By Donovan Fourie | Guest Contributor | MotoGP Analyst
A Quiet Phillip Island by MotoGP Standards
As far as previous Phillip Island races go, this one will not go down in the history books as a classic. Not even close. By Phillip Island standards, the 2025 race was something of a snooze fest. By the standards of anywhere else in the world, it was a good race.
With Marc Marquez sidelined due to injury, his absence created a rather refreshing question – who would win? People had theories but nobody could say for definite. It was a good feeling indeed.
Pre-Race Expectations and Early Surprises
As we mentioned in the pre-race blog, the Australian circuit is similar to the Mandalika Circuit in Indonesia, which hosted the previous MotoGP round. With that, we predicted some similarities in the race outcome.
One thing we got right was that Marco Bezzecchi would be fast, and he was. The Italian Aprilia rider demolished the circuit record during Friday practice, and did it again during qualifying until Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo snuck in a lap that was just 0.031 sec faster to take pole. Local hero Jack Miller took the last place on the front row with two Yamahas and an Aprilia taking the honours.
What was not on the front row, nor in the front five grid spots for the first time in forever, was a Ducati. Indeed, the woes that beset the Bologna factory at Mandalika seemed to have followed them to Australia.
Ducati’s Struggles Continue
Alex Marquez was the first Ducati on the grid in fifth with teammate and previous round winner Fermin Aldeguer in sixth. The first GP25 Ducati was Digi in tenth with Factory Ducati rider Bagnaia in eleventh. While still not where he wanted to be, it was an improvement on his Mandalika form, until the Saturday Sprint Race started and Pecco went backwards, finishing second-last and 32 sec behind the race winner in just 13 laps.
The main race didn’t offer much in the way of reprieve as the Italian again went backwards to 18th before finding a modicum of pace to bring himself back to a less tragic 12th place — until the front tucked as he was tipping into a corner, sending him tumbling in visible frustration towards the barriers.
Bezzecchi Dominates the Sprint; Fernandez Flies on Sunday
Bezzecchi, on the other hand, showed massive pace, dominating the Sprint Race with fellow Aprilia rider Raul Fernandez in second and KTM ace Pedro Acosta rounding off the podium.
The main race would be trickier as Bezzecchi would have to complete two Long Lap Penalties as punishment for punting Marc Marquez off in Indonesia. Bezzecchi had a great start, holeshotting the first corner and running a formidable pace at the front. By lap seven he had completed both penalties and was back to sixth place, 2.8 seconds from the leader.
Unfortunately for Bezzecchi, the leader was Raul Fernandez, who was flying. Eventually, Bezzecchi clawed back to third, 2.4 seconds behind the leader. In second was Fabio Digi, who stormed from ninth on lap one to finish just 1.4 seconds behind Fernandez. Despite the same GP25 Ducati that’s giving Bagnaia headaches, Digi has clearly found a setup that works.
Strong Results for KTM and Aprilia
KTM had a good Sunday with all four bikes finishing in the top ten. Acosta was the top orange finisher in fifth with Binder close behind in eighth, followed by Anea Bastianini and Pol Espargaro (standing in for the injured Vinales).
Quartararo’s stunning pole didn’t translate into race pace — the Frenchman slipped steadily backwards, finishing 11th, just ahead of Yamaha teammate Miguel Oliveira in 12th. Jack Miller’s home race ended in disappointment after a crash on lap five. Interestingly, the top Yamaha finisher was Alex Rins, still nursing a foot injury, who managed a remarkable seventh.
A Mixed Day for Honda and Ducati
Mandalika winner Fermin Aldeguer couldn’t replicate his Indonesian pace, fading to 14th after tyre issues. Honda initially looked competitive before both Joan Mir and Johann Zarco crashed out, leaving Luca Marini to salvage sixth.
Every manufacturer placed inside the top ten — a striking contrast to 2024 when Ducati dominated. Honda, Yamaha, and especially Aprilia have made noticeable gains, suggesting a far tighter grid for the closing rounds.
Looking Ahead
With Fernandez, Bezzecchi, and Digi all showing front-running pace, MotoGP heads into the final stretch with plenty of intrigue. Phillip Island may not have delivered fireworks, but it confirmed one thing — the 2025 season is far from predictable.