Valencia Grand Prix: Marco Bezzecchi leads an Aprilia one-two finish

Ducati has been warned for 2026. This Sunday, during the Valencia GP of MotoGPAprilia struck again, and this time Marco Bezzecchi wasn't the only one to steal the show from the Borgo Panigale machines. Unlike the Sprint race, the Italian got off to a perfect start, taking the first corner ahead of Alex Márquez. He then managed his pace lap after lap, building a slim lead over his pursuers. While the Gresini Ducati rider stayed close to Bezzecchi for the first half of the race, he was then overtaken by Raúl Fernández, who was excellent on his Aprilia this Sunday. 

Together, Bezzecchi and Fernández pulled away from the rest of the field to secure Noale's first one-two finish since the 2023 Catalan Grand Prix. The Italian also became the first rider to win three MotoGP races with Aprilia. Behind them, Fabio Di Giannantonio salvaged some pride for Ducati, snatching third place at the very end of the race after overtaking Pedro Acosta.

In 7th place, behind the two Gresinis, Luca Marini scored nine crucial points for Honda. These points allowed the brand to secure the exact number of units needed for promotion to Tier C of manufacturer dealerships. While its advantages will be reduced in 2026, this change is a sign that the project is progressing well.

Pecco Bagnaia didn't end the season on the high note he'd hoped for. The Ducati rider was taken wide on the very first lap by Johann Zarco. He then lost control of his bike in the gravel trap and crashed before retiring. It was a difficult race for the Frenchman. Following this incident, Johann Zarco plummeted down the order before gradually overtaking his rivals to climb back up the field. At the checkered flag, the rider from Cannes finished 12th. Meanwhile, fabio quartararo ended a discreet race with a fall before the final laps.

Even before the race began, Franco Morbidelli caused trouble. The Italian rider, who has been making a series of reckless mistakes lately, crashed into a Honda parked in his spot on the starting grid, like all the other riders. He damaged both bikes, started the race from pit lane, and then retired due to the extensive damage to his VR46.

Jorge Martín, for his part, withdrew from the race after 16 laps, waving to his fans after being invited by his team to return to his pit box. "As a precautionary measure." In their final MotoGP race, Miguel Oliveira and Somkiat Chantra finished the Valencia GP in 11th and 17th place respectively. In Hervé Poncharal's last race at the helm of Tech3, Enea Bastianini secured a top-10 finish, while Maverick Viñales was forced to retire.

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MotoGP – Valencia Grand Prix

The classification of the Race: