The race: excitement from start to finish
The 27-lap race began with a perfect start from Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia), who secured the holeshot from the front row. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse-Aprilia) initially slotted into second place, followed by Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). Pole-setter Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) lost several positions at the start and slipped back to fourth place.
On lap two, Bezzecchi was reminded of his double long-lap penalty. His strategy was clear: he tried to build up as much of a lead as possible before serving the penalties. Acosta took second place in the meantime, but Fernandez fought his way back and maintained his position at the front of the field.
After completing both long laps, Bezzecchi initially fell back, while Fernandez continued to increase the pace. At the halfway point of the race, he was about 1.5 seconds ahead of Acosta. Bezzecchi, now in fifth place, was more than four seconds behind the leader at this point. There were numerous battles in the chasing pack: Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) steadily worked his way forward and decisively prevailed over his rivals in the second half of the race.
The final phase: a commanding victory and a fierce battle among the chasing pack
In the final third of the race, Raul Fernandez further extended his lead and was at times three seconds ahead of his pursuers. Behind him, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), Di Giannantonio, and Bezzecchi battled for the podium places. With four laps to go, Di Giannantonio passed Marquez and secured second place. Bezzecchi, who never gave up despite losing time due to penalties, caught Marquez shortly afterwards in turn 10 and secured third place on the podium.
Fernandez held on to the lead until the finish and clinched a commanding first MotoGP victory in his 76th start in the premier class. His success was the result of constant development and the trust of his team, as he emphasized after the race:
“I just can’t believe it. My team always believed in me, they never stopped supporting me. This is the result of hard work.” (Raul Fernandez)
Comments from the top three: emotions after the race
His rivals were also impressed after the race:
Fabio Di Giannantonio: “It was a great race, maybe even the most emotional of my career, because we had the potential but lost our chance of victory in qualifying. Apart from that, today’s race was fantastic.”
Marco Bezzecchi: “It was a super tough race because, of course, the penalty made everything more complicated. But my strategy worked perfectly because I wanted to get off to a perfect start and push hard at the beginning. I never thought I would make it onto the podium with a penalty, so I’m very happy.”
Results and further placings
Alex Marquez had to settle for fourth place after a long battle. Pedro Acosta took fifth place, just ahead of Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol), who was the best Honda rider in sixth place. Alex Rins was the best Yamaha rider in seventh place, followed by the KTM trio of Brad Binder, Enea Bastianini, and Pol Espargaro. Fabio Quartararo, who started from pole position, finished the race in eleventh place. The remaining points went to Miguel Oliveira, Ai Ogura, Fermin Aldeguer, and Franco Morbidelli.
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) crashed in turn 6 with four laps to go and was forced to retire. It was another difficult weekend for him, allowing Marco Bezzecchi to move up to third place in the overall standings. Johann Zarco, Jack Miller, and Joan Mir also failed to finish after crashing during the race.
Aprilia makes history and sets attendance record
Raul Fernandez’s triumph is not only a milestone for him and the team, but also marks Aprilia’s 300th Grand Prix victory in the Motorcycle World Championship. This confirms the Noale-based manufacturer’s status as the most successful European manufacturer in GP history. With victories by riders such as Valentino Rossi, Max Biaggi, and Jorge Lorenzo, Aprilia has had a lasting impact on motorsport.
The enthusiasm of the fans is also unbroken: over 91,000 spectators watched the Grand Prix live at the track. The 2025 season thus exceeded the three million live spectator mark for the first time – a new record.
Outlook: Sepang as the next test
The MotoGP season continues next week with the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang. The focus will once again be on the performance of the Aprilia teams and the battle for podium places in the overall standings, particularly between Bezzecchi and Bagnaia. The question remains whether Aprilia can confirm its strong late-season form on the technically demanding Sepang circuit.
