Motorcycle Grand Prix that gave Jack Miller a massive head start that year when everyone but the Australian changed their tyres at the last-minute, MotoGP introduced new rules for similar instances.
If more than 10 riders abandon the grid, then race officials can abandon the start.
While most riders sat on their respective bikes waiting for the warm-up lap, Marquez stood next to his Ducati looking skyward.
On the stroke of two minutes to go before the warm-up lap and just as MotoGP rolled the pre-race intro TV titles, the Spaniard suddenly sprinted off the grid through a gap in the wall.
His Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia spotted him and followed suit just seconds later before several more riders did the same.
Even before the intro could finish, TV directors cut back to Marquez sprinting down pit lane.
As the riders sprinted down pit lane, there was bedlam. Bikes were pulled off the grid and riders ran to their respective pit boxes to grab their spares with slick tyres.
Many riders, including @marcmarquez93 are running back to the pitlane! 🤯#AmericasGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/XuSZ7Stgn5
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 30, 2025
“We’re just cutting off the intro because look at this,” said MotoGP commentator Steve Day.
“We have our top three riders on the grid for the 20-lap Grand Prix of America. Well, it’s a 100-metre Olympic sprint this.
“Bikes are being pulled off the grid, left, right, and centre.
“We saw on the grid just before we cut to the intro the top three on the grid, the Marquez brothers and Fabio Di Giannantonio, they intended to start this race on Michelin’s rain tyres.
“Have you ever seen anything quite like this?”
Looking back at this moment 👀 @marcmarquez93 wasn’t sat on the bike and decided to bolt back to the pits #AmericasGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/1SxFj03R5u
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 30, 2025
The race was duly delayed. Those who had wet weather tyres fitted were left bemused.
Honda rider Luca Marini threw his hands up in disgust.
Aprilia rider Jorge Martin, sidelined by an injury, was confused by the chaos.
“For sure, the regulations are difficult to understand in this situation,” said last year’s MotoGP champion.
“It’s a pity for the riders already with a slick because I feel they made the right choice, but now everything will be the same as always.
“To have this weather is so difficult for us.”
Former Alpine boss and incumbent Trackhouse Racing team principal Davide Brivio was frustrated.
“I’m very upset, to be honest,” said the Frenchman.
“That’s not the way to manage a start. We took a gamble, we took the right decision. When it was time to start they stopped everything because some riders decided to leave the grid.
“They left the grid. They made the wrong choice. Why they didn’t allow us to start on the right choice? Now everything is gone.”
The race began with all 22 riders on slick tyres.
Speaking post-race, Marquez said he planned the pre-race sprint.
“I really know the rules and how to do and how to be on the limit all the time,” he explained.
“I asked [Marco] Rigamonti my chief mechanic seven minutes before the start if the second bike ready. He told me ‘Yes’. And then I said to him, ‘Maybe we leave the grid’.
“Why? Because I predict when I will leave, I saw the rain tyre was not the correct strategy.
“Then I predict that when I will leave more than 10 riders will follow me and then they will stop the race.
“So it’s what happened. We did everything well. We did everything perfect.”
Grand Prix Delayed | 2025 Americas GP https://t.co/LyfbeS0n2M
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 30, 2025
Bagnaia said he was aware that he could have been penalised had the prerequisite number of riders not abandoned the grid.
“As soon as I started running, I just hoped that many more riders would follow,” he said.
“I said ‘if we are just two, I think some penalties could arrive’.
“But then I saw that many riders were following from the big screen, I said ‘okay, they will not have time enough to remove the bikes from the grid’ — so there will not be any penalty.
“And it’s not clear on the regulations, this particular situation.”
In total, 12 riders were left on the grid. Under article 1.18.1 of the MotoGP regulation, more than 10 riders have to abandon their bikes for officials to scratch the start.
“We called for a delay and then quick start procedure due to safety concerns,” said race director Mike Webb in a statement.
“Given the number of riders, bikes and pit staff on the grid and in the pitlane area, it was impossible to start the warm-up lap.
“A new race start was the safest way to respond to the unprecedented circumstances at the start of the grand prix.
“We will analyse the situation together with the teams and revisit the regulations.”
Maverick completely bikeless on the grid, riders lined up on the pitlane and RED FLAG! 🔴#AmericasGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/S69NN0usB9
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 30, 2025
Bagnaia and runner-up Alex Marquez called for clarity on the situation. The Gresini rider said it was unfair.
“I didn’t even know that that was possible, honestly speaking,” he said.
“I just followed the guys and that’s it. So, we need to be more clear on that position. If they delay the start just for the chaos, it’s not the correct way.
“If that’s in the rule you can do it, they need to do it, and they need to organise things better to be able to do that.
“Because it’s not fair that somebody took the risk and then they make a start delay. Imagine if I was with slicks on the grid – you know? It was not fair.
“Everything needs to be more clear in that way.”
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