Winners and losers from MotoGP’s 2025 Australian Grand Prix

The Australian Grand Prix wasn’t as chaotic or unconventional because the earlier spherical in Indonesia, nevertheless it did throw a shock winner as Raul Fernandez claimed his maiden victory in MotoGP.

Fabio di Giannantonio flew the flag for Ducati in second, whereas Marco Bezzecchi bounced again from a penalty to finish the rostrum.

KTM endured a troublesome weekend, with Honda and Yamaha additionally largely underperforming after exhibiting promise in earlier races.

Listed here are the winners and losers from the nineteenth spherical of the 2025 MotoGP season.

Winners: Raul Fernandez and Trackhouse

Raul Fernandez, Trackhouse Racing

Photograph by: William West – AFP – Getty Photographs

The massive winner (each actually and metaphorically) at Phillip Island was Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez. Throughout his first three MotoGP seasons, the Spaniard struggled to match the promise he’d proven in Moto2, the place he completed second to Remy Gardner in 2021. There have been additionally doubts about whether or not he would retain his seat at Trackhouse heading into 2025. However each Massimo Rivola and Davide Brivio personally stored religion in him, and that call has been vindicated by his victory within the Australian GP.

Fernandez endured a gradual begin to the 2025 season after lacking the Sepang take a look at, and was comprehensively outperformed by rookie team-mate Ai Ogura. However he has been steadily selecting up tempo and appeared to make a breakthrough in Indonesia, the place Aprilia had by far the quickest bike on the grid. He scored his first MotoGP podium in any kind within the dash, however a sixth-place end within the grand prix left many disillusioned, not least Aprilia boss Rivola.

Nevertheless, Fernandez set that proper in Australia, avoiding any errors and capitalising on Marco Bezzecchi’s penalty to lastly stand on the highest step of the rostrum. The consequence would come as an enormous confidence enhance for the soon-to-be 25-year-old, who has spoken brazenly in regards to the hardships he confronted earlier within the season.

It’s additionally a landmark achievement for American squad Trackhouse, which has large ambitions in MotoGP after increasing its operations past NASCAR final yr. Trackhouse is now the third-best satellite tv for pc workforce, solely behind Ducati’s Gresini and VR46 squads. With the RS-GP enhancing considerably, this outfit would be the one to observe in 2026.

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Jack Miller, Pramac Racing

Photograph by: Robert Cianflone / Getty Photographs

Jack Miller all the time goes round effectively at Phillip Island, and all indicators pointed to a different sturdy weekend on his residence turf. Although Fabio Quartararo stole the limelight in qualifying by placing his manufacturing unit Yamaha on pole for a fifth time this season, Miller’s front-row efficiency shouldn’t be missed. In any case, he hadn’t began a race on the entrance row for the reason that 2023 finale, and even on that event he inherited one place after a penalty for Maverick Vinales.

Fourth place within the dash was strong, particularly as he completed forward of polesitter Quartararo as the highest Yamaha, however the principle race is what counts – and that’s the place Miller faltered.

The Yamaha was all the time going to battle in race trim, so it was no shock that the Queenslander dropped to sixth within the early phases. However for a rider with only one top-five end this season, each probability to attain large factors issues.

As an alternative, battling the dealing with of the bike, Miller misplaced the entrance finish of his M1 at Siberia on lap 5, bringing a untimely finish to a weekend that promised a lot. The truth that Alex Rins, beginning eleventh on the grid, might nonetheless climb as much as seventh highlighted the consequence Miller let slip away.

Winner: Aprilia
Raul Fernandez, Trackhouse Racing, Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing

Raul Fernandez, Trackhouse Racing, Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing

Photograph by: Gold and Goose Images / LAT Photographs / by way of Getty Photographs

Whereas Fernandez and Trackhouse deserve reward, Aprilia deserves its personal highlight for the dimensions of its achievement in Australia. Beating Ducati is one factor, however dominating like Borgo Panigale? That’s one other degree.

Aprilia has not solely resolved the RS-GP’s consistency points however can be hitting the peaks it loved in 2023 and ’24. Many within the paddock now contemplate Aprilia the quickest bike on the grid, nevertheless it’s exhausting to testify to the declare till the following spherical in Spain or till Marc Marquez returns.

Credit score goes to Aprilia’s management, notably Rivola and new technical director Fabiano Sterlacchini, who’ve labored meticulously to shut the hole to the entrance even when all the things pointed to Ducati remaining unbeatable till the tip of the foundations cycle.

Not solely is the RS-GP quick, however Aprilia’s administration has additionally overcome lineup challenges, with Jorge Martin sidelined by harm and Ai Ogura nonetheless cautious after a two-race layoff. Primarily racing with simply two riders in Australia, the workforce noticed each end on the rostrum after studying from their errors in Indonesia.

One can solely think about how formidable Aprilia will probably be when it’s firing on all 4 cylinders.

Loser: Ducati
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Staff

Photograph by: Gold and Goose Images / LAT Photographs / by way of Getty Photographs

If the Indonesia weekend was unhealthy sufficient, Ducati hit one other low level in Australia, though it was finally capable of salvage a podium end. Its streak of getting no less than one bike on the entrance row since 2020 was all the time going to finish, however many had been shocked that it might do no higher than sixth in qualifying. Dash outcomes had been additionally stunning, however it’s important to consider Francesco Bagnaia when he stated Marquez would have been on the rostrum had he been racing in Australia.

