They're back! The best motorcycle riders in the world are ready to thrill us on the world's top circuits again, and it could turn out to be the season we've been waiting for for years...

Marc Marquez has had a troubled last five years or so, but now he's back on the best bike, in probably the best team, and injury-free, so no more excuses.

His battle with Ducati teammate Pecco Bagnaia is set to dominate the season, so will the 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 MotoGP world champion make this season his return to glory?

There is only one place to watch the drama unfold - every single race is LIVE on SuperSport, your World of Champions. Click on the banner below to sign up.

South Africans will once again have their eyes trained on Brad Binder as the man from Potchefstroom heads into his sixth season in MotoGP's top category.

If he wants to challenge the big boys for podium places, he is first going to have to face off with his KTM teammate, Pedro Acosta. The 20-year-old Spaniard had five podiums in his rookie season in 2024, and will be looking to kick on in 2025.

Binder faces a tough task to remain the team's No 1.

There are 22 races in total, with a new destination in Hungary and a return to Brno in the Czech Republic. With sprints at every race, there are a record 814 points up for grabs.

The calendar for the season is as follows, with viewing times for the next couple of races:

CALENDAR 2025 (all times CAT, GMT+2)

NEXT UP:

Sunday, 26 October
Malaysian GP, Sepang International Circuit, Sepang

Friday, 24 October. SS Motorsport, Maximo 1

• Practice 1: 8:50am.

Saturday, 25 October. SS Motorsport, Grandstand, Maximo 1

• Practice 2: 4am.
• Qualifying: 4:40am.
• Sprint: 8:55am

Sunday, 26 October. SS Motorsport, Maximo 1

• Race: 8:55am.

REMAINDER OF THE SEASON:

Sunday, 9 November
Portugal GP, Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, Portimão

Sunday, 16 November 2025
Valencia GP, Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana, Valencia

COMPLETED RACES

1. THAILAND - 2 March

• Full race report and video highlights from Thailand
  

2. ARGENTINA: 16 March 

• Full race report and video highlights from Argentina
  

3. AMERICAS: 30 March

• Full race report and video highlights from Americas
  

4. QATAR: 13 April

• Full race report and video highlights from Qatar
  

5. Spain: 27 April

• Full race report and video highlights from Spain
  

6. France: 11 May

• Full race report and video highlights from France
  

7. Silverstone: 25 May

• Full race report and video highlights from Silverstone
  

8. Aragon: 8 June

• Full race report and video highlights from Silverstone
  

9. Italy: 22 June

• Full race report and video highlights from Mugello
  

10. Dutch: 29 June

• Full race report and video highlights from Assen
  

11. German: 13 July

• Full race report and video highlights from Germany
  

12. Czech: 20 July

• Full race report and video highlights from Czech
  

13. Austria: 17 August

• Full race report and video highlights from Austria
  

14. Hungary: 24 August

• Full race report and video highlights from Hungary
  

15. Barcelona: 7 September

• Full race report and video highlights from Barcelona
  

16. San Marino: 13 September

• Full race report and video highlights from San Marino
  

17. Japan:  28 September

• Full race report and video highlights from Japan
  

18. Indonesia:  5 October

• Full race report and video highlights from Indonesia
  

19. Australia:  19 October

• Full race report and video highlights from Australia
  

----- TEAMS -----

Ducati Lenovo Team
Marc Marquez
Francesco Bagnaia

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Pedro Acosta
Brad Binder ***

Aprilia Racing
Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martin

Aprilia Racing
Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martin

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
Fabio Quartararo
Alex Rins

Honda
Luca Marini
Joan Mir

Pertamina Enduro VR46
Fabio di Giannantonio
Franco Morbidelli

Gresini Racing MotoGP
Alex Marquez
Fermin Aldeguer

Prima Pramac Racing
Miguel Oliveira
Jack Miller

LCR Honda Castrol
Johann Zarco

LCR Honda Idemitsu
Somkiat Chantra

Trackhouse Racing
Raul Fernandez
Ai Ogura

Red Bull KTM Tech3
Maverick Vinales
Enea Bastianini

Spain's Raul Fernandez surged to a maiden MotoGP victory in Australia on Sunday while Alex Marquez finished fourth to shore up his bid to finish the season second in the world championship.

On an overcast day at Phillip Island, the Aprilia rider benefited from two long lap penalties served by a flying Marco Bezzecchi to take the chequered flag 1.418sec clear of Ducati's Fabio Di Giannantonio.

Aprilia's Bezzecchi, who won the 13-lap sprint on Saturday, came third to fill out the podium.

KTM's Pedro Acosta was fifth ahead of Luca Marini on a Honda and Yamaha's Alex Rins, while Spanish rookie Fermin Aldeguer, who won the MotoGP in Indonesia a fortnight ago, finished 14th.

While Fernandez, in his 76th grand prix, stole the glory, Marquez all but sealed runner-up spot to his injured brother Marc in the world championship with three races to go.

The Spanish Gresini rider's fourth earned him 13 points to be 97 clear of Bezzechhi with a maximum 111 at stake in the final three meetings of the 22-stop year – in Malaysia, Portugal and Spain.

Ducati's two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia crashed out with four laps left to cap a miserable weekend.

He struggled all weekend with unexplained shaking of his bike, a problem he also experienced in Indonesia after winning both the sprint and grand prix in Japan a week earlier.

With no points to show, he has slid behind Bezzecchi to fourth in the standings.

