Valencia, Spain — Alex Márquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) closed the 2025 season in style with a commanding victory in the final Tissot Sprint of the year, claiming back-to-back Sprint wins and his third Saturday triumph of the season. The Spaniard led from Turn 1 and never looked back, finishing ahead of a charging Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), who sealed third after a fierce late-race fight.

Explosive Start: Márquez Leads as Bezzecchi Falls Back

Launching perfectly from P2, Márquez grabbed the holeshot, beating polesitter Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) into Turn 1. Acosta rocketed from fifth to second within the first two corners, while Bezzecchi suffered a disastrous opening lap, slipping to sixth behind Raul Fernandez, Di Giannantonio, and Fabio Quartararo.

Honda Drama: Mir Takes Out Marini

Lap 2 brought major drama as Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) tucked the front at Turn 2 and collided with teammate Luca Marini, ending both riders’ Sprints. Mir will serve a Long Lap Penalty in Sunday’s Grand Prix. One lap later, contact between Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) and Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) earned Miller a three-place drop, later upgraded to a Long Lap Penalty after non-compliance.

Mid-Pack Battles: Bezzecchi Recovers, Morbidelli Climbs

Bezzecchi managed to fight back to fifth after clearing Quartararo, though the gap to the podium contenders proved too large to close. At the front, Márquez extended his lead to 1.4 seconds, with Acosta managing pressure from behind while hunting his first MotoGP victory. Franco Morbidelli made progress too, overtaking Quartararo for sixth on Lap 9.

Penultimate-Lap Showdown for P3

The battle of the race came in the fight for third as Di Giannantonio and Fernandez traded blows from Turn 4 through Turn 6, opening the door for Bezzecchi to close in. But the Italian ran out of time to mount a final attack.

Final Lap: Márquez Seals Season-Ending Sprint Glory

Márquez controlled the final lap to secure a majestic victory, while Acosta claimed second—his fourth consecutive Sprint podium. With Francesco Bagnaia finishing 14th, Acosta also jumps to fourth in the standings, now six points ahead of the reigning World Champion.

Di Giannantonio completed the podium ahead of Fernandez, with Bezzecchi taking fifth and sealing third in the 2025 MotoGP Riders’ Championship, marking Aprilia’s first-ever top-three finish in the premier class.

Morbidelli held on to sixth ahead of Quartararo, while Brad Binder surged from 15th to eighth. Ai Ogura claimed ninth for his first Sprint point since Motegi. Johann Zarco ended tenth, leaving Honda nine points short of upgrading their concession ranking.

The 2025 season showdown continues on Sunday — and with points, pride, and manufacturer stakes on the line, the Valencia GP finale promises fireworks.