Marco Bezzecchi has picked up the first major points of the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia. The #72 won his third MotoGP Tissot Sprint in the final lap. Fermín Aldeguer led for the majority of the race, losing to Bezzecchi in the final seven corners. Raúl Fernández claimed his first Tissot Sprint podium in third place. The #25 is the nineteenth name to make an appearance on the Saturday steps. On paper, it was a copy-and-paste result from qualifying to Tissot Sprint victory at Mandalika. However, there is more to this story at the Indonesian GP, as we explain below.
Late Withdrawal Joins Notable Missing Riders
The stage was set for stronger results from Aprilia after Ducati’s poor performance in the MotoGP Qualifying sessions. The big news before we got underway, however, was that Maverick Viñales for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team had withdrawn from the rest of the Indonesian GP events. The left-shoulder injury sustained in the Tissot Sprint at the German GP in July is still causing real concerns for the Spaniard’s performance.
Three riders—Maverick Viñales, Jorge Martín, and Ai Ogura—were absent from the grid. With Martín already confirmed to miss the Australian GP at Phillip Island in two weeks, there is high speculation that Viñales may end his 2025 season early to focus on his recovery.
What Could Have Been
With Aldeguer starting on second, he was on course to become the youngest Tissot Sprint winner since the inception of the Saturday event. Alex Rins had not scored a single point since the Hungarian GP, but he was in for a real chance starting in fourth position on the grid. Bezzecchi looked poised to take another Saturday victory. But only one story of the Tissot Sprint could come true.
Rins was pushed out wide by Marc Márquez, falling back past his Monster Energy Yamaha teammate, Fabio Quartararo. The FIM stewards immediately investigated that incident, handing the 2025 World Champion a long lap penalty for irresponsible riding.
Bezzecchi had a shocking start off the line that placed him back in between the Marquez brothers. Bezzecchi ultimately passed them and Luca Marini, moving up to third, as Pedro Acosta crashed out of the Sprint race. The Aprilia rider charged ahead as he set the fastest lap of the race, charging and closing in on Aldeguer. It came down to the final corner as Bezzecchi and Aldeguer traded places, but it was the #72 who came back and claimed victory.
Back of the Pack Crashes Leaves Bagnaia Last
Francesco Bagnaia’s weekend has been a stark comparison to his double-win weekend in Japan. Somkiat Chantra and Enea Bastianini crashed out in the first half of the MotoGP Tissot Sprint. Acosta called it quits after his earlier crash. Johann Zarco had his third crash of the weekend in Sector 4, just a couple of laps before race completion, while Quartararo tumbled into the gravel on the last lap. These crashes left Bagnaia in dead last.
While many thought that Bagnaia’s performance issues were finally resolved, we are back to scratching our heads as to why they have resurfaced again here at Mandalika. Despite the woes of Bagnaia, the Ducati Lenovo Team scraped enough points to be crowned the 2025 Teams’ World Champion.
The Lead Up to Sunday
There is a potential post-Tissot Sprint penalty that could alter the final results, as Marini has been put under investigation by the FIM for a possible tyre pressure infringement. This penalty would also result in potential consequences for Sunday’s feature race. Will the Ducati damage continue while Aprilia claims their own double-win weekend?