Marc Marquez was crowned world champion in Japan, but is not in Australia after Bezzecchi slammed into him in Indonesia, an incident that left the Spaniard needing shoulder surgery.

Bezzecchi was slapped with a double long lap penalty – essentially five-to-six seconds – to be served Sunday for causing the accident, and it cost him victory.

He stormed clear at the opening corner, and by the end of lap one was leading from Fernandez and Acosta, with polesitter Fabio Quartararo down to fourth.

The Italian opened a 1.2sec gap before taking his first long lap penalty on lap five, emerging in third.

He took the second penalty the following lap, coming back in sixth with a 2.8sec gap to leader Fernandez which slowly got bigger as Bezzecchi got stuck in traffic.

By lap 10, Fernandez was pulling clear of Acosta, a lead he built on as the race progressed with an expected counter-attack from Bezzecchi not materialising.

Home hope Jack Miller, who started from third, crashed out early in the race, as did Frenchman Johann Zarco and Honda's Joan Mir.

Frenchman Fabio Quartararo said his pole position at the Australian Grand Prix was "really special" after the Yamaha rider shattered the lap record at Phillip Island on Saturday, narrowly beating Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi to the top spot.

Quartararo clocked a stunning time of one minute and 26.465 seconds, edging Italian Bezzecchi by 0.031 seconds to claim his fifth pole position of the season.

The 26-year-old last earned pole at the Dutch Grand Prix in June.

"Really nice. It was a long time since Assen!" Quartararo said. "Today is a really special one because I didn't feel ready to make really a 26.4. The goal was to make 26.7. So, I'm super happy.

"Also, I think our pace is not so bad.

"So, focus on the sprint and let's try to make a great first lap, which will be really important."

Bezzecchi, who looked dominant in practice sessions, setting the previous lap record of 1:26.492 at Phillip Island in MotoGP on Friday, said he was satisfied with Saturday's qualifying result.

The 26-year-old will face a double long lap penalty in Sunday's race following his collision with MotoGP champion Marc Marquez at the Indonesian Grand Prix.

"I'm happy because the target was to reach the first two rows, as always, and we grabbed the first one, so it's even better," Bezzecchi said.

"After yesterday, I was confident that I could do a good lap time ... The conditions were a bit more tough this morning, but the performance was good.

"Now we can focus on the sprint."

Home hope Jack Miller of Prima Pramac thrilled Australian fans by becoming the first local rider since Casey Stoner in 2012 to start on the front row at Phillip Island.

"The Aussie fans are out here in numbers. It's unreal to see," Miller said.

"I'm looking forward to be back on the front row and, honestly, on a bike that we can fight with today and tomorrow.

"Let's see what we can get, we'll try and keep our nose clean."

Spanish duo Raul Fernandez and Pedro Acosta rounded off the top five.

Alex Marquez, second in the riders' championship, secured sixth place, while twice MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia will start in a disappointing 11th position in Saturday's sprint and Sunday's main event.

Marco Bezzecchi hit a seagull but still won a white-knuckle Australian MotoGP sprint race on Saturday, while Alex Marquez's sixth-place inched him closer to sealing second in the world championship.

France's Fabio Quartararo threw down the gauntlet in qualifying when he shattered Bezzecchi's Phillip Island lap record set a day earlier to bank his fifth pole of the season.

But the laser-focused Italian, starting from second, simply had too much power in his Aprilia to clinch his third sprint win in the last four races.

He did so despite colliding with a bird at the start, which left feathers hanging from his bike.

Gresini's Marquez stormed from sixth to first at the opening corner, but by the end of lap one it was fellow Aprilia rider Raul Fernandez closely followed by Bezzecchi with Quartararo down to sixth.

They opened a gap to Marquez before Fernandez seemingly took control when Bezzecchi went wide on lap seven, losing a second.

But Bezzecchi regrouped and came surging back, passing the Spaniard on lap 10 and cruising home ahead of him by 3.149secs.

"It was a pretty hard because at the beginning I hit a big bird, unfortunately for him, especially, but also for me, because I got scared," said Bezzecchi.

"But fortunately nothing was was broken on the bike. Then when we started the sprint, I had a lot of fun."

Pedro Acosta filled the podium in third, with Jack Miller fourth and Fabio Di Giannantonio fifth in chilly conditions. Quartararo came seventh.

"I was very relaxed on the bike. I saw Marco had really good pace," said Fernandez. "I tired my maximum, but when I saw that I couldn't follow Marco, I just tried to survive."

Bezzecchi's exploits came in the absence of newly-crowned world champion Marc Marquez, who needed shoulder surgery after the Italian slammed into him in Indonesia a fortnight ago.

Bezzecchi must serve a double long lap penalty – essentially five-to-six seconds – on Sunday for causing the incident, making his chances winning that race much harder.

Alex Marquez, Marc's younger brother, stretched his lead over two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia in the battle to clinch second in the standings to 92 points.

He needs to be 111 points clear at the end of the weekend to seal the deal.

Bagnaia had another shocking race on the back of a poor outing in Indonesia, starting 11th but slumping to 19th, a massive 32 seconds off the pace.

Spanish rookie Fermin Aldeguer, who won the MotoGP in Indonesia, failed to finish.

With high winds expected this weekend, organisers have pushed back the grand prix by an hour on Sunday to 3pm (4am GMT) in a bid to avoid the worst of the weather.

MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez, who withdrew from the Australian and Malaysian Grand Prix after injuring a shoulder, will also miss the next round in Portugal but could return for the final race of the season, his team said on Friday.

