MotoGP News: Raul Fernandez gets first win on Phillips Island

In a season of unpredictability, Raul Fernandez (pictured) became the fifth different winner in as many races, delivering a masterclass at the Australian Grand Prix to secure his maiden MotoGP victory.

The Trackhouse MotoGP Team rider controlled the 27-lap sprint around Phillip Island with composure, crossing the line 1.4 seconds clear of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), who charged from 10th on the grid to claim second. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) rounded out the podium in third, snatching the position late from Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) despite serving a double Long Lap penalty for a pre-race infringement.

Blistering Start Sets the Tone

Bezzecchi nailed the launch from the middle of the front row, grabbing the holeshot and leading into Turn 1. Fernandez slotted into second, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) in third hot on his heels. The leading trio quickly established a 0.6-second advantage over the chasing pack, spearheaded by polesitter Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP).

Bezzecchi received his penalty notification on Lap 2 but opted to delay, methodically building a buffer before serving it. Acosta briefly seized second from Fernandez at Turn 1 on Lap 3, while Bezzecchi’s lead stretched to 1.1 seconds by the start of Lap 4—still without pitting for the Long Lap.

Penalties Served Amid Mid-Pack Chaos

The Italian finally dove into the Long Lap loop on Lap 5, the first of his two mandatory slowdowns costing him around two seconds. This dropped him behind Fernandez and Acosta, now leading the race. Further drama unfolded in the pack: Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) crashed at Turn 1, followed moments later by home favorite Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) at Turn 6—a heartbreaking end to the Australian’s strong weekend.

Bezzecchi served his second Long Lap shortly after, plummeting to fifth behind Di Giannantonio, the Sprint race winner. At this point, Fernandez had assumed the lead, 1.1 seconds clear of Acosta, with Marquez 1.3 seconds further back in third.

Fernandez Forges Ahead as Battles Erupt Behind

Fernandez began to pull away decisively, his lead growing to 1.4 seconds by Lap 13 over Acosta, who now faced mounting pressure from Marquez. Di Giannantonio, on a charge, dispatched Quartararo for fourth on Lap 8. Bezzecchi, recovering strongly, latched onto the Yamaha rider’s rear wheel and powered past him out of the final corner on Lap 10 to claim fifth—trailing Di Giannantonio by just 0.5 seconds but 4 seconds off the leader.

The action intensified on Lap 16 when Marquez outbraked Acosta into third, though Fernandez’s gap had ballooned to three seconds. With 11 laps remaining, the Spaniard maintained his blistering pace, extending his buffer while the battle for the final podium spots heated up.

Late Drama Seals the Podium

Eight laps from the flag, Di Giannantonio sliced past Acosta for third, narrowing the gap to Fernandez to around three seconds. Bezzecchi followed suit six laps out, lunging past Acosta at Turn 8 for fourth—but he remained five seconds adrift of his Aprilia teammate up front.

Fernandez held a 2.8-second lead over Marquez with four to go, but Di Giannantonio pounced with a bold move on the Gresini rider to inherit second. The VR46 man closed to within 2.6 seconds of Fernandez by Lap 25, injecting late tension, but it wasn’t enough to threaten the leader.

In the fight for third, Bezzecchi reeled in the younger Marquez and struck decisively on the penultimate lap at Turn 10. Fernandez entered the final lap with a 1.8-second cushion, methodically managing his tires to seal a dream debut win—and Trackhouse’s first in MotoGP. The 25-year-old’s back-to-back Sprint podiums capped a flawless performance that belied the pressure.

Final Results and Championship Ripple Effects

Bezzecchi’s recovery to third—2.4 seconds shy of victory—propelled him to third in the Riders’ Championship, capitalizing on Francesco Bagnaia’s (Ducati Lenovo Team) late crash at Turn 6. Marquez settled for fourth, extending his wait for a podium but inching closer to a potential 2025 runner-up finish.

Acosta clung to fifth by a razor-thin 0.040 seconds over Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) in sixth, with Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) leading the Yamaha resurgence in seventh. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) rebounded from a grid penalty to eighth, followed by Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) in ninth and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Tech3) rounding out the top 10 in a standout ride as Maverick Viñales’ substitute.

Quartararo faded to 11th after his early promise, with points also going to Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) in 12th, Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) in 13th, Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) in 14th, and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in 15th.

Race Results