MotoGP Valencia GP: Marco Bezzecchi heads Raul Fernandez in...

Marco Bezzecchi led Raul Fernandez home in an Aprilia 1-2 at the MotoGP Valencia Grand Prix on Sunday.

The factory rider held off the Trackhouse man for his second win in as many weeks and his third of the season, with Fabio Di Giannantonio netting third place for VR46 Ducati.

With Fernandez having won last month’s Australian Grand Prix, this was Aprilia’s third win in four Sundays, giving champion manufacturer Ducati much to think about heading into the winter.

There was drama even before the race began, as Franco Morbidelli absent-mindedly slammed into Honda wildcard rider Aleix Espargaro as the grid formed up. While Espargaro was able to take the start despite a few pieces of his bike missing after the incident, Morbidelli’s VR46 Ducati was quickly removed from the grid. He would briefly take part in the race with his spare bike, but had hurt his hand in the accident and had to retire.

Polesitter Bezzecchi leaped into the lead when the lights turned green, ahead of sprint winner Alex Marquez aboard the Gresini Ducati. While Bezzecchi proceeded to lead all the way, he had different competition to keep an eye on as different riders were faster at different stages of a race that was tricky in terms of tyre management.

Marquez looked capable of putting pressure on the leader at times during the first 10 laps of the race. But then he began to struggle, while Fernandez pulled the pin on his challenge. Having gained positions early after claiming fifth on the first lap, he grabbed second from Marquez on lap 11 and took up the role of first challenger to Bezzecchi.

Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing, Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Jose Jordan / AFP via Getty Images

Despite fitness concerns around Fernandez, who had not even been well enough to race in Portugal seven days earlier following his crash in practice for that event, the Spaniard kept Bezzecchi honest throughout the rest of the 27 laps. He was well within a second going into the last lap, but Bezzecchi ultimately had him covered.

Di Giannantonio and KTM’s Pedro Acosta traded positions a couple of times during the race, during which both also found a way past the fading Marquez. It was Di Giannantonio who had more at the end, however, allowing him to complete the podium.

Fermin Aldeguer also cleared Marquez at the end, giving Gresini a disappointing end to the season with fifth and sixth positions.

Honda owed much to Luca Marini after the Italian delivered exactly the seventh place it needed in order to escape Group D concessions. The Italian rode steadily to finish ahead of Brad Binder (KTM), Jack Miller (Pramac Yamaha) and Enea Bastianini (Tech3 KTM).

Francesco Bagnaia’s year came to a fittingly miserable end when Johann Zarco punted him out on the opening lap, while his injured 2024 title nemesis Jorge Martin (Aprilia) retired at mid-distance in order to conserve his fitness for the group test on Tuesday.