"Seeing him in Valencia is not impossible," Ducati sporting director Mauro Grassilli told Sky Sport Italia.

"Unfortunately, his injury is more serious than we initially expected.

"We have to see how his recovery goes but there is a possibility that he will return in Valencia."

The Spaniard secured his seventh MotoGP title – and his first since 2019 – in Japan last month, but injured his right shoulder when he crashed on the first lap of the Indonesian Grand Prix on 5 October.

He suffered a fracture and injured ligaments and underwent surgery earlier this week.

Marquez had originally been ruled out of this month's Australia and Malaysia MotoGPs, with the Portugal and Valencia races completing the season in November.

The 32-year-old has a long history of injuries, including breaking his right arm at the start of the 2020 season, an injury that almost forced him to retire.

Ducati has ruled out any connection between the two injuries.

Marco Bezzecchi demolished the Australian MotoGP lap record in setting the standard during second practice on Friday, becoming the first rider ever to dip below 1:27 at Phillip Island.

The Italian, who won the Indonesia sprint race a fortnight ago before slamming into world champion Marc Marquez during the grand prix, blazed round the waterfront circuit in 1:26.580 on his Aprilia.

His time shattered the previous best of 1:27.246 set by Jorge Martin in 2023. Not content with that, he then bettered it with a sizzling 1:26.492.

It left Bezzecchi 0.291sec clear of Raul Fernandez, also on an Aprilia, with Ducati-VR4 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio third and Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo fourth.

"An unbelievable lap, he hit the record two times, which means he has confidence with the bike," Aprilia team boss Paolo Bonora said of Bezzecchi.

"To be honest, our bike was good for the past year, but we didn't achieve many results."

Ducati-Gresini's Alex Marquez came fifth, 0.453sec adrift, as he looks to seal the world championship runner-up spot behind brother Marc.

Spain's Marquez has an 88-point lead over two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia in the battle to clinch second in the standings with four rounds left of the 22-stop season.

He can do so by finishing the weekend 111 points clear of his Italian Ducati rival, who failed to score a point in Indonesia just a week after winning the Japan MotoGP and sprint races.

Bagnaia complained about his bike shaking in the opening session on Friday and again struggled early for pace. But he switched to the spare and steered it to ninth place.

The top 10 times from second practice automatically qualified for Q2 on Saturday, and will be joined by the fastest two riders from Q1 to determine the first five rows of the grid both for the sprint race and Sunday's main event.

Among those relegated to Q1 were Fermin Aldeguer, who won in Indonesia, and home hero Jack Miller, who topped the opening practice session.

Marc Marquez, last year's Phillip Island winner, is not in Australia following shoulder surgery after being rammed by Bezzecchi in Indonesia.

Bezzecchi must serve a double long lap penalty on Sunday for causing the incident, but is free to race as usual in Saturday's sprint showdown.

He was quick all afternoon, owning the fastest lap of 1:27.516 for almost 15 minutes before Di Giannantonio went a fraction quicker.

Teams tried a variety of tyre strategies in a bid to collect data in case of bad weather, and Bezzecchi on a hard front and soft rear then stunned the field with the new lap record.

A wide-open Australian MotoGP is all about the fight to be world championship runner-up, with Alex Marquez on the cusp of sealing the deal at a notoriously unpredictable circuit missing the entire front row from last year.

Prime among those absent this weekend is Marquez's older brother Marc, the 2024 winner at Phillip Island and newly crowned world champion.

He underwent shoulder surgery after a frightening crash at a chaotic Indonesia grand prix a fortnight ago won by Spanish rookie Fermin Aldeguer, with Ducati test rider Michele Pirro replacing him.

Last year's Australian polesitter Jorge Martin (collar bone) and Maverick Vinales (shoulder) are also sidelined, meaning none of the front row from 12 months ago will take part.

That opens the door wider for Spain's Alex Marquez to build on his 88-point lead over Francesco Bagnaia in the battle to be runner-up.

With four rounds left, the Gresini Racing star can clinch second place in the standings if he ends the weekend 111 points clear of his Italian Ducati rival.

"We've achieved the goal of clinching the Best Independent Rider title," said Marquez, who secured the accolade in Indonesia. "And we now aim at the runner-up spot in the world championship."

Anything can happen at the waterfront Phillip Island circuit, where riders are at the whim of often unpredictable weather, and sometimes wildlife, on a demanding track.

Wind and bouts of rain are again forecast.

Bagnaia has always done well in the conditions, with three podiums in succession, and looked to be back to his best in Japan three weeks ago when he won both the sprint and grand prix after a frustrating campaign.

But he had a horror show a week later at Mandalika in Indonesia, qualifying 16th and running at the back in both races.

"In recent years I've always been fast and consistent here, even though without victory," he said of Phillip Island.

"We're coming into this race after a complicated weekend. We're working hard to understand exactly what happened at Mandalika.

"The goal is to get back to the same feeling we had on the track at Motegi."

Martin's Aprilia teammate Marco Bezzecchi still has a slim chance of earning the runner-up spot, but he needs Marquez to implode.

Bezzecchi was in imperious form in Indonesia, claiming pole and taking out the sprint honours before slamming into the rear of Marc Marquez on the opening lap of the grand prix.

While Marquez needed surgery Bezzecchi was cleared of serious injury after a hospital check, but he has been slapped with a double long lap penalty for this weekend.

"The fight for third in the championship is still wide open and I know that if I can shake off these knocks, I'll be really competitive again," he said.

