2025 Valencia GP Race Report

Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) took honours in the final Tissot Sprint of 2025 as he cruised to victory on Saturday afternoon. Making it back-to-back Sprint wins and a third of the season, the #73 headed home a strong ride from Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) who had to come from the second row, whilst Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) bagged third after a late attack for the podium against Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team).

LIGHTS OUT! Bezzecchi drops, Acosta shines, Marquez leads!

Getting the perfect launch from P2 on the grid, Marquez grabbed the holeshot to beat polesitter Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) into Turn 1. It was a rapid start from Acosta, who elevated himself from fifth to third and by Turn 2, into P2. ‘Bez’ dropped down to sixth behind the likes of Fernandez, Di Giannantonio and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) after a Lap 1 to forget for the polesitter.

TEAMMATE CLASH: Mir takes out Marini at Turn 2

At the start of the second lap, there was drama for Honda as Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) lost the front at Turn 2, taking out teammate Luca Marini, ending their Sprint. Mir has a Long Lap penalty for the GP race for the incident. At the same corner a lap later, there was contact between Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) and Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), resulting in the #54 being pushed wide. Miller was soon handed a penalty to drop three places for that, which he failed to do and was therefore given a Long Lap Penalty, hurting his charge to Sprint points.

BATTLES BEHIND: Bezzecchi gets to P5, Morbidelli climbs

After battling hard, Bezzecchi had finally cleared Quartararo for fifth but the Italian now had over a second to catch up on Fernandez and ‘Diggia’ ahead of him. At the front, the gap had grown to 1.4s by the halfway stage with Marquez managing it perfectly over Acosta, the latter still chasing a first win in MotoGP. The #37 needed to start thinking about those behind as those behind started to close him down. On Lap 9, meanwhile, Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) got through on Quartararo as ‘El Diablo’ dropped back.

P3 FIGHT: head-to-head on the penultimate lap

In the fight for third, the gloves had really come off between Di Giannantonio and Fernandez as they swapped places all the way from Turn 4 to Turn 6 on the penultimate lap. All of the fighting was giving Bezzecchi second wind and with the last lap looming, time was running out for the final rostrum place.

AT THE FLAG! Marquez majestic in last Sprint of 2025

On the last lap and it was all settled at the front with Marquez taking honours ahead of Acosta who made it four consecutive Sprint podiums. Not only did the Spaniard take P2 but that, combined with a P14 for Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), means he is now into P4 in the standings with six points over Pecco.

Di Giannantonio held on to take third ahead of Fernandez, whilst Bezzecchi will be wanting more on Sunday after P5 on Saturday. The Italian does at least secure third in the Championship and with that, the first time Aprilia finish in the top three of the Riders’ Championship in MotoGP. Morbidelli was able to hold off Quartararo for P6 whilst Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) came home eighth from P15. Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) takes ninth for a first Sprint point since his home GP at Motegi. That means Honda are just out of scoring range with Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) in tenth - making it nine points they still need from Sunday to change concession rank from D to C.
 

MOTOGP - RACE
Brilliant Bezzecchi holds off Fernandez for Valencia victory

Back-to-back victories for the first time and a first 1-2 finish for the first time since 2023? That’ll do very nicely for Aprilia as Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) clinches a lights-to-flag victory in Valencia. The Italian was made to work for it though. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) produced a fine ride to end his home GP just 0.6s away from Bezzecchi, as Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) battled past Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to earn P3 and keep Ducati’s 88 successive podium streak intact heading into 2026. 

Morbidelli crashes on the grid
For the final time in 2025, it was almost lights out for MotoGP, but before we got to that part, there was a strange crash for Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) while the grid pulled up to their starting slots. The #21 hit the back of Aleix Espargaro (Honda HRC Test Team) as the Spaniard stopped in hit grid position, and after heading back out, Morbidelli pulled into the box to signal the end of his 2025. Later, it was confirmed that Morbidelli had picked up a left-hand fracture, meaning he’s also ruled out of Tuesday’s Valencia Test.

