Enea Bastianini’s 2025 MotoGP season has unfolded as a tale of two halves, marked by a significant turnaround after a challenging start. Early in the year, the former Ducati factory rider struggled during his first year with KTM, scoring just 42 points in the first 10 rounds and languishing in 15th place in the world championship. His season took a worrying turn when he was hospitalised before the German Grand Prix with a serious bout of food poisoning caused by campylobacter bacteria from contaminated chicken, forcing him to miss the race at Sachsenring.
Despite this setback, Bastianini demonstrated immense resilience by returning to the track just five days later at the Czech Republic Grand Prix. Though physically weakened, he impressed by finishing third in the sprint race and engaging in a strong battle during the Grand Prix before crashing out from fourth place. This performance signalled the start of a significant recovery, with improved finishes in Austria and a mix of highs and lows in Hungary.
Gradually, Bastianini’s confidence and skills on the KTM RC16 deepened, especially in managing tyre conservation and showcasing his late-race speed, traits that account for his seven MotoGP victories so far. His persistence was rewarded at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Misano, where he secured his first podium finish with KTM by coming third behind the dominant Marquez brothers and ahead of his teammate Pedro Acosta. His aggressive overtaking, highlighted by a spectacular late-braking move in turn one, gained admiration from KTM’s Tech3 boss Guenther Steiner.
Comfort and Consistency Boost Bastianini’s Performance
Bastianini’s resurgence is partly attributed to growing familiarity with his KTM bike, after early-season difficulties adjusting to its seating position and delayed parts deliveries caused by KTM’s financial challenges. He has found a way to refine his riding style to exploit his natural ability to conserve tyres and unleash blistering pace late in races. His recent surge doubled his points tally, elevating him to 12th in the championship standings and overtaking teammate Maverick Vinales.
Notably, Bastianini’s record at Misano, the site of the upcoming San Marino Grand Prix, is outstanding—he has earned a podium finish in every MotoGP start there, including two thirds as a rookie in 2021 on a satellite Ducati. While his season so far may not yet reflect consistent threat to title contenders, his history at Misano and recent form hint that he could make an impact this weekend if he stays healthy and focused.
Yamaha Debuts New V4 Prototype Amid Secrecy
Yamaha has unveiled a significant technological development at the Misano paddock: a V4 engine configuration for its YZR-M1, marking a departure from the inline-four setup that the manufacturer has used since Suzuki’s exit from the sport in 2022. The new configuration was revealed by test rider Augusto Fernandez, who is piloting the prototype this weekend as Yamaha evaluates the machine ahead of a potential full-time rollout in 2026.
Yamaha’s existing inline-four bike helped Fabio Quartararo seize the 2021 world title but has since lagged behind Ducati’s technological advances. The V4 test bike remains shrouded in secrecy, with team riders—including Jack Miller, Quartararo, and Alex Rins—prohibited from commenting publicly about it. Miller confirmed that the new bike will not be raced competitively this season, describing any notion of such a debut as “no chance.” However, all three riders will test the V4 again after the San Marino Grand Prix in a dedicated day of trials.
Yamaha clarified that the purpose of introducing the V4 as a wildcard entry this weekend is solely to collect data, emphasizing that no development decisions will depend on Misano results. Miller’s focus this weekend is replicating or improving on his strong Misano form from last year, where he consistently qualified on the front row and aimed to finish within the top five despite a difficult Barcelona GP the previous weekend.
I think we can have a strong one this weekend … Yamaha can perform well on a circuit without crazy-long straights,
Miller said.
Grip conditions here are generally pretty high the last few years, and I think the layout plays a little bit more into our hands than some of the other circuits.
Bagnaia Seeks Stability at Misano Following Struggles
Two-time MotoGP world champion Francesco Bagnaia enters Misano searching for a stabilizing result after a challenging season fade. The Ducati rider, who has won 11 Grands Prix in 2023 and narrowly lost the title to Jorge Martin at last year’s finale, has been overshadowed by new teammate Marc Marquez this season. Bagnaia’s form has dipped noticeably, exemplified by his worst qualifying in three years at the recent Catalan GP, where he started 21st on the grid and finished seventh.
