A very unorthodox starting grid at the 2025 Indonesia MotoGP race, as well as a high-profile crash, saw rookie Fermin Aldeguer claiming his maiden victory in the premier class. Polesitter Marco Bezzecchi had an incident with newly crowned World Champion Marc Marquez, which left the latter with signs of a break in his right shoulder.
- Aldeguer becomes second youngest MotoGP winner after Marc Marquez
- Marquez’s shoulder has a fracture after contact with Bezzecchi
- Factory Ducati team scores zero points this round
Aldeguer takes maiden win in MotoGP
Fermin Aldeguer is proving to be a slow burner in his rookie campaign in MotoGP, with a couple of podium finishes in both the Sprint and main races so far this year. The Spaniard is something of a ‘tyre whisperer’ (a rider that is excellent at managing tyres over the course of a long-distance race), and his electric pace this weekend saw him take the win nearly 7 seconds ahead of Pedro Acosta in second.
Acosta initially snatched the lead in Mandalika after the Marquez-Bezzecchi incident (more on that below), but Aldeguer overtook Acosta in his second attempt, also setting the fastest lap of the race in the process.
Bezzecchi slams into Marquez after a poor start
Polesitter Bezzecchi had unquestionably the fastest pace on the grid in Indonesia, and despite a poor start in the Sprint, which saw him plummet down to eighth place, he came back with a vengeance and overcame Aldeguer’s near 4-second lead to claim the win.
However, the full-length race was a very different ballgame. Again, the Italian’s Aprilia RS-GP failed to launch off the line with the alacrity of the Ducati and KTM machines surrounding him. As a result, Bez again slipped down the order and had the tough task of overtaking everyone who started behind him. While his pace was undoubtedly electric, at the fast right-hander that is Turn 6, Bez went a little too hot and made contact with Marc Marquez’s Ducati, thereby eliminating both racers from the running. While Bezzecchi was able to walk away without any major injuries, Ducati later confirmed that there is “evidence of a break” in Marquez’s right shoulder.
2025 MotoGP standings
The 2025 Indonesian MotoGP race marked the first time the factory Ducati squad didn’t score a single point, with Francesco Bagnaia crashing out after a miserable weekend that saw him at the bottom rung of the ladder on the grid and Marquez involved in that aforementioned incident with Bezzecchi.
While Marc and Alex are firmly first and second, Bagnaia’s recent topsy-turvy form has seen him slip down the order, and he sits only 20 points clear of Bezzecchi, who is fourth in the standings. The battle for third in the 2025 MotoGP standings is far from over. Next up is the Australian MotoGP round in Phillip Island, set to be held on October 19.
Unnatee Gidithuri
Suraj Viswanathan