"And for sure, the fire to bounce back – learning from this episode (Marquez crash) and growing from it is 100 per cent there."

Marc Marquez on Monday underwent a successful operation at the Ruber Internacional Hospital in Madrid, Spain.

The Ducati Lenovo Team and world champion had a checkup for his right shoulder blade injury following his crash in Indonesia early this month.

Already smiling after a successful surgery 😁

Speedy recovery, Marc! 💪#MotoGP pic.twitter.com/oNYNcJygtY

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 13, 2025

The medical team, who already examined Marquez seven days earlier, found that the coracoid fracture and ligament damage were not showing sufficient signs of stabilisation after a week of being immobilised, which was the initial treatment plan.

Therefore, given the risk of residual instability, it was decided to go ahead with surgical stabilisation and repair the acromioclavicular ligaments.

Surgery was one of the options considered by doctors from the outset in the event that the planned conservative treatment failed. With the operation now successfully undertaken and Marquez already at home, the #93 will continue his recovery process.

His progress will determine the timing of his return to racing competition, with test rider Michele Pirro subbing this weekend in Australia.

Ducati's test rider Michele Pirro will replace injured MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez at the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island next week, the team announced on Friday.

Marquez, who clinched his seventh MotoGP crown at the Japanese Grand Prix last month, will miss the next two rounds after suffering a fracture and ligament injury to his right shoulder in a crash at the Indonesian Grand Prix last weekend.

"Following the injury that has forced Marc Marquez to miss the next two round of the 2025 MotoGP season, Ducati Lenovo Team confirms that Michele Pirro will replace him at the Aussie appointment," Ducati said in a statement.

Ducati did not say if Pirro would also race at the Malaysian Grand Prix later this month. The 39-year-old last raced in MotoGP in the 2024 season's final round for the VR46 Racing team.

Marquez is expected to return for the final two races of the season in Portugal and Valencia next month.

Newly-crowned world champion Marc Marquez was on Monday ruled out of the next two races after suffering a fracture and ligament injury to his right shoulder in the Indonesia MotoGP race.

The Spaniard was shunted off his Ducati at high speed on the first lap of the Indonesia MotoGP on Sunday.

Ducati said the Spaniard had "suffered a fracture at the base of the coracoid process and a ligament injury to his right shoulder," but ruled out any connection with a previous shoulder injury.

Marquez's medical team in Madrid have "opted for a conservative treatment plan, involving rest and immobilisation of the affected shoulder until it is fully healed and the fracture is clinically consolidated," Ducati said.

This rules Marquez out of the Grand Prix in Australia (October 17-19) and another at Malaysia (October 24-26).

That leaves two more races at Portugal (November 07-09) and Valencia (November 14-16) of the 22 race program.

"Fortunately, the injury isn't severe, but it's important to respect the recovery timeline," said Marquez, who wrapped up a seventh world title the previous week in Japan.

"My goal is to be back before the end of the season, but without rushing things beyond the doctors' recommendations. Both my personal and the team's main goals have been achieved, so now the priority is to recover properly and return at 100 per cent."

The incident happened when Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi, who started the race on pole, slammed into the back of him as he tried to regain lost ground at the Mandalika circuit in Lombok.

It sent both riders flying into the gravel and rookie Fermin Aldeguer went on to win a chaotic grand prix.

Marquez and Italian Bezzecchi both walked gingerly away from the crash, but the Spaniard was clutching his shoulder.

The 32-year-old Marquez will undergo weekly check-ups and his progress will determine the final recovery time and his return to competition, the team said.

The Spaniard has a long history of injuries, including breaking his right arm in 2020, almost forcing him to retire.

He sealed the world crown at Motegi in Japan last weekend with five events to spare.

It was his first MotoGP world title since 2019.

Newly crowned world champion Marc Marquez fears "something is broken" after being shunted off his Ducati at high speed on the first lap of the Indonesia MotoGP on Sunday.

The incident happened when Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi, who started the race on pole, slammed into the back of him as he tried to regain lost ground at the Mandalika circuit in Lombok.

It sent both riders flying into the gravel and rookie Fermin Aldeguer went on to win a chaotic grand prix.

Marquez and Italian Bezzecchi both walked gingerly away from the crash, but the Spanish seven-time world champion was clutching his shoulder.

Marquez "suffered an injury to his right collarbone" and will fly to Madrid for medical tests, his Ducati team said on social media, with fears he may have a fracture.

According to @ducaticorse's Team Manager, there is evidence of a fracture on @marcmarquez93's right shoulder ❌#IndonesianGP 🇮🇩 pic.twitter.com/3kiLIhshKj

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 5, 2025

"Something is broken, I can feel," the 32-year-old said in a video released by the official MotoGP site.

"This is racing and these things happen," he added.

"It's true that this time it was not my mistake... already Marco Bezzecchi came to me and said sorry.

"Unlucky for me... we will go back to Madrid, listen to what the doctors have to say and then try to recover in a good way as soon as possible."

Marquez tweeted a picture of himself with his arm and shoulder in a sling.

Not the best way to celebrate the championship, but this is racing. Today we’ll fly to Madrid and the doctors will evaluate everything.
Please, no hard feelings towards Marco, nobody does it on purpose.
Thanks for all your support ❤️🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/wM6Ep7T7es

— Marc Márquez (@marcmarquez93) October 5, 2025

He has a long history of injuries, including breaking his right arm in 2020, almost forcing him to hang up his helmet.

He put all that aside this season to clinch his seventh world title in dominant fashion.

