Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi led every lap to control the race and take victory in the MotoGP season finale at Valencia.
The Italian claimed his third race win of the season, finishing third in the championship and as the top non-Ducati rider.
Bezzecchi made amends for his poor start in Saturday’s Sprint race to take the holeshot at Turn 1.
But the opening lap proved to be chaotic as Francesco Bagnaia tangled with Honda’s Johann Zarco at Turn 5 before retiring in the gravel traps, handing KTM rider Pedro Acosta fourth place in the championship.
Zarco was issued a long-lap penalty for entering the corner too fast, while Bagnaia’s streak of scoring zero points in grand prix races extended to five.
VR46 Ducati rider Franco Morbidelli retired after the first lap due to a bizarre incident, colliding with the back of Honda test rider Aleix Espargaro and falling off his bike before the race even started.
His team-mate, Fabio Di Giannantonio, was overtaken by Trackhouse Aprilia rider Raul Fernandez, who set the fastest lap of the race in the process on Lap 2.
The Roman rider came under even more pressure as Acosta looked for an opportunity and made his move on Lap 4.
The lead duo of Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez forged a 0.7s advantage over Fernandez, but the Spaniard responded with consecutive fastest laps to close in on the 2025 MotoGP vice champion.
The second Trackhouse rider, Ai Ogura, ended his debut MotoGP campaign in the gravel after a fast-paced crash at Turn 1.
Further behind, a battle unfolded between Fermin Aldeguer and Luca Marini, running seventh and eighth. Contextually, Marini finishing seventh would cause Honda to lose some of its concessions for 2026, as the pair swapped positions at Turn 1 and Turn 3.
Marini remained in eighth for the time being, but Aprilia looked the team to beat out front as Fernandez made an impressive move on Gresini’s Marquez at the final corner on Lap 12.
His rapid pace was evident as he built a 1.4s gap over his fellow countryman in just two laps. The Trackhouse rider wasn’t done, though, as he closed in on Bezzecchi, reducing the gap from 1.2s to 0.8s.
Bezzecchi’s lead was under threat, while Marquez’s third place came under even greater pressure as Acosta closed in on the Gresini rider, having once been 1.4s behind.
The 21-year-old went in too deep at Turn 8, as he had in the Sprint, but managed to recover to the back more easily this time.
The move came on Lap 20, giving Di Giannantonio the chance to overtake at the same Turn 4 on the following lap.
Marini finally claimed seventh after overtaking Pramac Yamaha rider Jack Miller to claim seventh, meaning Honda will move from concession Rank D to Rank C in 2026.
Fabio Quartararo retired after losing the front of his Yamaha at Turn 2, marking his first Sunday retirement since Aragon in June.
At five laps remaining, Bezzecchi led Fernandez by just 0.6s, the closest gap of the race so far. But the following lap, the gap reduced further to 0.4, though no overtaking opportunity arrived.
Third-placed Acosta and Di Giannantonio swapped positions as the VR46 Ducati rider made an aggressive yet successful move on the Spaniard.
Bezzecchi crossed the line to prevail and seal back-to-back wins in the 2025 season finale, becoming the first Aprilia rider to win three grand prix races in a season.
Fernandez claimed second, highlighting both his and Aprilia’s rise in competitiveness, and finished the season as Aprilia’s clear second-best rider.
Di Giannantonio closed out his season with a double podium, finishing third in both races and securing sixth in the championship.
Fermin Aldeguer defeated team-mate Marquez to the line to claim fifth spot, with both riders finishing ahead of Honda’s Marini.
Brad Binder sealed eighth place for KTM, finishing ahead of former team-mate Miller, who fended off a late charge from Enea Bastianini.
Miguel Oliveria closed his MotoGP chapter by finishing in 11th place, followed by Zarco and Joan Mir.
Alex Rins secured 14th place on the factory Yamaha, while factory Ducati rider Nicolo Bulega claimed back-to-back points in his first two MotoGP races.
Yamaha test rider Augusto Fernandez and Honda rider Somkiat Chantra sealed the final two places.
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