More from a press release issued by BK8 Gresini Team:

Alex Marquez storms to Valencia Sprint, Fermin Aldeguer pushed outside the points.

• Sprint – ValenciaGP

1^st – ALEX MARQUEZ #73 

11^th – FERMIN ALDEGUER #54

• World Championship Standings

2^nd – ALEX MARQUEZ #73 (457 points)
Runner Up MotoGP 2025

8^th – FERMIN ALDEGUER #54 (203 points)
Rookie of the Year 2025

Alex Marquez: “It went better than expected, but we made a good start and then attacked early in order to dictate the race from the lead. We achieved the goal and the Spanish crowd surely helped to take a bit more risks for the win. Tomorrow won’t be easy, but we can fight for the podium and who knows, maybe finish this great season on a high.”

Fermin Aldeguer: “We had a good qualifying, but then in the race, honestly, Jack’s manoeuvre ruined our performance. With no wings, we struggled on the straight, but we have some ideas for tomorrow. The top five is not outside our reach, even though a podium would be an incredible way to wrap up the season.”

—— 

More from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing:

Aprilia Racing place fifth in Valencia sprint.

The sprint at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit ended with a strong result for Aprilia Racing, as Marco Bezzecchi clinched third place in the riders’ championship. 

In Q2, Bezzecchi delivered an outstanding performance, taking pole position in 1:28.809, a new all-time lap record, beating the previous benchmark set by Aprilia in 2023. This was the Italian rider’s fifth pole of the season and his second in a row, adding to those secured in Austria, Misano, Mandalika and Portimão. In the sprint, Bezzecchi encountered some difficulty in the opening corners, dropping several positions. The Italian rider finished the sprint in fifth place, securing third in the championship with one race remaining in his debut season with Aprilia Racing.

Starting from seventeenth on the grid, Jorge Martín made a good getaway and moved up to eleventh by the end of the first lap. However, he ran wide on lap four and dropped to the back of the pack, despite continuing to set competitive times. The Spanish rider finished the sprint in twenty-second place.

Raúl Fernández also delivered an excellent performance on Saturday. The Trackhouse MotoGP Team rider earned fourth place on the grid, progressing from Q1 to Q2, and finished the sprint in fourth after battling for the final podium spot throughout the race.

Marco Bezzecchi: “I’m not entirely satisfied with the sprint because I was hoping to accomplish more, but overall it was a good day. Unfortunately, on the opening lap, the fork didn’t release, and coming out of the first corners, I couldn’t accelerate as I wanted, so I lost several positions straight away. From then on, the sprint became difficult.”

Jorge Martin: “It was a good sprint. I got off the line very well and was immediately up to eleventh. At turn 8, I ran straight on and found myself at the back of the group. From that moment, I focused on finding my rhythm: I tried different maps and adjusted some aspects of my riding style to work out how to close the gap to the riders ahead. I maintained a steady pace, and I’m happy about that. We made a big step forward. I’m getting my confidence back, but I also need to be aware of my physical condition and take things steadily on that front.”

Fabiano Sterlacchini: “It was a positive day, although a bit of a mixed bag, because starting from pole, this result doesn’t fully reflect our potential. We had a minor issue at the start that affected Marco’s initial getaway. We are investigating the cause, but we are confident everything will be fine for tomorrow. We’re sorry if this problem influenced the sprint’s outcome. It was great to see Jorge back on track: he has already shown flashes of his great talent, and now it’s just a matter of getting the miles under his belt. We hope he can have a good race tomorrow, something that will help him regain confidence and rhythm.” 

—— 

More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha: 

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Push to the Fullest in Final 2025 Sprint.

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider Fabio Quartararo’s strong start to the Grand Prix of the Valencian Community Sprint resulted in some fierce battles and a P7 at the finish line. Álex Rins negotiated the busy mid-pack and rode from P19 on the grid to P15.

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider Fabio Quartararo’s strong start and opening lap allowed him to battle towards the front of the pack today. His efforts were ultimately rewarded with a 7th place in the Grand Prix of the Valencian Community Sprint. Álex Rins continued working on improving his feeling around Circuit Ricardo Tormo on the Saturday. He ended the 13-lap dash in 15th place.

Quartararo had a good start from P6 and moved up to fourth on the opening lap. He was fully occupied battling with Fabio Di Giannantonio, who ultimately overtook him on the second lap. The number 20 swiftly moved on to fending off a charging Marco Bezzecchi. After some back-and-forth, El Diablo found himself riding in sixth place on lap 5 and under pressure from Franco Morbidelli. Quartararo held firm until Turn 1 on lap 9, when the Italian sneaked through. Unable to retaliate, the Frenchman focused on keeping Brad Binder at bay and held steady to the finish line, crossing it in P7, 7.102s from the winner.

Rins started from P19 and gained a position on the opening lap. On the next lap the two factory Hondas collided. The commotion briefly moved the Yamaha rider up to P15 before Enea Bastianini overtook him. With Jorge Martin running wide on lap 4, Rins moved up to 15th again. The number 42 defended his position from Nicolo Bulega all the way to the finish line, taking the chequered flag 14.264s from first.