He sealed the world crown at Motegi in Japan last weekend with five events to spare.

It was his first MotoGP world title since 2019.

Rookie Fermin Aldeguer earned the first victory of his fledgling MotoGP career at the Indonesia Grand Prix on Sunday, while newly crowned champion Marc Marquez crashed out after a crunching collision with Marco Bezzecchi.

Gresini Racing rider Aldeguer surged past KTM's Pedro Acosta to take the lead in the 10th lap, eventually finishing well clear of the competition.

The win will have helped Aldeguer erase the pain of his second-placed finish in Saturday's sprint, where he led for most of the 13-lap race before finishing second behind Bezzecchi.

A victory for the history books! 🏆

The rookie @Aldeguer54 steals the show with his maiden #MotoGP win! 😎#IndonesianGP 🇮🇩 pic.twitter.com/eGNoQgKtjO

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 5, 2025

Acosta finished second, with Aldeguer's teammate Alex Marquez completing the podium.

MARQUEZ CRASHES

Pole-sitter Bezzecchi had an awful start to the race, finding himself in sixth place after the first two turns, and the Aprilia rider was a touch too forceful in his desperation to climb back up into the lead.

As he charged back into the fray, Bezzecchi nudged the rear of Marquez's Ducati and the pair hurtled into the gravel at high speed, with Marquez appearing to be in significant discomfort after the fall.

The Spaniard, who won his seventh MotoGP championship at last week's Japanese Grand Prix, was hunched over on the side of the track for a couple of minutes before staggering to his feet and lurching away while clutching his shoulder.

According to @ducaticorse's Team Manager, there is evidence of a fracture on @marcmarquez93's right shoulder ❌#IndonesianGP 🇮🇩 pic.twitter.com/3kiLIhshKj

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 5, 2025

The crash continued a dreadful streak of luck for Marquez at the Mandalika International Circuit, where he has never been able to finish a grand prix in four attempts.

There did not appear to be any bad blood between Bezzecchi and Marquez, however, as they shared a quick handshake before Marquez was taken to the medical centre.

Ducati's afternoon then went from bad to worse a few laps later when two-time champion Francesco Bagnaia's bike slipped out from underneath him and dumped him onto the asphalt.

The Italian, who has endured a torrid campaign this year, cut a frustrated figure as he looked up to the sky and gestured angrily with folded hands.

Earlier on Sunday, KTM Ajo's Jose Antonio Rueda won the Moto3 race in Indonesia to clinch the 2025 title.

Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi seized a dominant pole position in qualifying for the Indonesian Grand Prix after demolishing the lap record at Mandalika on Saturday, while newly-crowned 2025 MotoGP champion Marc Marquez qualified a lowly ninth.

Bezzecchi's blistering lap of one minute and 28.832 seconds was enough to comfortably finish ahead of Spanish duo Fermin Aldeguer, riding for Gresini Racing, and Raul Fernandez of Trackhouse, who will line up second and third, respectively.

"It's true that I'm quite quick, but the pace was pretty close with many other riders that are super quick, and you know in MotoGP you can never relax," Bezzecchi said.

"I'm happy for the qualifying for sure because it (is) also great for tomorrow, not only today and this is important.

"Now we still have to do the main part of the weekend that are the races. So, let's keep ourselves focused and give our best."

The session also marked a significant milestone for Aldeguer, the 20-year-old rookie securing his first-ever front row start in MotoGP.

"We put different goals for this race - try to improve the Friday's, the qualifying," Aldeguer said.

"Super happy because we are working on ourselves, without looking at other riders, we are super focused ... Starting at second position is a good opportunity to look at our potential and try to judge."

Yamaha's Alex Rins and KTM's Pedro Acosta rounded up the top five.

Meanwhile, two-time MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia struggled to maintain the momentum from his flawless Japanese Grand Prix weekend. The Ducati rider missed out on Q2 and will start a disappointing 16th on the grid for Saturday's sprint and Sunday's race.

Newly crowned world champion Marc Marquez qualified a lowly ninth on Saturday for the Indonesia MotoGP sprint and grand prix, as Marco Bezzecchi claimed pole position with a stunning lap record.

Marquez, who sealed his seventh MotoGP world championship crown at Motegi last week, was forced to come through the first qualifying session for the first time this season but could only settle for a place on the third row.

He was 0.941sec behind Bezzecchi, who took pole in a blistering time of 1 min 28.832sec in humid conditions at the Mandalika track on the resort island of Lombok.

That time smashed former world champion Jorge Martin's record with the first ever lap at Mandalika to break into one minute and 28 second territory.

"It is true that I am quite quick. I am happy with the qualifying for sure," said Aprilia's 26-year-old Italian rider.

"Now we still have to do the main part of the weekend, which are the races. So let's keep ourselves focused and try to do our best."

Fermin Aldeguer was second, 0.398sec behind, with Aprilia's Raul Fernandez 0.452sec off in third.

"We try to improve the Fridays, try to improve the qualifying, and here we took a big step. We are super happy," said Aldeguer.

Fernandez said riders could only have hoped to qualify second on Saturday because Bezzecchi was "making a step in front" of the pack.

Alex Marquez, second in the overall standings, will start from seventh despite a crash in the qualifying session.

Two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia could only qualify far back in 16th.

Despite his low qualifying spot, Marc Marquez will be looking to extend his 541 championship points, which are already a single-season record for a MotoGP rider.

Alex Rins was fourth, followed by Pedro Acosta and Luca Marini.

