MotoGP Round 21 | Aprilia Racing’s Marco Bezzecchi reigns supreme in Portimao Portugal. Not a wheel wrong or out of place, the #72 really was ‘Simply the Bez’ as the #73 and #37 earned Sunday podiums. A fantastic weekend of racing on a brilliant track Report: Ed Stratmann/MotoGP

Friday Practice and Saturday Qualifying
MotoGP

0.088s covered the top three at the end of Day 1 in Portimao. We’ll have some of that. It was Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP #73) who led the field thanks to a 1:37.974, as Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team #63) and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing #37) hunted the #73 very closely on what turned out to be another brilliant Friday afternoon in MotoGP.

Well, that wasn’t a bad qualifying session, was it? Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) grabbed pole for the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Portugal with a 1:37.556 in a relentless MotoGP Q2 that saw Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) earn a first front row start of the season in P2. Third place went the way of Q1 graduate Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP #20), who once again pulled a rabbit out of the hat in qualifying trim.

Moto2

With a late rain shower during Moto2™ Practice, the standings were decided before the chequered flag as Aron Canet (Fantic Racing #44) topped the order. Getting out early, the Spaniard was able to sport a 0.192s lead ahead of the opposition and lead the charge into Saturday.

The Moto2™ title was on the line this weekend, and Championship leader Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team #10) put himself in a prime position for that first match point. He took pole in Portugal ahead of Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team #96) and rookie Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo #95).

Moto3

David Almansa (Leopard Racing #22) was the Moto3™ pacesetter heading into Saturday’s action in Portugal after his 1:47.056 was good enough to see the Malaysian GP podium finisher beat the Malaysian GP winner, Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia #72), by 0.135s. A flurry of personal best lap times before the rain fell saw Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team #28) complete the top three.

Australian Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA #66) claimed a ninth front row of 2025 and a second pole in the last three Grands Prix with a stunner in Portugal. He denied Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power #19), who put in a late charge to start second, with Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI #36) rounding out the front row. It was a closely fought session, with 16 riders covered by less than a second.

Saturday
Tissot Sprint

Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) vs Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). It was the sky blue of Marquez that edged the blazing orange of Acosta in a barnstorming Saturday showdown that will live long in the memory. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing #72) had the perfect view – and a big say – as the polesitter finished just 0.5s from victory in a spectacular Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Portugal Tissot Sprint.

Bezzecchi launched perfectly from pole to grab the holeshot, with Acosta holding P2 ahead of a lightning-fast start from Marquez, who jumped two places as Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team #1) slipped to fourth and fifth.

By Lap 2, Bezzecchi had Acosta glued to his rear wheel, and the rookie sensation made his move into Turn 1 to hit the front. Marquez was next to strike, copying Acosta’s move on Lap 3 to take second, as the leading trio broke 1.5s clear of Quartararo, Bagnaia and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team #49).

Lap 4 claimed Nicolo Bulega (Ducati Lenovo Team #11) at Turn 13, while Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol #36) was forced to retire soon after. Up front, Marquez attacked again, and the duel that followed was breathtaking. Acosta briefly reclaimed the lead at Turn 5, only for Marquez to counter with a clean run out of the final corner to retake P1 into Turn 1.

The pair traded blows again as Bezzecchi hovered menacingly behind, ready to pounce. But with three laps to go, Marquez found an extra gear, stretching a slender 0.4s gap heading onto the final lap. Acosta dug deep, closing right up, but the Gresini man held firm to win by just 0.120s, with Bezzecchi third, half a second adrift.

Quartararo secured P4 to round off a strong showing for Yamaha, with Di Giannantonio completing the top five – a thrilling Sprint that showed MotoGP at its absolute best.

“I was feeling really good, and at the last corner, our acceleration was really good so I was able to attack at that point. It’s true that I used too much tyre in that point to overtake, but that was my plan. The plan was perfect,” Marquez stated.

Tissot Sprint Race Results

  1. Alex Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati)
  2. Pedro Acosta Red Bull KTM (+0.120s)
  3. Marco Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing (+0.637s)
  4. Fabio Quartararo Monster Yamaha (+5.276s)
  5. Fabio Di Giannantonio Pertamina VR46 Ducati (+6.088s)

Sunday
MotoGP

It was perfection from start to finish for Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing #72), who led every one of the 25 laps at the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Portugal. The victory moves him comfortably clear in the battle for third overall in the Championship, with only a handful of points needed to secure it next week in Valencia. Behind him, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP #73) held off a late surge from Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing #37), reshuffling the podium from Saturday’s Sprint.

Acosta had a lightning start but couldn’t overcome Bezzecchi, who grabbed the holeshot from pole. Marquez mirrored his Sprint start to climb into third, while drama unfolded further back. Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team #21) was caught in a bundle at Turn 5 but escaped unscathed. On Lap 2, Marquez moved past Acosta into second and began chasing the leader, while Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol #36) retired with another technical issue.