After today’s results, Quartararo stays in 9th place in the overall standings with 201 points, and Rins holds 19th position with 66 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are 6th in the team championship with 267 points, and Yamaha remain in 5th position in the constructor championship with 240 points.

The team will be back in action tomorrow for Warm Up, held from 09:40-09:50 (GMT+1), and the 27-lap Race, which starts at 14:00.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI – Team Director, Monster Energy Yamaha:

“It’s not been an easy outing at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo for us so far. Ahead of the Sprint we knew that, given our qualifying positions, the riders would face tough battles. That said, this track is narrow, and overtaking is generally tricky here. Fabio had a really good start and did everything he could to hold on to his position. In the end, he couldn’t fend off the chasing rivals, so he finished in P7. For Álex it was tough, starting from the seventh row. That already compromised his Sprint race, and he didn’t have the pace to make up ground. We still have some tweaking to do for tomorrow to improve the riders’ feeling with the bike. We’ll analyse today’s data thoroughly as we prepare for the season’s final Race, and we’ll give it everything we’ve got.”

Fabio Quartararo: “Our Sprint race was more about defending than attacking. I could attack a bit on the first few laps, especially in Turn 4 where Marco made a small mistake, and I could overtake in those moments, but from that point on I was defending. I expected less drop from the rear tyre this afternoon, but I also saw so many other people struggle with the front tyre, and that’s something we’re working on too. Let’s see tomorrow what happens when we have double the number of laps.”

Alex Rins: “It’s true that since we’ve returned from the overseas races, we are struggling a bit more. We are looking for a way to improve. We want to finish this season in the best way possible. We tried different things today and already worked a bit on the pace for tomorrow. Let’s see how it goes.”

—— 

More from a press release issued by CASTROL Honda LCR:

CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco finished 10th in Saturday’s Sprint in Valencia.

• After securing a Q2 spot, the Frenchman started the Sprint from 11th on the grid, determined to score points.
• He made his strongest start of the season, placing himself in the fight.
• However, due to a lack of feeling at the braking points, Zarco was unable to push as much as he wanted and eventually crossed the line in 10th place, analyzing his rivals and gathering valuable information ahead of Sunday’s race.
   

It was a Sprint Race that left the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP team with a bitter taste, as the first points of the Valencia weekend — round 22 and the final event of the World Championship — were assigned. Jack Miller, one of the key protagonists since Friday (fastest in FP1 and comfortably 6th in Practice), had secured a solid P8 in this morning‘s qualifying for both today‘s Sprint and tomorrow‘s GP.

After a good getaway that saw him pass ninth through the first corner, the laps that followed proved complicated for the Australian rider, locked in a fierce battle with Fermín Aldeguer for eighth place. Following an aborted attempt at the end of the opening lap, at the start of lap 3 in Turn 2, Miller launched a new attack on the Spaniard who, just as he had done previously, instead of yielding chose to release the brakes — leading the two bikes to inevitable contact. The Stewards of the Race Direction decided to penalize Miller, who in the meantime had been passed by Brad Binder, by ordering him to drop three positions. With the next rider more than two seconds behind, Miller opted not to serve the penalty, which triggered an alternative sanction: a long lap penalty. After completing it, Miller rejoined in 12th place.

It was a complicated Sprint Race also for Miguel Oliveira, who started 19th and lost a few positions in the opening moments before recovering to 17th, a position he maintained until the end. Tomorrow at 14.00, the Valencia GP will bring down the curtain on the 2025 season — and also on Miguel Oliveira‘s MotoGP career, as he will compete in World Superbike in 2026.

Valencia GP schedule:
Sunday: 9.40 Warm-up; 14.00 Race (27 laps – 108,14)

GINO BORSOI – Team Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha: 

“It’s a shame what happened in the race between Miller and Aldeguer, because that contact affected what could have still been a good race. I‘m not, and I reiterated this to Race Direction, in agreement with the decision to penalize Jack by making him give back three positions, but at this point there‘s nothing we can do. In Portimão, Aldeguer did the exact same thing to Miller and nothing was done about it. In my view, today it should have been the same. But I‘m not the one who decides. It‘s a pity, because he could have had a good race; he could have fought for eighth place, since we were in quite a good place with the bike. We‘ll try again tomorrow. As for Oliveira, unfortunately, despite everything we‘re doing, we haven‘t been able to find a balance that allows him to perform at a high level. I‘m really sorry, because he truly deserves a good race as his farewell to MotoGP. We‘ll try again tomorrow, hoping to give him a nice gift.”

Jack Miller: “It was a day where I tried to extract the maximum out of the bike. I was a little bit on the limit in the morning with the soft tire, but that was the only option. And then came the Sprint Race: I got away with a decent start, unfortunately there was that issue with Aldeguer and yeah… I could see the dashboard, but to drop three positions at that point, when you‘re two seconds in front of the next bike, is kind of ridiculous, so I was not going to do it. But when the long lap came, I understood that I might have to do it tomorrow in the GP, so better to do it. I lost three positions anyway, and the tire was not performing after that long lap with all the dirt and all.

