BK8 Gresini Racing’s Fermin Aldeguer etched his name into MotoGP history by becoming the second-youngest winner ever, delivering a dominant performance at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia.
The rookie Spaniard capitalized on early drama that saw Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) collide and crash on the opening lap, before storming to a commanding victory by 8.6 seconds.
The race began with chaos at Turn 6 when Bezzecchi, attempting to squeeze past Marquez at high speed, made contact that sent both riders tumbling out of contention after just six corners. Both riders walked away, though Marquez sustained a right collarbone injury and will return to Europe for medical evaluation. Bezzecchi, meanwhile, was taken to a local hospital for precautionary checks.
With the pre-race favourites out, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) took the early lead ahead of Aldeguer, while Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) slotted into third. However, the young Spaniard quickly made his move — overtaking Acosta on Lap 7 with a decisive lunge at Turn 10 to seize control of the race.
From there, Aldeguer never looked back. His relentless pace saw him stretch his lead lap by lap — first to 2.5 seconds, then to 4.3, and finally to an unassailable 6.5-second advantage as the pack behind him battled for the remaining podium spots.
Behind the runaway leader, a thrilling multi-rider fight unfolded. Acosta found himself under pressure from Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP), Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha), and Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing). Rins briefly surged into the top three before Alex Marquez muscled his way through to give Gresini a 1-2 position heading into the final laps.
Acosta, however, showed immense composure. With three laps remaining, he reclaimed second place at Turn 10, leaving Alex Marquez to settle for a strong third — securing back-to-back podiums for Gresini in Mandalika.
At the chequered flag, Aldeguer crossed the line 8.6 seconds clear, celebrating a dream debut victory that cements his status as MotoGP’s brightest rising star.
“It’s unbelievable — my first MotoGP win, and to do it here in Indonesia with Gresini Racing is something I’ll never forget,” said Aldeguer after the race. “We managed the pace perfectly, and the team gave me the perfect bike. This is just the beginning.”
Behind the top three, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) delivered an outstanding recovery from P15 on the grid to finish fourth — his best result of the season — while Luca Marini completed the top five. Fernandez followed in sixth, adding to his Sprint podium from Saturday.
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) was the top Yamaha finisher in seventh, ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio. Rins rounded out the top ten after fading in the closing stages.
Further down the order, Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha) took 11th ahead of Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR), Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda LCR), and Jack Miller, who remounted after a late crash to claim 14th.
It was a disappointing outing for Ducati Lenovo, who despite wrapping up the Teams’ Championship earlier in the weekend, saw both Bagnaia and Marquez fail to score points in Mandalika.
Credit Photo : MotoGP