Bezzecchi earns holeshot as Zarco and Pecco collide
Then, the Grand Prix got underway. Bezzecchi secured the launch he had wanted and held the lead over Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), as drama unfolded in the midfield at Turn 4.

Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) was out of control into the right-hander and in the wrong place at the wrong time was Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). The Italian was forced into the gravel and then couldn’t stop a small tip-off from unfolding, and that was Bagnaia’s GP and season over. Zarco, meanwhile, was handed a Long Lap Penalty for the incident.

Fernandez begins Bezzecchi hunt
At the front, Fernandez was making strong progress and after passing Di Giannantonio, the Australian GP winner set about reeling in Bezzecchi and Marquez on Lap 3 of 27. Successive fastest laps followed as the Trackhouse rider sat 0.6s off of Marquez’s rear tyre. 1.2s further back was Acosta, who was also able to pass Di Giannantonio in the early laps.

The top three, by Lap 10, were 2.6s clear of Acosta in P4. And at the end of Lap 11, Fernandez pounced on Marquez at the final corner. At this stage, Bezzecchi held a 1.3s lead over his fellow Aprilia star, with Fernandez immediately putting 0.7s into Marquez, who was now by far the slowest rider of the top five. Acosta and Di Giannantonio were closing in on the Tissot Sprint winner.

With 11 laps remaining, Acosta got the gap below half a second, with Fernandez chipping away at Bezzecchi’s lead, which was now hovering around the 0.8s mark. And in the battle for P3, after a few laps of Marquez engaging defensive mode, Acosta struck at Turn 4 on Lap 20. It was a successful pass too, and now, Di Giannantonio was climbing all over the exhaust pipes of Marquez, who seemingly had no more pace in his back pocket. Then, sure enough, Di Giannantonio mirrored Acosta’s move at Turn 4 a lap later to wrestle his way into P4.

Bezzecchi vs Fernandez, Acosta vs Di Giannantonio
Bezzecchi’s lead remained narrowly north of half a second on Lap 22 of 27, with both the Italian and the hunter, Fernandez, lapping equally. At this stage, Bezzecchi was buckling under the pressure, but with five laps to go, the gap was down to 0.6s for the first time as Bezzecchi dipped his boot into the 1:31s, with Di Giannantonio a good three tenths faster than anyone else on circuit. Acosta was now the rider feeling the heat in P3.

At the front, it was now 0.540s between Bezzecchi and Fernandez. Would Bezzecchi blink? Any small error from the #72 now would open the door for the #25. On the next lap, it came down again. 0.4s. This was excellent from Fernandez, but with three to go, time was running out.

And it was for Di Giannantonio too in the chase for Sunday’s bronze medal. Acosta was defending well, with the Italian hounding the KTM.

Two laps of 2025 to go! Bezzecchi vs Fernandez for the win, Acosta vs Di Giannantonio for P3. And at Turn 4, Acosta was passed. Could the KTM star respond? He was going to give it a mighty good go.

Last lap time! Bezzecchi led Fernandez by 0.3s, with Di Giannantonio a tenth ahead of Acosta. Halfway around, Bezzecchi was keeping that much-needed breathing space between himself and his fellow RS-GP rider, and that was how it stayed at the chequered flag. Bezzecchi bagged back-to-back victories for the first time in MotoGP, and it was the first Aprilia 1-2 since the Catalan GP after Fernandez’s brilliant ride to P2. Di Giannantonio held off Acosta after his late move, meaning the Italian ends his season with a double podium in Valencia.

The points scorers in Valencia
Acosta’s efforts ended with him unable to respond to Di Giannantonio’s late attack, meaning it’s a P4 to end the Spaniard’s season that also finishes with a P4 overall finish. Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) picked up P5 with a final corner overtake on teammate Marquez, who crossed the line in P6 following a disappointing Sunday at the office.

P7 went to Honda HRC Castrol’s Luca Marini, which means the Japanese factory move up to concession Rank C, signalling their impressive progress in 2025. It was P8 for Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), P9 for Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP), and P10 for Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3), who complete the last top 10 of the campaign.

Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) ended his MotoGP career with a P11 as we wish the Portuguese star good luck in his new WorldSBK adventure in 2026. After his Long Lap Penalty, Zarco crossed the line in P12 ahead of Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol), who also had a Long Lap Penalty after his Sprint incident, as Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Nicolo Bulega (Ducati Lenovo Team) collected the final points of the campaign in P14 and P15.

Enea Bastianini P10

“A good start and the first five laps were great. I was confident of recovering more positions but then my front tire dropped a lot and my dream of another comeback stopped. I was floating in the apexes so it was hard to keep the lap-times and I could not fight for more. It was strange because normally I can manage that part of the race but I reached the limit today. Apart from the mid-corners I was competitive and I saved the top ten. Now we work for Tuesday and I also know where I need to improve this winter.”

Nicolo Bulega P15

“This morning, during warm-up, we made a change to the bike and I felt better, with more grip. The start wasn't the best, having to ride to turn five with the front fork lowered. Then, unfortunately, I struggled to find grip, especially at the rear and under acceleration. In any case, I'm quite satisfied with this experience: I made my debut in the penultimate race of the season and the level is very high. On Tuesday, in testing, I will try to take a step forward, riding as much as possible and increasing my confidence on the bike."

Augusto Fernandez P16

MOTO2
Moreira makes history with Moto2™ crown, Guevara holds off Holgado for victory

Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) is the 2025 Moto2™ World Champion! A 10th place in a dramatic final race of the season was more than enough to secure the crown as sole remaining rival, Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), faced a must win and pulled in from the latter half of the top ten.

Back at the front, Izan Guevara (BLUCRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) took his first Moto2 win in some style too, becoming a record 11th different winner this season as he held off Daniel Holgado (CFMoto Inde Aspar Team). Ivan Ortola (QJMotor – FRINSA – MSI) charged up the order to make it another first in third place, taking his maiden Moto2™ rostrum.

After a tense orchestra of revs on the grid, it was Guevara who emerged with the early lead, with Gonzalez holding station in fifth and Moreira getting his elbows out to do the same in ninth.

Guevara, polesitter Holgado, Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) and Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) was the quartet leading Gonzalez, with relative calm across the group early doors, before Ortola attacked Gonzalez for fifth on Lap 5. Moreira remained ninth, with Celestino Vietti (Sync SpeedRS Team) and Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) for company.

Ortola then attacked Arenas for fourth on Lap 7 as Guevara and Holgado started to eke out a gap in the lead. Agius and Ortola cut it back down, but then had their own fight and gave the ground back up. Gonzalez then went wide and gathered it back up. On Lap 14 he went wide again and gathered it back up. But the pressure was building and his pace was dropping. Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) pipped past the #18 not long after, leaving him at the head of a three-bike train – and Arenas and Filip Salač (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) needed no second invitation.

Guevara led Holgado at the front, and in the pack Gonzalez was now eighth and Moreira ninth, split by a second and a half with five to go. Then suddenly, Gonzalez was slowing, gesturing to the rear of the bike. Moreira sliced past him, Gonzalez dived into pitlane, and that was that despite the #18 heading back out after a rear tyre change. The 2025 Moto2 World Championship was decided: Brazil’s first ever champion in Grand Prix history is Diogo Moreira.

As he ticked down the laps, at the front there remained a race victory to be decided. Holgado was hounding Guevara but the #28 held firm, and on the very final lap Holgado couldn’t find a gap and then had a moment looking for one. Guevara takes his first Moto2 win, Holgado takes another podium and Ortola rounds off his rookie season on the rostrum.

Veijer takes fourth ahead of Salač crossing the line fifth, but the Czech rider then got a tyre pressure penalty dropping hin down the order. Arenas takes fifth to sign off his Moto2™ career, Dixon leaves for pastures new with a P6 after a charge through the field, with Agius fading to seventh ahead of Vietti. Tony Arbolino (BLUCRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) takes P9 with Moreira promoted to tenth.

That’s a wrap on 2025. A new World Champion is crowned from a new nation to achieve the feat, and we’ll be seeing a lot more from Moreira as he rolls back out in MotoGP on Tuesday in the Valencia Test. 

Diogo Moreira P10

"It's an incredible feeling. I still can't believe I'm Moto2 World Champion. We've had two wonderful years, full of hard work, sacrifices and moments that have helped me grow so much as a rider and as a person. Today in the race, I was in another world: I just tried to stay focused and ride as I know how. I want to thank my team for believing in me from day one. Without their commitment, their trust and all the people who work behind the scenes every weekend, none of this would have been possible. Thanks also to my family, my friends and all the fans: feeling your support gives me incredible strength. I am delighted, this title is for all of you. Now I just want to enjoy this moment with the team and all the people who have been part of this journey. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart."

MOTO3
Fernandez takes maiden victory in Moto3 Valencia battle

In his 86th Moto3 Grand Prix, it’s finally gold for Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) as he converted his pole position with victory in Valencia. Always in contention and leading the majority of the 20-lapper, the Spaniard headed home compatriot Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia). Elsewhere, sixth was good enough for Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) to wrap up P2 in the standings.

Stealing the advantage into Turn 1 and muscling his way through, Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team) got the initial holeshot but it was Fernandez who got back ahead at Turn 2. Starting from second, David Almansa (Leopard Racing) dropped initially but was into P2 by Turn 4 and led across the line at the end of Lap 1. A lap later however and he was pushed out by teammate Fernandez at Turn 14, sending him back to P8 and left with an uphill task.

Fernandez led the way ahead of Quiles whilst Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) had got his way through the chaos and into the top three. The pace was fast at the front, with the leading eight riders all in a group, with Piqueras hoping to make up ground in ninth. By Lap 8, Almansa’s had recovered to fourth but soon found himself shuffled back again as Furusato, Lunetta, Carpe and Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) all pounced on the #22. There were no such problems for his teammate though as Fernandez continued to lead the way with Quiles right behind.

Into the second half of the Grand Prix and Fernandez was starting to put the hammer down, stretching the group with the fastest lap. Furusato had climbed into second ahead of Quiles and wasn’t done yet whilst Pini was giving chase in P4. A few bike lengths back, Carpe continued to battle with Lunetta but now detached from the group, Almansa was left to scrap it out with Piqueras and Morelli for P7.

Despite Fernandez trying to edge clear, he had company in the closing stages; it was a lead group of five going into the final lap and they all chased the #31. Carpe and Quiles battled through Turns 6 to 8 but Fernandez had it all sorted out. Despite Furusato’s best efforts into the final corner, it wasn’t enough.

Fernandez can now call himself a Grand Prix winner after 85 starts in Moto3. Furusato crossed the line in P2 but due to exceeding track limits on the last lap, was demoted a place. Carpe inherited P2 for his joint-best finish of 2025, finishing in the same place he started back in Buriram. Both Carpe and Pini barged through on Quiles at the final corner with the #94 taking P4 whilst Quiles’ P5 means he’s third in the standings. Piqueras, Lunetta, Almansa, Jesus Rios (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) rounded out the top ten.

Adrian Fernandez P1

"I'm over the moon today. I still can't believe I've achieved my first victory, and that it was at home, in front of this incredible crowd. Winning your first race is every rider's dream. We've been chasing this for a long time, working day and night to achieve it, and it has finally happened. I want to thank my family and my team. They never stopped believing in me, and this victory is for them”

David Almansa P8

“It wasn't the race we expected. We had a good first lap, but then everything got complicated. We finish the season with a bittersweet taste today”