Aprilia Racing
Aprilia Racing’s weekend at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve ended with an extraordinary victory after a simply perfect race. Starting from pole position, Marco Bezzecchi dominated from the first to the last lap, setting an unmatchable pace and finishing with an advantage of more than two seconds ahead of his closest rival. An absolutely superior performance that further consolidates Marco Bezzecchi’s hold on the third-place spot in the championship rider standings with 323 points and a 35-point advantage.
Following Marco Bezzecchi’s victory in the main race of the Portuguese Grand Prix, Aprilia Racing has mathematically secured second place in the Constructors’ Championship with 387 points, with one round remaining in the season. This is the most successful season in Aprilia Racing’s MotoGP history, with three wins: Marco Bezzecchi in Silverstone and Portimão, and Raúl Fernández in Phillip Island.
Lorenzo Savadori continued the RS-GP25 development programme in race conditions, finishing sixteenth.
Also worth a mention is the outstanding performance by Trackhouse MotoGP Team’s Ai Ogura, who rode a great comeback race from the twelfth spot on the grid all the way to seventh place, making his the second RS-GP25 to finish in the points.
MARCO BEZZECCHI
“I am extremely happy. It was a brilliant race. I started well and managed to get out front straight away. I really felt good – better than in the sprint race. We worked late into the night to try and find that something more, and this morning in the warm-up session, I realised immediately that I’d be able to be more competitive and stay in the pack with the other favourites. I am truly happy that I was able to win. It was a great race and a great day. A huge thank you to all of Aprilia.”
LORENZO SAVADORI
“The race was positive and I spent much of it in the group battling for points. We tried a few interesting solutions that allowed us to improve anyway. It was a wonderful day for Aprilia, with Marco’s victory which repays all the hard work we’ve been doing on developing and growing the bike. I’m happy for everyone and for Aprilia.”
MASSIMO RIVOLA
“Marco was simply perfect, from the start all the way to the final lap. This morning in the warm-up session, we had already seen that he was more than okay with the medium tyre and we had hoped that he’d be able to make a play for the win, but I think he demonstrated an undisputed superiority today. When we manage to be more prepared already on Friday, we are always in it for at least the podium, and we would have been in Sepang as well. Ogura did well too, it was great to see him ride like he knows how and it’s a pity about Raúl, who was unable to participate in the race due to a crash in FP1. Everything Sava tested throughout the weekend was good too. One of the objective was to take second place in the Manufacturers Championship, and now we’ve clinched that. The next goal is to ensure third place for Marco, and we’ll have to do whatever it takes to achieve that. We’ve been working extremely well in Noale for some time now and I am truly pleased with everyone who is working in the factory. We are hoping to have a great final race and an outstanding test, because we need to be protagonists out of the gate in 2026.”
Gresini Racing
ALEX MARQUEZ #73
“I tried to stay with Marco at the start of the race, but I quickly realised that it would have been hard to do so today. I kept my position while trying to preserve the front-tyre. In the end, I was struggling exactly with the front end, especially in the final part. I had fun and generally speaking, it was a very positive weekend.
FERMIN ALDEGUER #54
“It was a great race and we clearly did better than yesterday, when we did well already. I wasn’t expecting the front runners to keep such a strong pace, but we had a very positive Sunday and with a better qualifying, we would have been in the game. We continue to make experience and grow: it’s not easy to be fast in every circuit, but at least we’re always giving it a try.”
Raceday – PortugueseGP
2nd – ALEX MARQUEZ #73
4th – FERMIN ALDEGUER #54
World Championship Standings
2nd – ALEX MARQUEZ #73 (445 points)
Runner Up MotoGP 2025
8th – FERMIN ALDEGUER #54 (203 points)
Rookie of the Year 2025
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Pedro Acosta had already grasped another Sprint medal at the sweeping AIC on Saturday as he vied for victory and just missed out on P1 by 0.1 of a second. Acosta started the sunny 25-lap Grand Prix from 2nd place (his first front row start of the campaign) as Pol Espargaro set-off from 10th and Brad Binder and Enea Bastianini filled 14th and 16th respectively.
Pedro was again a candidate for full points as he provided more exciting speed around the looping 4.5km layout on the Algarve. He was joined near the front by a barreling Binder who was eager to make ground and show more of his pace potential by moving to P6. Espargaro was on the fringe of the top ten. Bastianini was also gassing-it hard but contact on the first lap and damage to his bike meant he had to pull into the pits. Enea then re-entered the race but classified 18th.
The race rhythm remained constant for Acosta who was able to close-up to the rear wheel of the rider in 2nd but not near enough for an overtake. Pedro eventually toasted P3 for the second time this term in what was his fifth podium and third ‘double’. Brad engaged in a busy fight for the top five and sealed the placing for his second highest result of the season. Pol buzzed past the flag with P10 and has made the top ten in four of his 2025 substitute outings.
The Valencian Grand Prix at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit will drop the curtain on the championship next weekend. Acosta has confirmed a top five finish in 2025 but still has the chance to snare P4.
KTM hold 3rd in the Constructors standings while Red Bull KTM Factory Racing are 4th in the Teams contest and Red Bull KTM Tech3 hold 9th.
Pedro Acosta, 3rd and 5th in the championship standings: “We didn’t have the best grip from the beginning and that was the limitation for us. I was able to be quick at the end of the race – like yesterday – but we have things to think about. We have to be happy, again we have back-to-back podiums. I want to thank all the team, KTM, Dani and Pol. We know our weak points but we are working on them and being on the podium again is a good signal.”
Brad Binder, 5th and 11th in the championship standings: “Happy with the job today. I felt I could do something decent after the Sprint and the confidence I had. I felt great on the bike and my guys did a great job. I was able to get a good start and push on right away. It was nice to battle a bit and good also that the changes we made gives a direction for what we need further.”
Pol Espargaro, 10th: “I’m happy to finish this ‘cycle’ here in Portugal. It was a tricky and difficult weekend for me but I overcame the doubts I had for this place. I’m pleased: I finished the race in the top ten and delivered good information to the team. Hopefully now Maverick can come back soon and that’s great news for us and the whole project.”
Enea Bastianini, 18th and 14th in the championship standings: “After the contact I had a problem with the fairing and my steering was locked so I had to stop. I think it was possible to do a great race today and when I went back out I felt the pace would have been good enough for the top five. As always it is hard to start from behind. We are competitive for races and we find the direction but at the moment we need to make the softer tire be more of an advantage for me.”
Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “We’re really happy with today’s performance: two riders in the top five and one on the podium. We’ve worked all year to have solid results and with Pedro and Brad in the top five is really good for us at the moment. Generally, we’re really satisfied with the weekend and especially on Saturday, with this chance to fight for the win until the flag. It gave us a boost and we hoped to have that chance again today so we need to analyze why we were not quite as close. Now we move on to the final race and then the first test towards 2026 and we’ll keep pushing with the positive work we are making.”
Ducati Lenovo
The Ducati Lenovo Team took part in the twenty-first and penultimate race of the season at Portimão’s Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. Nicolò Bulega wrapped up the Grand Prix of Portugal in fifteenth place, scoring his first point in the premier class on his debut. Francesco Bagnaia, on the other hand, crashed in the middle stages of the encounter.
Starting from eighteenth on the grid, Bulega showed top-ten-worthy pace in the second half of the race, continuing to improve his performance aboard the Desmosedici GP machine as he finished fifteenth. Bagnaia lost one position at the start but climbed back to fourth at the end of the opening lap. After the initial stages, Pecco found himself in a lonely fourth position before losing the front at turn ten during lap eleven and crashing out, which compromised the outcome of his race.
As the twenty-first Grand Prix of the season draws to a close, with Marc Márquez already crowned World Champion, Francesco Bagnaia sits fourth in the standings, thirty-five points behind third place. The Triple Crown is completed by the Teams’ title secured by the Ducati Lenovo Team and the Constructors’ title clinched by Ducati.