The penalty in my opinion is not valid — it‘s impossible to pass if somebody continues to release the brakes on top of you. I had already passed him once at the last corner and he continued to ride over my front tire; we came out of it sideways, but since their bike is a rocket ship, he went away. So I spent a lap and a half deciding where to make another move. I got the best drive I could out of Turn 1 and in Turn 2 I attacked again. Everything was under control until, when I went side by side with him, he started to release the brakes again. I tried to go tighter and tighter and tighter, but at one point we had to have contact. The smart move, if he was sure he could pass me back, would have been to brake harder and cut under. But if you ride like this, you are forcing contact. And this is not correct. He took wings off riders this week, he T-boned me last week and nothing happened. And this week he forced the contact and I got the penalty.

I try the best I can on a bike that is underpowered, but when you make a clean pass they make it more difficult by releasing the brakes and riding over your front tire. This is not racing, this is dodging cars. That is the style of riding of the new generation. There is a lack of consistency from the Stewards — it is not even remotely in the picture. I got banned for ten minutes of the session because my bike was smoking, plus a three-thousand-euro fine, and then they let a bike smoke for half of a race and let it win the Grand Prix. Where is the consistency?”

Miguel Oliveira: “The race wasn‘t bad, considering I had a pretty poor start. I probably didn‘t take enough risks, and in the first two corners I lost a lot of positions and wasn‘t in a place to be more competitive afterwards. I‘ll try to be more competitive tomorrow. Overall, I was feeling better on the bike today — we made some good improvements, so I‘m happy enough with that. If I had managed to overtake Bulega or Rins, I could have been a couple of tenths faster, but I‘ll try to make it happen tomorrow.”

—— 

More from a press release issued by Honda HRC:

Another solid day of work for Espargaro and the Honda HRC Test Team.

Ending the first session of the day in ninth, Aleix Espargaro showed the potential of the Honda RC213V around the Valencia circuit. A best lap of 1’29.526 put the #41 in 14th on the grid, only 0.006s behind Luca Marini on the factory machine in Q1. Having to take avoiding action on several occasions saw Espargaro end the Sprint in 19th place despite his competitive pace.

Aleix Espargaro: “My goal for the weekend was to be as close to the factory riders as possible, I think it’s the most you can aim for as a test rider. I am happy with how we have been performing in this regard; we have made a lot of progress this year. Honestly, I wanted more from the race, and I went wide a couple of times. It’s really hard to overtake here so even with good pace, we couldn’t do much more. Another day tomorrow and we are looking forward to it.”

—— 

More from a press release issued by Honda HRC Castrol:

Sombre final Saturday for Honda HRC Castrol.

A racing incident saw both Luca Marini and Joan Mir suffer a double DNF in the final Sprint of the year as a complicated Valencia GP continues.

Luca Marini put in his best effort to advance through Q1, less than a tenth of a second the difference between his 13th position and a spot in Q2. On the other side of the Honda HRC Castrol garage, Joan Mir earned a respectable tenth place on the grid. Guiding his Honda RC213V around the four-kilometre circuit in 1’29.233, both were hopeful of fighting further ahead in the 13-lap Sprint.

An incredible start saw Marini get the jump on his teammate and lead him into Turn 1, Mir tucking in just behind his fellow factory Honda HRC rider. Attempting an overtake on the second lap, Mir would fall and unfortunately collect his teammate in the process. Both walked away from the fall unharmed. Mir received a long lap penalty for Sunday’s race as a result of the incident.

Both riders are aiming to make amends in the last Grand Prix of 2025, the 27-lap Valencia Grand Prix.

Luca Marini: “The only thing we can say is that today we struggled more than we expected. I spoke with Joan after the crash, and these things can happen. I made a really good start and was happy with how the first lap had gone. We have another chance to make improvements tonight. Seventh is the objective so that we can level up our concessions. Anything can happen on Sunday, especially here with the weather. Let’s keep focused and go for it.”

Joan Mir: “First and foremost, I want to apologise to Luca, to the team and to Honda HRC. As you can imagine, it’s something you don’t want to happen, and I am deeply sorry. I was trying to overtake him, and I lost the front. I lost some ground on the first lap, and I was trying to make it up and get into a comfortable position for the rest of the race. The crash was my fault, the tyre a bit cold, a bit off the braking point and what happened, happened. Our objective is to end this year in a good way, to remember as it has been – one of positives.”

—— 

More from a press release issued by IDEMITSU Honda LCR:

IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Somkiat Chantra crossed the line 21st in Saturday’s Sprint in Valencia.

• The Thai rider faced a difficult morning and was determined to push in the Sprint from the 24th spot on the grid.
• While trying to catch his rivals, a lack of feeling with the front tyre prevented him from doing so.
• Avoiding mistakes and gathering information ahead of tomorrow’s race, he finished 21st.