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team #1) ran fourth until crashing at Turn 10 on Lap 11, handing the position to rookie Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP #54), who had earlier made a bold Turn 5 pass on Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing #33). Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP #20) battled hard in fifth but ultimately ceded positions to Aldeguer and Binder.

At the front, Bezzecchi steadily extended his advantage, reaching 2.2s over Marquez by Lap 15. Acosta was 2.4s further back, holding a comfortable margin over Aldeguer and Binder. In the closing stages, Acosta found a late burst, reducing Marquez’s lead to just one second with two laps remaining, but couldn’t mount a final challenge.

Further back, Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team #79) passed Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR #5) for seventh, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team #49) taking eighth.

Bezzecchi’s commanding ride from lights to flag secured a majestic victory, becoming the sixth different winner in as many Grands Prix and giving Aprilia a historic third win of 2025 – the first time the manufacturer has claimed three wins in a single season. Marquez and Acosta completed the podium, with Aldeguer fourth ahead of Binder and Quartararo.

“Very happy, it was a fantastic race for me. This morning I felt better, and yesterday evening we worked a lot in the box to try to find that last step that was missed. I was super afraid of Pedro and Alex because yesterday they were super quick, but I was also very motivated to try to get a win. It’s super important to be back on the top of the podium,” Bezzecchi said.

MotoGP Race Results

  1. Marco Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing
  2. Alex Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati (+2.583s)
  3. Pedro Acosta Red Bull KTM (+3.188s)
  4. Fermin Aldeguer BK8 Gresini Ducati (+12.860s)
  5. Brad Binder Red Bull KTM (+16.327s)

Check out the full MotoGP race results here…

MotoGP Championship Points

  1. Marc Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati – 545
  2. Alex Marquez Ducati Lenovo – 445
  3. Marco Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing – 323
  4. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo – 288
  5. Pedro Acosta Red Bull KTM – 285

Moto2

A champion’s performance from Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team #21) saw the Brazilian move decisively towards the Moto2 World Championship with a superb victory at Portimão. The points gap heading to Valencia is now 24 in Moreira’s favour after Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP #18) finished sixth, leaving the odds firmly stacked for the Brazilian. Completing the podium were two rising stars: Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo #49) claimed his first Moto2 rostrum in P2, with David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team #80) taking his third straight podium in P3.

From pole, Moreira needed a win or second to strengthen his title bid and executed a perfect start to grab the holeshot ahead of Veijer. Gonzalez was sixth on the opening lap, while Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team #96) dropped to third. Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing #7), third in the standings, lost several positions after sitting up at Turn 1, falling to P11.

By Lap 3, the top six – Moreira, Gonzalez, Veijer, Dixon, Celestino Vietti (Beta Tools SpeedRS Team #13) and Alonso – were tightly bunched. Veijer led briefly into Turn 1 on Lap 4, but Moreira regained control, putting pressure on the rookie, while Gonzalez struggled following a dramatic moment at Turn 5 on Lap 5 and dropped to P7. Aron Canet (Fantic Racing #44) moved past Gonzalez and Dixon to push into podium contention.

With five laps to go, Moreira was closing in on Veijer, Alonso 0.8s behind and Canet in fourth. Turn 11, with two and a half laps remaining, saw Moreira make a decisive move up the inside of Veijer to reclaim P1, opening a 24-point advantage in the championship fight.

The last lap saw Dixon crash out from P7, leaving Moreira unchallenged. Veijer took second, Alonso third, Canet fourth and Baltus fifth. With the Fantic duo and Dixon now out of title contention, the championship will come down to Moreira vs Gonzalez in Valencia. Fantic can celebrate the Moto2 Teams’ title, thanks to strong rides from Baltus and Canet.

Moreira’s flawless win under pressure sets him up in ideal fashion for next weekend’s showdown, while Gonzalez will hope for a miracle to close the gap at the season finale.

Moto2 Race Results

  1. Diogo Moreira Italtrans Racing Team
  2. Collin Veijer Red Bull KTM Ajo (+0.090s)
  3. David Alonso CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team (+0.492s)
  4. Aron Canet Fantic Racing (+0.992s)
  5. Barry Baltus Fantic Racing (+5.214s)

Moto2 Championship Points

  1. Diogo Moreira Italtrans Racing Team – 281
  2. Manuel Gonzalez Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP – 257
  3. Barry Baltus Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO – 232
  4. Aron Canet Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO – 226
  5. Jake Dixon Elf Marc VDS Racing – 215

Moto3

The penultimate Moto3™ showdown of the season saw a superstar performance from Max Quiles (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team) as he escaped the group to cross the line over a second clear. Angel Piqueras (QJMotor – FRINSA – MSI) put up a huge fight for second and secured it, limiting the damage as he fights for second overall in the Championship. Malaysian GP winner Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) completed the podium, taking back-to-back rostrum finishes for the first time in his career.