Newly crowned world champion Marc Marquez fell twice on Friday in a crash-filled practice for the Indonesia MotoGP as Marco Bezzecchi clocked a blistering fastest time.

Spanish great Marquez took a spill early on in the afternoon session, sliding off the track, before returning only to suffer a heavier crash after a wobble threw him off his Ducati.

The 32-year-old was able to recover but could only set the 11th-fastest time, leaving him out of the top 10 and dropping into the first round of qualifying on Saturday for the first time this season.

It was instead Aprilia's Bezzecchi who set the standard in humid conditions at the Mandalika track on the resort island of Lombok.

The Italian, fourth in the overall standings, recorded a best time of 1min 29.24sec, 0.408sec ahead of Ducati's Fermin Aldeguer and 0.424sec faster than KTM's Pedro Acosta.

Marquez will be joined in Q1 by two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia, third in the championship standings, who struggled to a 17th-fastest time.

Marquez, who has already set a single-season points record for a MotoGP rider, can still reach the second qualifying round if he finishes fastest or second-fastest in the first qualifying session.

His brother Alex, second in the overall standings, also went down in a painful crash but his bike bore the brunt of the damage. He sneaked into Q2 on Saturday with the 10th-fastest time.

A dramatic practice session also saw Johann Zarco and Enea Bastianini crash.

Honda's Luca Marini topped the morning practice session, with Marc Marquez fifth.

The top 10 fastest riders in practice book their tickets for Saturday's second qualifying session, which shapes the first four rows of the grid.

This group is then joined by the two fastest riders from the first qualifying session.

Qualifying determines the grid for both the sprint race on Saturday and the main event GP on Sunday afternoon, with a maximum 37 points available.

Honda's Luca Marini clocked the fastest time in the first practice for the Indonesia MotoGP on Friday ahead of KTM's Pedro Acosta, while recently crowned champion Marc Marquez was fifth fastest.

In warm conditions at the Mandalika track on the resort island of Lombok, Italian rider Marini laid down a fastest lap of 1min 30.809sec.

That was 0.136sec faster than Acosta and 0.237sec ahead of Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi, who finished second behind Marc Marquez at the San Marino Grand Prix last month.

For the first time since joining @HRC_MotoGP, Luca Marini tops a #MotoGP session 🔥#IndonesianGP 🇮🇩 pic.twitter.com/7yLzdfgPie

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 3, 2025

Marini is 12th in the overall MotoGP standings, with Acosta in sixth and Bezzecchi in fourth going into the race weekend.

Championship winner Marquez finished 0.462sec behind Marini, a week after clinching his first MotoGP title since 2019 at Motegi.

His seventh title win capped a remarkable comeback from an injury nightmare, with an impeccable season of 11 grand prix wins leaving him far ahead of his brother Alex in second place.

Luca Marini with a super lap to go to P1 🔥#IndonesianGP 🇮🇩 pic.twitter.com/yRA4B9uA7V

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 3, 2025

His 541 championship points are already a single-season record for a MotoGP rider.

The second practice session, from which the top 10 riders go straight into Saturday's second round of qualifying, gets underway at 3:00 pm (0700 GMT).

Qualifying shapes the grid for both the sprint race on Saturday and the main event GP on Sunday afternoon, with a maximum of 37 points available.

Last year's MotoGP champion Jorge Martin's collarbone surgery has been successfully completed, his Aprilia team said on Tuesday, after the 27-year-old Spaniard crashed during the Japanese Grand Prix sprint at the weekend.

Martin collided with teammate Marco Bezzecchi on the opening lap on Saturday and was ruled out of Sunday's race after X-rays revealed a displaced fracture of his right collarbone.

"On Sunday, Jorge returned to Spain to undergo surgery for the reduction and fixation of the fracture, which was carried out on Tuesday morning at the Hospital Universitari Dexeus," a team statement said.

"Surgery on Jorge Martin's right collarbone has been successfully completed. Recovery time will be assessed in the coming days depending on his progression following the surgery. As permitted by the regulations, Martin will not be replaced for the Indonesian GP."

Martin is 20th in the riders' standings after a nightmare season in which he has already missed 10 races due to injuries having won his first MotoGP title last term with Pramac Racing.

A pre-season crash ruled him out of the first three rounds and a crash in his first race in Qatar led to a collapsed lung and bruised ribs.

Ducati's Marc Marquez clinched his seventh MotoGP championship with second place at the Japanese Grand Prix.

There are five races left on the calendar, beginning with Indonesia this weekend.

Marc Marquez's gamble to leave Honda in 2023 has paid off spectacularly this year, with the Spaniard claiming a seventh MotoGP championship with Ducati that he concedes vindicated the "most difficult decision" of his career.

The 32-year-old's emotional title win, sealed with five rounds to spare, came after a remarkable journey from injury hell and the brink of retirement to equalling the title haul of MotoGP great Valentino Rossi.

After winning six titles with Honda, Marquez endured a nightmare period with four arm surgeries that left him contemplating hanging up his racing leathers as he struggled with an uncompetitive bike that punished his battered body.

MARQUEZ'S LEAP OF FAITH

However, his salvation came through an unlikely route few could have predicted – a switch to satellite team Gresini Racing and their year-old Ducati machines, a leap of faith rooted in instinct that convinced him he could fight at the front again.

"In 2023, I decided to follow my instinct. I had a very nice talk with Honda, with all my people. When I moved to Gresini, they had the best bike, the Ducati," Marquez told reporters on Monday.

