Raúl Fernández produced the race of his life at Phillip Island, delivering a flawless performance to claim his first-ever MotoGP™ victory — and in doing so, handed Trackhouse Racing their maiden win in the premier class. The Spaniard’s cool, calculated ride not only marked a personal breakthrough but also ensured that every team on the 2025 grid has now tasted Grand Prix glory.
Behind him, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) put in a spectacular charge from tenth on the grid to claim second, finishing just 1.4 seconds adrift of the leader. Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) stormed back from a double Long Lap penalty to snatch third place from Álex Márquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) in the closing laps — a gritty comeback that also pushed him into third in the World Championship standings.
Bezzecchi’s Perfect Launch
The tension was high as the lights went out, but Bezzecchi nailed the start from the middle of the front row, launching himself into Turn 1 ahead of Fernández and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). The leading trio immediately began to pull clear, opening a 0.6-second cushion over a chasing group led by Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP).
Then came the drama — Bezzecchi’s pit board flashed the dreaded message: double Long Lap penalty. The Italian didn’t take it right away, choosing instead to push hard and build a gap. By Lap 3, he’d stretched his advantage to 1.1 seconds, even as Acosta dived past Fernández at Turn 1 to grab second. Bezzecchi continued to push for one more lap before finally serving the penalties.
Long Laps Served, Home Hero Falls
On Lap 5, Bezzecchi peeled into the Long Lap loop for the first time, losing around two seconds and slipping behind both Fernández and Acosta. Moments later, chaos struck further down the field — Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) crashed at Turn 1, followed almost immediately by Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP), who slid out at Turn 6 to the collective groan of the Australian crowd. It was a heartbreaking end to the weekend for the local favourite.
Bezzecchi completed his second Long Lap soon after, rejoining in fifth, just behind Di Giannantonio, and 2.8 seconds off the race lead. Out front, Fernández had now taken charge, leading Acosta by just over a second.
Fernández Pulls Away
By Lap 8, Di Giannantonio had carved past Quartararo to claim fourth, while Bezzecchi followed suit two laps later with a clean move out of the final corner. Up front, Fernández’s rhythm was relentless — his lead growing to 1.4 seconds over Acosta by Lap 13, while Márquez began to apply pressure to the rookie ahead.
Bezzecchi, now in fifth, was half a second behind Di Giannantonio and four seconds adrift of Fernández, who seemed in total control. On Lap 16, Márquez made his move on Acosta for second, but by then the gap to Fernández had ballooned to three seconds. The Spaniard, smooth and unflustered, was faster than anyone else on track.
The Chase Tightens
With eleven laps to go, Fernández’s advantage hovered at three seconds. Di Giannantonio, now on a charge, dispatched Acosta for third, while Bezzecchi — determined as ever — pulled off a bold pass on Acosta at Turn 8 to move into fourth with six laps remaining. The Italian, however, still faced a five-second deficit to the race leader.
As Marquez’s pace began to fade, Di Giannantonio seized second with a confident dive at Turn 10. But the question remained — could he close down Fernández before the chequered flag? The gap stood at 2.8 seconds with three laps to go… then 2.6. The chase was on, but time was slipping away.
Further back, Bezzecchi was closing in on Márquez at a rapid rate, setting up a thrilling late duel for the final podium spot. On the penultimate lap at Turn 10, Bezzecchi made it stick — a clean, decisive move that sealed his comeback.
The Final Lap
By the final tour of Phillip Island, Fernández’s lead had narrowed slightly — 1.8 seconds at sector one, 1.6 by sector two — but the outcome was never in doubt. Composed, controlled, and utterly dominant, the #25 Trackhouse ridercrossed the line to take a maiden MotoGP™ victory that had been coming all season.
Behind him, Di Giannantonio capped a superb ride with second place, while Bezzecchi, just 2.4 seconds off the win despite two Long Lap penalties, completed the podium with a show of raw determination. To add to the drama, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) crashed out late at Turn 6, promoting Bezzecchi to third in the championship standings.
Phillip Island Points Scorers
Marquez’s strong early pace faded to fourth by the flag, but his consistency keeps him comfortably in line for the 2025 silver medal. Acosta held off Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) by a mere 0.040s to secure fifth, while Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) led the Yamaha contingent home in seventh.
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) recovered well from a grid penalty to take eighth, with Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and a resurgent Pol Espargaró (Red Bull KTM Tech3) rounding out the top ten — an impressive showing for Maverick Viñales’ stand-in.
Quartararo’s afternoon never recovered after his blistering qualifying performance, slipping to 11th by the flag. Behind him came Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP), Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), Fermín Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), who completed the points-scoring positions.
Next Stop: Sepang
Phillip Island once again delivered a classic — unpredictable, emotional, and full of drama. Fernández becomes the seventh different winner of the 2025 season, cementing his arrival among the sport’s elite. Next up: the searing heat and high stakes of Sepang, where Márquez will look to lock down second in the standings, and the fight between Bezzecchi and Bagnaia for third is set to rage on.