Off the line it was a dream start for Joel Kelso (LEVELUP – MTA) as he led Quiles early on, but the group remained close. On Lap 3, Joel Esteban (Red Bull KTM Ajo #78) was able to attack into second before having a twitch at the final corner, with the resulting reaction seeing Quiles then drop down to sixth as the slipstream effect down the straight made it all change again behind Kelso.

The Australian led the way for the first half of the race, keeping some tenths in hand, but on Lap 10 he was wide at Turn 5, and the door was open for Quiles and Piqueras. Kelso slotted into third, but the battle was hotting up, and it was soon several riders wide as they jostled for position. As the dust started to settle again, Quiles led Furusato as Piqueras was left scrambling for position in the group. But the #36 hung on to move back into third and then second by Turn 1 on the penultimate lap.

Onto the final lap, Quiles had time in hand over Piqueras, who likewise had just enough over Furusato. They crossed the line in that order as the fight behind took its final shuffle, with Esteban next up as he managed to just stay ahead of rookie teammate Alvaro Carpe.

Moto3 Race Results

  1. Maximo Quiles CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team
  2. Angel Piqueras FRINSA -MT Helmets – MSI (+1.663s)
  3. Taiyo Furusato Honda Team Asia (+2.886s)
  4. Joel Esteban Red Bull KTM Tech3 (+3.243s)
  5. Alvaro Carpe Red Bull KTM Ajo (+3.537s)

Moto3 Championship Points

  1. Jose Antonio Rueda Red Bull KTM Ajo – 365
  2. Angel Piqueras FRINSA – MT Helmets – 271
  3. Maximo Quiles CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team – 263
  4. David Munoz Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP – 197
  5. Alvaro Carpe Red Bull KTM Ajo – 195

MotoE

It was title-decider day in the final ever MotoE season – and it did not disappoint! Fans were treated to two thrilling races at the Portuguese GP, where Alessandro Zaccone (Aruba Cloud MotoE Team) ultimately clinched the electric class crown in Portimão.

Arriving as the Championship leader, the Italian could hardly have asked for a better start, converting pole position into a hard-fought Race 1 victory ahead of Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) and Jacopo Hosciuc (MSI Racing Team). That triumph gave him a commanding 17-point advantage heading into the second lights-out of the day.

With the title within reach, the mission was simple: finish P7 or better. In the end, a composed ride to P4 was enough for Zaccone to seal the deal and secure the crown. Up front, Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team) pushed hard to keep his title hopes alive, but Oscar Gutierrez (MSI Racing Team) snatched victory by just 0.098s, with Nicholas Spinelli (Rivacold Snipers Team MotoE) completing the podium. It proved an emotional and electric final day of the MotoE season.

MotoE Race 1 Results

  1. Alessandro Zaccone Aruba Cloud MotoE Team
  2. Eric Granado LCR E-Team (+0.105s)
  3. Jocopo Hosciuc MSI Racing Team (+0.185s)
  4. Mattia Casadei LCR E-Team (+0.740s)
  5. Lorenzo Baldassarri Dynavolt Intact GP (+1.718s)

MotoE Race 2 Results

  1. Oscar Gutierrez MSI Racing Team
  2. Mattia Casadei LCR E-Team (+0.098s)
  3. Nicholas Spinelli Rivacold Snipers Team MotoE (+1.281s)
  4. Alessandro Zaccone Aruba Cloud MotoE Team (+2.105s)
  5. Hector Garzo Dynavolt Intact GP (+4.521s)

MotoE Championship Points

  1. Alessandro Zaccone Aruba Cloud MotoE Team – 198
  2. Mattia Casadei LCR E-Team – 188
  3. Matteo Ferrari Felo Gresini MotoE – 168
  4. Eric Granado LCR E-Team – 162
  5. Nicholas Spinelli Rivacold Snipers Team MotoE – 159

How Did the Aussies Do?

Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP ace Jack Miller (#43) finished the Sprint race in 14th place after advancing through Q1. He then followed that up with a 12th in the main race, in a bout where he struggled severely with grip.

Senna Agius (#81) made a strong start to the weekend, finishing third in FP1 and fifth in Friday afternoon’s practice. The Australian then qualified 13th and remained hopeful of a solid result. In the race, Agius ultimately claimed P9 – a result he was content with despite showing rapid pace, as a poor start ultimately cost him a better finish.

Joel Kelso produced a superb performance to secure pole position at Portimão, topping the timesheets with a composed and confident display. After starting from pole, Kelso brought his machine home in seventh at Portimão, as he fought hard but struggled with tyre wear in the latter stages.

Jacob Roulstone (#12) was forced to miss the Portuguese GP after undergoing successful surgery on his fractured left hand that occurred in Malaysia. The Australian will now focus on his recovery, with the goal of returning to action for the season finale in Valencia.

 

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