15.11.2025
MotoGP 2025 - Round 22 of 22, Ricardo Tormo Circuit – Qualification and Sprint
- Pedro Acosta maintains the charge for P4 in the final MotoGP championship standings by taking his fifth Sprint podium points haul from the last six rounds in Valencia
- Brad Binder rides to a decent P8 and more Sprint points after setting off for the 13-lap distance from 15th on the grid
- Enea Bastianini arrives to P13 and gains seven positions over his qualifying slot as Maverick Viñales returns to the Red Bull KTM Tech3 pitbox after further recovery from his shoulder injury and takes P18 in the Sprint
The atmospheric ‘stadium-setting’ of the Ricardo Tormo circuit made a welcome return to MotoGP after a year away from the series. The 4km, largely flat layout is a very familiar track for the entire Grand Prix grid and provided 14 low-grip and winding corners as a stage for the 22nd fixture of the campaign.
Pedro Acosta got down to work immediately on Friday and headed afternoon Practice. Brad Binder missed out on Q2 direct entry by just 0.056 of a second while Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini were P18 and P19: the last riders within a one second gap from Acosta.
Saturday’s Q1 and Q2 saw Binder, Bastianini, and Viñales fix 15th, 20th and 21st positions on the grid despite Binder circulating over half a second from the circuit record. The times were even tighter in Q2, and Acosta classified 5th as 0.169 of a second split the top six, Pedro being less than a hundred of a second from Pole.
Acosta and Binder both made a great start in the Sprint. Pedro leapt to P2 in the first corners and pursued the leader for the opening half of the race. Only a mistake into Turn 7, where he ran slightly wide, caused a break and he then tried to close the gap. He was just 1.1 at the finish. Brad entered the top ten and secured P8 while the Red Bull KTM Tech3 duo tried to win ground and benefit from the mileage to be P13 for Enea and P18 for Maverick. The Sprint points made positive reading for Acosta: he now has a 6-point buffer over Francesco Bagnaia in his quest for 4th in the championship.
The 2025 curtain-closer begins at 14.00 CET on Sunday for the last 27 laps of the season.
Pedro Acosta, 5th in qualification, 2nd in the Sprint: “I was super-focused for the start because we know how tough it is to pass here in Valencia. I was aggressive in Turn 2 and then followed in P2. I lost the front into Turn 8 later. It was cooler today and with the soft tire I thought it was better to bring the bike back to the box after the finish than take a risk. It was a good result. I’m quite happy. Sunday will be a different race with more tire management. I think it will be even better for us.”
Brad Binder, 15th in qualification, 8th in the Sprint: “I really need to improve qualifying and get better in the one-lap time attacks! It’s what I’m missing at the moment. The pace wasn’t disgusting in the race; I could pass a few dudes and get forwards. I think tomorrow in the long race we’ll stand even more chance of passing a few more. That’s my goal: to make a strong finish for the 2025 season.”
Enea Bastianini, 20th in qualification, 13th in the Sprint: “I gave 100%, as always, and it was difficult to push today. It was not a bad race or bad pace but I feel we can be better tomorrow. It’s a difficult track because of the small layout and the lap-times are so close. Anyway, we have double the amount of laps to make more overtaking tomorrow!”
Maverick Viñales, 21st in qualification, 18th in the Sprint: “We changed the ergonomics to brings the bars a bit closer and it was significantly different to help with the feeling in the middle of the corner. With the mobility I have in my shoulder at the moment, we needed to be closer to the front tire. I could not turn the bike so quickly or brake hard so I could not make the lap-time in Q1 and after the Sprint I felt the muscle was very tired. For MotoGP you need another type of strength! Especially on the brakes. It was stressful. So, I need to keep working.”
Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Good progress for us during the weekend here in Valencia. It was a busy Friday with a lot of work towards the performance, and the grip here is not so great. So, we had to build-up. We made a step for the Sprint today and Pedro, once again, was able to fight at the top. For sure, he wants more and is looking at the highest position for this final race. We’ll analyze everything tonight and look to make the right decisions for tomorrow to be in contention again. Brad also made some solid work. Not the greatest quali but a brilliant start and points in 8th. We go again tomorrow!”
Grand Prix of Valencia photographs can be found HERE
Results Qualifying MotoGP Grand Prix of Valencia
1. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA) Aprilia 1:28.809
2. Alex Marquez (ESP) Ducati +0.026
3. Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA) Ducati +0.044
5. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +0.096
15. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1:29.561 (Q1)
20. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3 1:29.948 (Q1)
21. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3 1:29.987 (Q1)
Results MotoGP Sprint Grand Prix of Valencia
1. Alex Marquez (ESP) Ducati 19:37.490
2. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +1.149
3. Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA) Ducati +2.637
8. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +7.352
13. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +11.911
18. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +16.699
KTM GP Academy
The Moto3 KTM GP Academy were able to count on the presence of Jacob Roulstone once more for what was the Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider’s last GP with the team but Red Bull KTM Ajo still missed Jose Antonio Rueda (even though the world champion animated the whole crew with his presence in the pitbox).
Alvaro Carpe rode his KTM RC4 to P6 in Q2 and was a slender 0.400 from Pole. The rookie, who is two points away from P4 in the championship, will line-up on the second row of the grid and two places ahead of Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Valentin Perrone. Rueda’s replacement, Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup champion Brian Uriarte was 13th fastest in his second race for the squad and a week after scoring 13th place on his debut. Roulstone, still wearing a cast on his fractured left hand, qualified in P23. Moto3 will introduce the noise and pace at Valencia with a 20-lap dash beginning at 11.00 CET on Sunday.
Moto2™ brought Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Collin Veijer and Daniel Muñoz up to speed. Veijer, fresh after his maiden podium result in Portugal last week, was again showing front-running potential while Muñoz entered another substitute role for Deniz Öncü with his eleventh outing for the crew. Muñoz made a statement on Saturday morning by setting a new Moto2 lap record in FP2. It was fine preparation for Q2 where both riders searched for prime grid spots and where Muñoz had made the cut for the tenth time. When the clock ticked down Collin was marginally faster, only one hundredth of a second was the difference ahead of Dani as the pair ranked P7 and P8 for the third row of the grid. The Moto2 finale starts at 12.15 and will last for 22-laps.
Results Qualifying Moto3 Grand Prix of Valencia
1. Adrian Fernandez (ESP), Honda 1:36.990
2. David Almansa (ESP), Honda +0.136
3. Maximo Quiles (ESP) CFMOTO Aspar Team +0.175
6. Alvaro Carpe (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.400
8. Valentin Perrone (ARG) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +0.434
13. Brian Uriarte (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.652
14. Dennis Foggia (ITA) CFMOTO Aspar Team +0.712
23. Jacob Roulstone (ESP), Red Bull KTM Tech3 1:38.191 (Q1)
Results Qualifying Moto2 Grand Prix of Valencia
1. Daniel Holgado (ESP) CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team 1:31.715
2. Izan Guevara (ESP) +0.158
3. Senna Agius (AUS) +0.171
7. Collin Veijer (NED) Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.383
8. Daniel Muñoz (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.394
20. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team 1:32.633
PRESS CONTACT
Evangelia Sissis
PR Manager MotoGP
+43 676 665 2742
evangelia.sissis@ktm.com