Marc Marquez’s absence from the grid, following the injury he sustained in Indonesia a couple of weekends ago, has made the fight for the top step on the podium more open than ever this season. And this past Sunday, it was Raul Fernandez who seized the opportunity, delivering a commanding ride to claim both his and Trackhouse Racing’s first-ever premier class victory.
- Fernandez becomes the seventh different winner this season
- Bezzecchi moves past Bagnaia to third in the championship
- Miller crashes out of home GP
Fernandez dominates at the front
Following Fermín Aldeguer’s maiden victory at Mandalika last weekend, fellow Spaniard Raul Fernandez secured his first premier-class win on Sunday. Fernandez started fourth on the grid but was up into second by the first corner, right behind Marco Bezzecchi, who grabbed the holeshot from P2.
However, Bezzecchi had to serve a double long-lap penalty for the incident in Indonesia where he ran into the back of Marc Marquez. After completing both long laps, he rejoined in sixth, handing Fernandez the lead, followed by Acosta, Alex Marquez, Di Giannantonio, and Quartararo.
From there, Fernandez was consistently the fastest rider on track, maintaining a comfortable advantage for most of the race to seal his first victory.
Bezzecchi fights back despite penalties
Questions will be asked about how the race might have unfolded had Bezzecchi not been hit with the double long-lap penalty. Despite dropping down the order, he mounted a superb comeback to finish third – 2.410s behind Fernandez and 1.418s behind Di Giannantonio, who took P2.
Bezzecchi got the perfect launch from the middle of the front row, taking the holeshot and building a 1.1s lead by lap three. He then served both long laps on laps five and six, losing around four seconds in the process. From there, he fought back, overtaking Acosta for P4 with six laps to go. Alex Marquez, who had been running second, was first passed by Di Giannantonio and then by Bezzecchi on the penultimate lap.
That result, combined with Bagnaia’s late crash, moves Bezzecchi up to third in the championship standings.
2025 MotoGP standings
With a fourth place finish, Alex Marquez retains second in the standings, holding a 97 point buffer over Bezzecchi, who now has 282 points. Pecco Bagnaia, meanwhile, slips to fourth after crashing out from 12th, continuing a streak of inconsistency barring his standout performance at Motegi. The factory Ducati rider still holds a 41 point lead over Pedro Acosta, but with three rounds remaining, that gap could shrink further if his struggles continue.
Unnatee Gidithuri