"I wanted to be competitive to continue my career and that answer was positive. When you arrive on the best team, with the best bike, with the best technology – it's in your hands.

"From that winter, I knew it was my best chance to fight for the championship... I told Gresini I'll ride for free to see if I can fight with the top guys."

What followed was a historic comeback as Marquez finished third in the 2024 championship and earned a move to the factory Ducati team, where he dominated the 2025 season and won that elusive seventh title after 2 184 days.

'MOST DIFFICULT DECISION'

As an emotional Marquez sobbed after he crossed the finish line in Motegi on Sunday, the title sewn up, there was nothing but respect from Honda as their crew embraced the Spaniard in the paddock, acknowledging his remarkable comeback journey.

"It was the most difficult decision of my career in 2023, because we were coming from a very dark period of injuries. I had to consider that decision of whether I should finish my career," Marquez added.

"The biggest help was all people from Honda gave me the chance to decide for myself. They gave me the confidence to decide."

MORE THAN A NUMBER. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/jQ0K1OqXnI

— Marc Márquez (@marcmarquez93) September 28, 2025

Marquez's seventh premier class title placed him alongside Rossi and one behind all-time leader Giacomo Agostini in the annals of MotoGP immortality.

'HONOUR TO EQUAL ROSSI'

Although Marquez shared a bitter rivalry with Rossi on the track, with the pair now barely on speaking terms in the paddock, the Spaniard said he was honoured to go level with him.

"It's a big honour to equal Valentino... to equal the most talented riders of the motorcycle world," Marquez said.

"When you see your name among legends – Rossi, Agostini, (Mick) Doohan – a lot of big names around me is something that leaves an impression."

Marc Marquez joins a list of legends in MotoGP, NASCAR, INDYCAR and F1 to win seven premier-class titles. pic.twitter.com/77FJi09QOd

— Motorsport (@Motorsport) September 28, 2025

Marquez has now set his sights on Agostini, the Italian who won eight 500cc titles between 1966 and 1975.

But the Spaniard said that after going through all the trials and tribulations to win the 2025 title, anything more would be a bonus after overcoming his darkest period.

"If I'm competing now it's because I feel competitive enough to fight for championships. Now I want to enjoy this one," he said.

"Next year, we will try again. If something arrives, it will be a present because the most challenging period of my career is done."

With Marc Márquez, we honour a story of passion, innovation, and extraordinary effort. The legacy continues: for the fourth year in a row, a #Ducati rider proudly stands as MotoGP™ Riders’ World Champion. A special thanks to the Ducati Lenovo Team and the Ducatisti worldwide. pic.twitter.com/Qgl8vcrVOP

— Ducati (@DucatiMotor) September 28, 2025

When Marc Marquez crossed the line at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, there was no longer any doubt, not about the title that felt inevitable for weeks, but that he had achieved something deeper by completing one of MotoGP's greatest comebacks.

Six years had passed since he last stood proudly on the summit of motorcycle racing - years filled with doubts, crashes, broken bones and whispers of retirement when the most dominant rider on the grid often looked like a ghost of himself.

Comeback = Complete 💯🏆

Marc Marquez crosses the line to win his seventh #MotoGP Premier Class title 👏👏#SSMotorsport pic.twitter.com/HZLUoC9MsK

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) September 28, 2025

But aboard the red Ducati that had once been his nemesis, he was not just winning races but conquering the grid as he got his hands on the elusive seventh premier class crown to go level with long-time rival and MotoGP great Valentino Rossi.

"I'm at peace with myself ... It was the most difficult challenge of my career. I arrived in MotoGP and straight away I was winning," Marquez said after the finish at Motegi.

"But then, from the glory, I was in the deepest (lowest) moment of my career with a lot of injuries ... But I never gave up!"

SIX TITLES WITH HONDA

There had been a time when Marquez was untouchable, a whirlwind in Honda's red and orange when he was crowned champion as a 20-year-old rookie in 2013, before the new kid on the block became the man to beat when he lifted his sixth title in 2019.

Joining the likes of Niki Lauda, Michael Jordan and Monica Seles ⭐

Go through @marcmarquez93's 2184 day long comeback to the top 👀 👇#MoreThanANumberhttps://t.co/sxa0Ugew54

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 28, 2025

But a crash in the season-opener in 2020 changed everything, his arm broken and his ambitions shattered.

Yamaha and Ducati also got their act together with superior bikes that gave Marquez a run for his money and as he desperately began riding the Honda beyond its limits, he inevitably suffered numerous crashes.

What followed was not just physical torment involving multiple surgeries, aborted comebacks and blurred vision, but also the erosion of confidence.

Even Marquez began to wonder if it was all worth it as he pondered retirement before jumping ship to Gresini Racing.

A year with Gresini gave him a renewed sense of belief as he registered his first victory in 1 043 days and an impressive campaign on a year-old Ducati bike convinced the Italian manufacturer to give him the factory seat.

It was a match made in heaven as the best rider on the grid became one with the fastest machine and Marquez has not looked back since, claiming he was 'reborn' as he racked up wins – even when he started on the second row.

As other riders nervously looked over their shoulders while leading races, Marquez enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, waiting for the opportune moment to pounce before he became a red speck in the distance.

MOTOGP'S SIBLING RIVALRY

Never before this season had two siblings finished first and second in any class of Grand Prix racing, but Marc and Alex Marquez did it so often in 2025, it became background noise.

