The latest stage of the MotoGP championship at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia has concluded, delivering a long-awaited first victory for Raúl Fernández. The Spanish rider, representing Aprilia, managed to outpace all competitors and climbed to the top of the podium in the premier class for the first time in his career.
The race took place in challenging conditions: strong winds forced organizers to delay the start by nearly an hour. Despite this, gusts of up to 30 km/h continued to impact the competition. Air temperatures did not exceed 21 degrees, and the asphalt remained cool, which influenced tire choice. Most riders opted for hard tires at the front and medium at the rear, except for Chantra, who chose medium compounds on both axles.
From the very start, Marco Bezzecchi seized the lead, followed by Fernández and Pedro Acosta. Fabio Quartararo, who started from pole, found himself in fourth position, while Jack Miller and Álex Márquez closely pursued the frontrunners. The race began without incident, but Bezzecchi immediately started to increase his pace to serve his double Long Lap penalty with minimal loss.
Acosta attempted to attack Fernández, but the Spaniard quickly reclaimed his position. Álex Márquez overtook Miller, who soon went off track. Johann Zarco was also unable to finish the race. After serving his first penalty lap, Bezzecchi found himself behind Fernández and Acosta, but ahead of Quartararo. The second penalty dropped him to sixth place, but with twenty laps remaining, there was still time for a possible comeback.
Gradually, Fernández began to pull away from the chasers. Acosta was losing pace, while Álex Márquez and Di Giannantonio on Ducatis overtook Quartararo and closed in on the leaders. Joan Mir failed to score points, ending his race in a crash. Quartararo held off Bezzecchi for a long time, but eventually the Italian managed to pass the Frenchman on the straight, although the gap to Fernández had already exceeded four seconds.
By the halfway point, Fernández’s advantage over Acosta had reached two seconds. Bezzecchi was unable to close the gap to his teammate. Di Giannantonio overtook Acosta on the Lukey Heights descent, then defended his position in the next corner. Ducati was once again among the favorites, returning to the podium after a disappointing sprint race.
Bezzecchi managed to get past Acosta, but the gap to the leader increased to five seconds. Di Giannantonio also overtook Álex Márquez, who started to struggle with tire wear. With four laps to go, the battle for the podium intensified. Pecco Bagnaia ended his race with a crash at turn six, another disappointment for the reigning champion.
In the final laps, Bezzecchi overtook Álex Márquez to take third place, preventing him from securing the runner-up spot ahead of schedule. However, the main hero of the day was Raúl Fernández, who claimed his first ever MotoGP Sunday race victory. His best previous result had been fifth place, with his last win dating back to 2021 in Moto2. For the Trackhouse team, this was also their first success in the premier class.