Despite these difficulties, Bagnaia retains a strong historical record at Misano, boasting podium finishes in every appearance there since 2020, including two wins. The track’s high-grip asphalt contrasts sharply with the slippery, older surface at Barcelona, where he struggled to find rear-end stability and felt disconnected from Ducati’s new GP25 bike. This lack of adaptation, Bagnaia admitted, remains his biggest challenge.
Right now, I don’t want to say that I’m happy [and] I don’t want to say that I’m angry,
he stated.
The last GP was a disaster, a nightmare for me, like the one in [Hungary]. I just need a normal race weekend, and a good result could be a fantastic moment right now.
I know that I’m here to win races, I’m here in the factory team because I can fight for wins. Right now, the potential is not there. I tried everything to adapt to this bike, but right now I’m still struggling to do it.
Bagnaia believes that Misano’s grip level could help him recover some confidence and better manage the bike’s handling, after leading significantly fewer race laps this year compared to 2023.
It will be important for me to have more grip because last weekend was quite tricky,
Bagnaia said.
I was struggling a lot to find some support from the rear, so it’s super useful.
I looked at every single direction possible and the only reason for my difficulty is that this bike has a different DNA that I’m still not able to adapt to. Some bikes are better, some bikes are more difficult, but it depends on the way you can adapt to it. Unluckily with this bike, I’m struggling more.
Marquez Focused on Maintaining Championship Momentum
Marc Marquez is approaching the San Marino Grand Prix holding a commanding 182-point lead in the 2025 championship, with seven wins across 15 races so far. His winning streak ended recently in Barcelona when his younger brother Alex Marquez stunned the field by winning both the sprint and the main event. This sibling rivalry has kept the title fight alive with six rounds remaining after Misano, setting up a tense final stretch of the season.
Marquez aims to secure his seventh premier-class championship and first since 2019 by building on his strong Misano track record, where he has claimed five victories, including last year’s win on a Gresini Ducati. He emphasizes keeping his focus and mindset steady despite the possibility of clinching the title early at Motegi.
The mindset is to still keep the same mentality, even with seven races to go I want to keep the same mentality because there’s still a lot of races to finish the season,
Marquez said.
It’s true that maybe we can close the championship earlier, maybe. But we will try to keep the same mentality, because when we finish 2025, we start ’26 already straight away, the next day.
Despite not winning in Barcelona, Marquez scored the most points over the weekend, narrowly losing out to his brother. He believes Misano suits his riding style better and feels encouraged by his form. Meanwhile, Marquez expressed empathy for teammate Francesco Bagnaia’s struggles and the mental toll of competing in a difficult phase.
It’s the first time in his career that he’s in that situation, but he has enough talent to go up from that hole,
Marquez observed.
In the end, I want to beat my teammate and I want to beat my brother, I want to beat everybody. But I don’t want to see that somebody is suffering like ‘Pecco’ [Bagnaia] right now.
It’s something that is not easy for riders when they are in a difficult moment. It’s difficult to forget, because every day you are talking to journalists, every day [the media] are doing your job and asking the same question and this is something hard for us, but we need to accept.
Looking Ahead: What the San Marino Weekend Could Mean for Title Contenders
The San Marino Grand Prix at Misano represents a critical juncture in the 2025 MotoGP season with several storylines converging. Enea Bastianini’s return to form could see him disrupt the established order on a circuit where he usually excels, potentially challenging KTM’s dominant figures. Yamaha’s introduction of the new V4 engine prototype adds an element of intrigue, as the manufacturer tests a major technical upgrade with eyes on 2026.
Francesco Bagnaia is under pressure to regain competitive form, relying on Misano’s grip-heavy surface to unlock his bike’s potential and restore confidence after several discouraging rounds. Meanwhile, Marc Marquez, comfortable in his lead but determined to maintain momentum, seeks to edge closer to an early championship victory. The battle between two Marquez brothers, alongside the rising threat of Bastianini and the cautious Yamaha project, sets the stage for an intense and consequential weekend that could shape the remainder of the season and beyond.