Brotherly love ❤️ @marcmarquez93 celebrates with @alexmarquez73! #MoreThanANumber | #JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/umYWbSmhjm

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 28, 2025

Just like tennis' Williams sisters, they pushed each other to their limits and left the chasing pack far behind, a supporting act to a family drama unfolding on circuits around the world.

Twice champion Francesco Bagnaia's challenge faded away as he failed to come to grips with the new Ducati bike, and when Marc clinched seven straight sprint-race doubles, the fight was virtually over as the small gap to Alex became a gaping chasm.

Pedro Acosta had said it best when he predicted Marquez would complete "one of the greatest comebacks" in sport.

"We can compare this with Michael Jordan, when he went to play baseball and then came back to basketball" to win three more NBA titles, Acosta said.

Marc brought up match point in Misano - on Rossi territory - where the Italian's fans cheered when the Spaniard crashed in the sprint before they were silenced when he exacted revenge by winning the race.

At the Japanese Grand Prix, after 2 184 days, four surgeries and over 100 crashes since his last title, he locked in his legacy by adding his name for a seventh time to the "Tower of Champions" trophy.

Ducati's Marc Marquez clinched his seventh MotoGP championship at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday and his first since 2019 after he took an unassailable lead in the world championship with five rounds to spare.

Marquez needed to outscore his brother and title contender Alex of Gresini Racing by three or more points by the end of the weekend, and finished second behind his teammate Francesco Bagnaia in Sunday's race to clinch the title.

Honda's Joan Mir was third, while Alex finished sixth, giving Marc a 201-point lead over his brother. Alex was the first to approach Marc and congratulate him, giving him a warm embrace when they came to a stop.

Marc had his head in his hands after he crossed the line and when the magnitude of the accomplishment hit him, the Spaniard let out a scream.

👑 @marcmarquez93 is the 2025 MotoGP WORLD CHAMPION! 👑

The COMEBACK is complete as he rises back to the top with his 7th #MotoGP title! 📈#MoreThanANumber pic.twitter.com/FCl5loqDCt

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 28, 2025

SIX-YEAR WAIT

Marquez then came to a stop in front of a big screen and, with tears in his eyes, watched a montage of his struggles over the past six years, which included more than 100 crashes and four operations, as he reclaimed the title after 2 184 days.

2184 days later 🏆😘#JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/OeyLTV2UET

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 28, 2025

The coronation was complete when he added his name etched on a silver plaque to the cylindrical MotoGP trophy known as the 'Tower of Champions'.

"It's impossible even to speak... I just want to enjoy the moment, but it's true that it was difficult, it was super difficult, but now I'm at peace with myself," Marquez said as he fought back tears.

"I did a big mistake in my career, to come back too early (from surgery) and then I fight, fight, fight - and I won again! So I'm at peace."

Ducati's pole sitter and Saturday's sprint winner Bagnaia had a strong start and two laps later he was more than a second clear of KTM's Pedro Acosta while Marquez slotted in behind his Spanish compatriot in third place.

BAGNAIA IN CONTROL

By lap seven, Bagnaia was comfortably in control in the lead but Marquez seemed to be struggling to match Acosta's pace, giving Mir the opportunity to close in and challenge him for third place.

"I don't want to take any spotlight from Marc" 🤝

Total perfection from a gentlemanly @peccobagnaia 🥇👏#JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/7KryuSE7F9

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 28, 2025

Marquez eventually found a way past Acosta when he tucked into his slipstream and overtook him on lap 11, but he was staring at a gap of four seconds to his teammate Bagnaia, who was streaking away to his second victory of the season.

With 11 laps left, Acosta was clearly struggling for grip and Mir pounced to move up to third as the 2020 champion chased a rare podium finish having retired from 10 races this season.

The Ducati paddock had a few heart-stopping moments in the second half of the race when Bagnaia's bike began emitting smoke as Marquez began to close in rapidly, but the Italian was eventually able to nurse his bike to the chequered flag.

"I don't want to take the spotlight from Marc, he deserves the spotlight today," said Bagnaia, who has been MotoGP champion twice.

"But in any case, I'm happy. It's just a little shame that it arrived now (so late in the season)... I hope that from now on I will continue in this way, because like this I can fight."

RESULTS:

1. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA/Ducati) 42min 09.312sec,

2. Marc Marquez (ESP/Ducati) at 4.196s,

 3. Joan Mir (ESP/Honda) 6.858,

4. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA/Aprilia) 10.128,

 5. Franco Morbidelli (ITA/Ducati-VR46) 10.421,

6. Alex Marquez (ESP/Ducati-Gresini) 14.544,

7. Raul Fernandez (ESP/Aprilia-Trackhouse) 17.588,

8. Fabio Quartararo (FRA/Yamaha) 21.160,

9. Johann Zarco (FRA/Honda-LCR) 21.733,

10. Fermin Aldeguer (ESP/Ducati-Gresini) 23.107,

 11. Enea Bastianini (ITA/KTM-Tech3) 23.616,

12. Brad Binder (RSA/KTM) 23.882,

13. Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA/Ducati-VR46) 29.359,

14. Miguel Oliveira (POR/Yamaha-Pramac) 30.788,

15. Somkiat Chantra (THA/Honda-LCR) 30.990,

16. Maverick Vinales (ESP/KTM-Tech3) 31.712,

17. Pedro Acosta (ESP/KTM) 34.157,

18. Alex Rins (ESP/Yamaha) 34.792

Retirements:

Jack Miller (AUS/Yamaha-Pramac)

21 laps, Takaaki Nakagami (JPN/Honda) 19 laps,

Luca Marini (ITA/Honda) 2 laps