Rookie Aldeguer wins Indonesia GP as Marquez, Bezzecchi crash

MANDALIKA (Agencies): 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. 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. 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-times 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.