The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action from November 14th to tackle the season finale at Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
Nicolò Bulega (#11 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 15th
“Today was surely a better day. Yesterday, in the Sprint, I made a rookie mistake and only completed a few laps. The goal for today was therefore to finish the race and gain as much experience as possible, while trying to understand the bike better and the many areas that make it so different from the Panigale. In the last six or seven laps, my pace wasn’t too bad; I was able to be quick and to close the gap to the riders ahead of me. Then, unfortunately, I made a mistake that cost me three or four seconds. I bridged the gap once more, but it was too late. The important thing was to finish the race and bring this experience with me to Valencia, and all in all, it went well.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – DNF
“After yesterday’s grip issues, today I was simply trying to stay with the frontrunners. I gave it my all, but unfortunately they were faster than me. My margin to the riders behind was increasing, but then I crashed: I entered turn ten a bit faster than usual and, while trying to decelerate, the front tucked. I was pushing hard and these things can happen. The positive note is that we made a step forward compared to yesterday, so we’ll try to do our best in the final Grand Prix of the season.”
Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing
Sunday of the Portuguese Grand Prix proved to be challenging for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. Fabio Di Giannantonio crossed the line in eighth position after recovering from a difficult start. It was an unlucky race for Franco Morbidelli, who crashed on the opening lap.
Di Giannantonio had a tricky start from the third row, losing several positions in the early corners. However, lap after lap, Fabio showed a strong pace that allowed him to climb back into the Top10. The #49 rider finished eighth and now is sixth in the World Standings with 239 points.
It was a tough Sunday for Morbidelli, who crashed at Turn 5 on the opening lap. Forced to retire from the Portuguese Grand Prix early, Franco underwent an initial medical examination at the circuit’s medical centre, where tests showed no injuries. For further precautionary checks, he was later transferred to Alvor Hospital, where medical assessments confirmed the earlier results and Franco is in good condition. The #21 rider is currently seventh in the World Standings with 227 points.
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will be back on track next weekend for the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana, the final round of the 2025 MotoGP season, scheduled at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo from November 14th to 16th.
Fabio Di Giannantonio – 49
“The race was complicated right from the start: unfortunately, we got stuck in traffic in the first corners, so I had to recover some positions. We made a lot of overtakes and a good comeback, our pace was strong. But we finished eighth, and I’m not happy with the result. The positive thing is that the pace was there, and the feeling was good. With a better qualifying, we had the pace to be in the Top5 today, so it’s something we need to improve. We’re working on it and will keep doing so for the end of the season.”
Pablo Nieto – Team Manager
“It was a complicated weekend. Yesterday, Diggia had a great Sprint – finishing in the Top5 from the third row is an excellent result. It’s a pity that today’s race start wasn’t good, but he made a strong comeback with a great pace. We need to work on having a better qualifying session to start further up the grid and be fast in the opening laps of the race. Unfortunately, Franco’s weekend wasn’t easy, as he couldn’t find the right feeling. Today he crashed during the race, but, luckily, the doctors confirmed that there are no injuries. This is the most important thing.”
Honda HRC Castrol
A handful of points for stalwart Luca Marini after a weekend of damage limitation in Portugal, Joan Mir again forced to retire and unable to show his full potential on the Honda RC213V.
Progress is rarely completely linear, the Honda HRC Castrol team taking positives from a complicated weekend in Portugal while working to replicate their form from recent rounds. With both riders showing solid pace throughout the Grand Prix, there were hopes of another strong challenge when the lights went out on Sunday for the 25 lap Portuguese Grand Prix.
Starting well from 13th, Luca Marini was able to quickly catch his Honda HRC Castrol teammate on the run down to Turn 1. Riding at his own pace to avoid any unnecessary risk in the first half of the race, Marini’s speed would increase as the race went on. Powering past Miller on the straight with just a few laps left, 11th would be Marini’s finish when the flag came out, taking away some important learnings about the demanding Portimao Circuit. The battle for top Honda honours and a top ten championship finish is still well and truly alive, Marini 11 points off Zarco and only 13 points from Fernandez in tenth. A crucial final weekend awaits in Spain.
Expectations were high for Round 21 of the MotoGP World Championship and two technical DNFs were not what Mir and Honda HRC Castrol had envisioned after a solid seventh in Qualifying. Starting the race, Mir was well within the top ten on the opening lap until another technical issue arose. Initially dropping back, the #36 retired a lap later. Honda HRC engineers continue to analyse all the weekend’s data.
A single weekend now awaits before the longest season in motorcycle Grand Prix racing history comes to an end, Valencia returning to its rightful spot as the final destination of the year. The tight and technical layout should allow both Marini and Mir to return to the speed and form they had become accustomed to in recent rounds.