Arguably, Ducati was probably the most aggressive on Sunday, as di Giannantonio charged via the sphere to complete second, 1.4s behind race winner Fernandez. In fact, had Bezzecchi not had the double long-lap penalty, nobody else would have had even a faint probability of profitable the race. However given the circumstances on Sunday, one should marvel if Ducati might have nonetheless come away with a win – prefer it did in Indonesia – if di Giannantonio had certified greater up the grid.

Both approach, the weekend highlighted Ducati’s over-reliance on Marquez, each throughout the manufacturing unit workforce and throughout its total contingent. With the nine-time world champion out of motion, the manufacturing unit workforce got here away with zero factors, as Bagnaia completed second-to-last within the dash after which crashed out of the principle race. Michele Pirro, Marquez’s stand-in, was by no means going to have an opportunity of a factors end in his first grand prix in 11 months.

Winner: Alex Rins
Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing

Alex Rins, Yamaha Manufacturing facility Racing

Photograph by: Gold and Goose Images / LAT Photographs / by way of Getty Photographs

Alex Rins’ spectacular podium-contending efficiency in Mandalika was put all the way down to circumstances, however Phillip Island confirmed that the six-time race winner had made a real enchancment on the Yamaha.

Beginning eleventh, Rins stayed affected person for the primary 19 laps, retaining his tyres contemporary. This allowed him to problem the KTMs late on within the race, as he overtook Tech3 duo Pol Espargaro and Enea Bastianini, earlier than passing the manufacturing unit bike of Brad Binder and the Gresini Ducati of Fermin Aldeguer on a single lap to maneuver as much as seventh. Whereas the Honda of Luca Marini was too far up at this stage, he managed to stretch out his benefit over the struggling KTMs to safe his greatest results of the season.

Rins’ rise isn’t all the way down to a magic answer, however routine work with the engineers – and on his personal psychological well being – to tame a motorcycle he has struggled with since his change to Yamaha in 2024.

This turnaround couldn’t have come at a greater time, because it offers Yamaha one other weapon in its armour forward of its much-anticipated change to a V4-powered bike in 2026.

Loser: Fabio Quartararo
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Manufacturing facility Racing

Photograph by: Gold and Goose Images / LAT Photographs / by way of Getty Photographs

Whereas Rins has been making fast features in latest races, Quartararo has been struggling greater than ever on the opposite facet of the Yamaha storage. In fact, the 2021 champion can nonetheless drag the M1 to some unimaginable outcomes, and the pole place he achieved on Saturday is testomony to his unimaginable expertise. However a robust qualifying issues for little if the rider in query can’t even end inside the highest 10 the following day (whether or not resulting from his personal shortcomings or the bike’s).

Quartararo was already struggling greater than different Yamaha riders in Indonesia, however his collapse within the race on Sunday was even starker. The Frenchman was left baffled as he primarily grew to become a shifting chicane at Phillip Island, struggling to each cease the bike and preserve his velocity underneath cornering.

Contemplating that Rins made most of his strikes late within the race, Quartararo’s drop in efficiency was much more astounding. Whereas the Spaniard was capable of lap within the mid-to-high 1m28s on worn tyres, Quartararo might solely handle a velocity within the 1m29.3s bracket.

Yamaha and Quartararo have important work to do within the closing races to deal with these points, particularly with the previous not but satisfied in regards to the V4’s potential.

Winner: Fabio di Giannantonio
Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Staff

Photograph by: Gold and Goose Images / LAT Photographs / by way of Getty Photographs

Fabio di Giannantonio described his runner-up end within the Australian GP as “bittersweet”, however there isn’t a disgrace in ending second on a weekend when all different Ducatis struggled for tempo.

After just a few tough rounds through which he had watched himself getting outperformed by team-mate Franco Morbidelli, di Giannantonio reasserted his standing as VR46’s lead rider with a charging experience from tenth on the grid.

The 27-year-old was fast from the get-go in follow and would have been a way more potent risk within the race had he certified effectively. However, he picked up his rivals one after the opposite, passing riders like Pedro Acosta and Alex Marquez with relative ease to safe his greatest results of the yr.

It wasn’t fairly like Fermin Aldeguer’s efficiency in Indonesia, however di Giannantonio actually picked up the baton at Ducati in Marquez’s absence. With the latter confirmed to overlook the Malaysian GP (and most actually the next spherical in Portugal) and Bagnaia nonetheless struggling, he seems to be well-placed to make an influence within the season’s closing rounds.

Losers: Pedro Acosta and KTM
Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Pedro Acosta, Pink Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing

Photograph by: Gold and Goose Images / LAT Photographs / by way of Getty Photographs

KTM’s tyre degradation points are nothing new, however in a race that provided so many alternatives, Pedro Acosta and the remaining had been proper to be irked by their dramatic drop in efficiency late within the race.

In Indonesia, Acosta was nonetheless capable of dangle on to second place, however this time he didn’t have the instruments to place up a combat, dropping from second to fifth within the final 12 laps. In actual fact, he was lucky to not be pipped by Marini as the 2 riders crossed the end line simply 0.040s aside. As Acosta defined, he was really nursing his tyres all through the race, which makes their dramatic drop-off all of the extra irritating.

It was an analogous story elsewhere at KTM, with even take a look at rider Pol Espargaro left puzzled after “destroying” his rear tyre within the race.

KTM can take comfort from the truth that all 4 of its riders completed inside the highest 10, a uncommon feat in a Ducati-dominated championship. However with Aprilia profitable the race and bagging the utmost factors from the weekend, the Austrian marque can say goodbye to its hope of ending second within the championship.

Pictures from Australian GP – Race

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing