Misano, San Marino – September 13, 2025: Saturday at the Red Bull Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera belonged to Marco Bezzecchi and Aprilia Racing. The Italian rider delivered a flawless performance to clinch his first gold medal in two years, sending home fans into raptures at Misano.

Bezzecchi started strong, taking the holeshot into Turn 1 and immediately fending off pressure from Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), who got aggressive early to overtake brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP). Behind them, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) settled into P4 after Lap 1.

By Lap 3, Bezzecchi had stretched a slender lead of 0.4s, trading fastest laps with Alex Marquez. The Italian looked comfortable, but the Sprint was far from settled.

Drama Strikes: Quartararo and Marc Marquez Crash Out

On Lap 5, Quartararo’s race ended abruptly with a crash at Turn 2, handing positions to the Pertamina Enduro VR46 pair of Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli.

Just one lap later, Marc Marquez pounced on Bezzecchi’s small mistake at Turn 4 to briefly take the lead. However, the title leader’s race unraveled soon after—at Turn 15, the #93 lost the front and crashed out, marking his first major Saturday blunder of the season.

Bezzecchi Holds His Nerve

With Marc Marquez gone, the fight for victory boiled down to Bezzecchi versus Alex Marquez. By Lap 9, the Aprilia rider had opened a half-second gap, and despite late pressure, Bezzecchi maintained composure to seal victory by 0.8s at the chequered flag.

Alex Marquez secured P2 for BK8 Gresini Racing, while Di Giannantonio brought home P3 for Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing.

Top Sprint Results at Misano

• 1st: Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing)
• 2nd: Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP)
• 3rd: Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team)
• 4th: Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team)
• 5th: Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
• 6th: Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP)
• 7th: Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol)
• 8th: Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team)

Ducati’s Bad Day, Aprilia’s Delight

It was a forgettable afternoon for Ducati, as Marc Marquez crashed and reigning champion Francesco Bagnaiastruggled to P13. In contrast, Aprilia will celebrate Bezzecchi’s pole-to-win ride as a breakthrough moment.

Eyes on Grand Prix Sunday

With Saturday’s drama setting the stage, all eyes now turn to Grand Prix Sunday at Misano. Can Bezzecchi and Aprilia double up with another victory, or will Ducati bounce back to reclaim control of the title race? Fans can expect a thrilling showdown in San Marino.