Luca Marini
11th
“This weekend we missed a little something. In the morning, we tried a setting in Warm Up but it wasn’t enough for what we were targeting. I made a really good start to the race and made up a lot of ground, but then I was not riding well in the first half of the race. We are still trying a lot of things, sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. We need to analyse everything well and check the data in the wider context because this is a very unique track. On paper Valencia should be more positive for us to end the year correctly.”
Joan Mir
DNF
“Our start today was good, and I made up some places, but I saw some warnings with the bike. A technical issue unfortunately again put us out of the race, not the same as on Saturday but the engineers are checking everything very deeply. It’s painful because we had some potential in the race, but this is what can happen. The positive is that we had good speed all sessions and we were able to improve and keep the pace of the other riders. One more chance to try in Valencia, the motivation is still high to end the season in the way that we know we can.”
Monster Energy Yamaha
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo gave a defensive riding masterclass in today’s Grand Prix of Portugal Race, and his persistence was rewarded with a sixth place. Álex Rins had hoped to engage in battle on the Sunday at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, but the 25-lap outing turned into a lonely ride to 13th place for him.
Quartararo began his quest from P3 and slotted into fourth position. However, Francesco Bagnaia passed him going into Turn 1 on the second lap. El Diablo was unable to stay with the Italian and instead had Brad Binder on his heels. The Frenchman made his bike as wide as possible. Fermín Aldeguer was closing in as well, but the Yamaha rider kept both of them at bay for as long as he could. However, on lap 9, Aldeguer overtook Binder and launched an attack on El Diablo next on lap 11, putting the number 20 back in the clutches of Binder. As Bagnaia crashed out on lap 11, Quartararo was defending fifth place again. The Frenchman was riding on the absolute limit, not giving an inch and closing every door, until he ran slightly wide in Turn 5 on lap 14. It resulted in Quartararo riding in sixth for the remainder of the race, successfully fending off Johann Zarco to take the chequered flag 18.442s from first.
Rins had a strong start from P17 and completed the first lap in 15th place. With Joan Mir retiring from the race, the number-42 rider was in 14th and keen to hunt down the three riders battling for 11th place. He came as close as 0.4s to Luca Marini ahead of him but was never able to fully close the gap. When Bagnaia crashed out, Rins reaped the benefit and climbed up to 13th. However, it didn’t lead to further improvements. In the second half of the race, the Spaniard found himself circulating with substantial gaps to the riders in front and behind him. He crossed the finish line 30.372s from the front.
After today’s results, Quartararo stays in 9th place in the overall standings with 198 points, and Rins holds 19th position with 66 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are 6th in the team championship with 264 points, and Yamaha remain in 5th position in the constructor championship with 237 points.
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team will be back in action next week at the Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana – Ricardo Tormo, Spain, for the 2025 MotoGP World Championship finale.
Massimo Meregalli
Team Director, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
“Today’s results were broadly in line with our expectations heading into the Race. While our ambition is always to fight at the front, we knew realistically that this would be a challenging task. Fabio delivered an outstanding performance – his riding was exceptional – and securing sixth place was the best possible outcome under the circumstances. Álex, unfortunately, was unable to engage in the battles as he had hoped, resulting in a solitary and relatively uneventful race for him. We will now review all the data from this weekend and focus on preparing thoroughly for the final round of the 2025 season in Valencia.”
Fabio Quartararo
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
“I was pushing from lap 1 until the end – of course keeping in mind to not burn through the tyres, but I was not exactly managing the tyres either. It was a tough one, but I think we did a great job. This was the maximum that we could do with what we have. We are working hard on improving. I think it was nice to turn the Friday we had into an acceptable result on Saturday and Sunday.”
Álex Rins
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
“It was a really difficult weekend for us. It was hard to overtake in today’s Race, but I tried my best, starting from P17. I had the medium front because yesterday I was struggling on the hard. On Friday my feeling was so good with the medium tyre, and I think it was the right choice for me today. We also changed the suspension a bit compared to yesterday. It was a bit better but not enough. For the last GP next week, we just need to enjoy the final Sprint and Race, because the Tuesday after that the new season will already begin.”
