MotoGP 2025 runner-up Alex Marquez came out on top in the final sprint of the campaign, at Valencia's Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
Marquez went past poleman Marco Bezzecchi off the line, then soaked up some early pressure from KTM rider Pedro Acosta before making a break on the fifth lap of 13 as Acosta made an error trying to stay with him.
They ultimately finished the race 1.149 seconds apart, the younger Marquez taking his third sprint win of the season with his injured brother Marc, the 2025 champion (with 14 sprint wins), in attendance.
Bezzecchi had a brutal first lap from pole, losing a place to Marquez into Turn 1, another to Acosta into Turn 2 (while also being attacked by Aprilia stablemate Raul Fernandez), then three more in quick succession to Fernandez, Fabio Quartararo and Fabio Di Giannantonio.
Di Giannantonio then immediately cleared Quartararo, but he needed until the penultimate lap to make it up into third - lunging Fernandez into Turn 4, being counter-attacked into Turn 5, then finally making a move stick at Turn 6.
Fernandez withstood some mild last-lap pressure from Bezzecchi to claim fourth, followed by Di Giannantonio's team-mate Franco Morbidelli - who overtook Quartararo on the ninth lap.
But seventh-placed Quartararo - followed by KTM's Brad Binder and Trackhouse Aprilia rider Ai Ogura - was still the only Yamaha points-scorer, with Yamaha stablemate Jack Miller's points bid undone by a penalty.
We're still trying to work out how @Aldeguer54 managed to stay onboard 🤯@jackmilleraus has to drop 3 positions for causing this contact ⚠️#ValenciaGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/uaGtMtQ3G4
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) November 15, 2025
Miller collided with Fermin Aldeguer while trying to make his way past, the contact taking Aldeguer's arm off the handlebar and also ripping off some aero - and he was demanded by race control to give up three positions, to put Aldeguer back ahead.
He didn't serve that penalty, so was given a long lap - and, after serving that, ended up right behind Aldeguer in 12th after all.
Another in-race incident will be subject to a post-race investigation - Joan Mir tucking the front at Turn 1 and wiping out Honda factory team-mate Luca Marini as they battled for position.
We're still trying to work out how @Aldeguer54 managed to stay onboard 🤯@jackmilleraus has to drop 3 positions for causing this contact ⚠️#ValenciaGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/uaGtMtQ3G4
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) November 15, 2025
After a disappointing qualifying in which he was undone by a Ducati bike issue, Pecco Bagnaia dropped further back off the line - and only finished 14th in the end, so now sits six points behind Acosta in the battle for fourth in the standings (with Bezzecchi now mathematically assured of third).
Of the returning riders, Maverick Vinales placed 18th, while Jorge Martin was last after taking to the run-off in a close call with Johann Zarco but had run 11th off the start.
We're still trying to work out how @Aldeguer54 managed to stay onboard 🤯@jackmilleraus has to drop 3 positions for causing this contact ⚠️#ValenciaGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/uaGtMtQ3G4
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) November 15, 2025
Results
1 Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati)
2 Pedro Acosta (KTM) +1.149s
3 Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) +2.637s
4 Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia) +3.519s
5 Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) +3.727s
6 Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati) +6.349s
7 Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) +7.102s
8 Brad Binder (KTM) +7.352s
9 Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia) +7.685s
10 Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) +9.346s
11 Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati) +10.067s
12 Jack Miller (Pramac Yamaha) +11.148s
13 Enea Bastianini (Tech3 KTM) +11.911s
14 Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati) +11.957s
15 Alex Rins (Yamaha) +14.264s
16 Nicolo Bulega (Ducati) +14.951s
17 Miguel Oliveira (Pramac Yamaha) +15.597s
18 Maverick Vinales (Tech3 KTM) +16.699s
19 Aleix Espargaro (Honda) +16.885s
20 Augusto Fernandez (Yamaha) +18.846s
21 Somkiat Chantra (LCR Honda) +23.028s
22 Jorge Martin (Aprilia) +23.655s
DNF Luca Marini (Honda)
DNF Joan Mir (Honda)
