MotoGP Sprint Race results as Alex Marquez wins at Portimao and Nicolo Bulega crashes on debut

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Gresini rider Alex Marquez beat KTM rival Pedro Acosta to win the Sprint Race at the 2025 MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix, despite a last-lap duel at Portimao on Saturday.

Marquez started the Portimao Sprint from fifth on the grid, while Acosta started the race in P2, but the 2025 MotoGP championship runner-up had the speed for glory. Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi scored pole position for the Portuguese GP with a 1:37.556 earlier this Saturday.

Trackhouse star Raul Fernandez has withdrawn from the Portuguese GP weekend due to the ongoing effects of dislocating his shoulder during practice on Friday. The Australian Grand Prix winner endured one of the biggest crashes of his MotoGP career yet in FP1 at Portimao.

Alex Marquez beats Pedro Acosta to win the Portimao Sprint Race at the Portuguese Grand Prix

Aprilia racer Marco Bezzecchi got a clean launch off the line from pole position to retain the lead of the Sprint at Portimao. But the 26-year-old was unable to put any distance between himself and KTM rival Pedro Acosta, despite the 21-year-old suffering a wheelie off the line.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about the 2025 MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix

It did not take Acosta long to pull an overtake on Bezzecchi for the lead of the Sprint, too, as the Spaniard shot past the Italian on Lap 2. Yet the Spaniard could not drop the Italian, who sought to regain the lead into Turn 1 on L3, only for Alex Marquez to slipstream past for P2.

Ducati star Francesco Bagnaia also suffered a wheelie off the line from P4 on the grid, which opened the door for Gresini racer Marquez to gain a place. Marquez also immediately put a move on Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo to climb into the top three during the opening lap.

Marquez was the man on the move during the opening tours of Portimao during Saturday’s Sprint Race. But while the younger Marquez brother shone, the man standing in for Marc Marquez at the Portuguese GP saw his Sprint come to an early end with a crash at Turn 13.

Nicolo Bulega dropped the factory Ducati in the gravel on Lap 4 of 12, after locking his front tyre. Ducati World Superbike star Bulega is standing in for Marquez in Portugal and Valencia next week, with the 2025 MotoGP champion sidelined after surgery for his shoulder injury.

Alex Marquez ensured that his family had a rider to revere this Saturday, though, as he and Acosta duelled over the lead of the Portimao Sprint. The 29-year-old briefly got the lead on Lap 6 with a stronger run over the finish line, but Acosta immediately struck back at Turn 5.

Acosta tried his best to park his KTM RC16 in the corners and block Marquez on his Ducati GP24. But the elder Spaniard’s bike gave him a constant straight-line speed advantage and let the Cervera native get the lead again with a block pass into Turn 1 with four laps to go.

Marquez learned his lesson from his early move and put up a rigid defence to deny Acosta a chance to respond, before quickly scuttling clear in the lead to leave his compatriot in a fight with Bezzecchi over P3. Fortunes were very different for Bagnaia entering the final two laps.

Bagnaia found himself playing defence entering the closing laps as LCR Honda rider Johann Zarco tried to follow VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio through. In the end, Gresini gem Fermin Aldeguer opened the door for Zarco, as he lifted Bagnaia out of the way at the final corner.

Acosta also tried a last-gasp attack on Marquez to get the lead of the Portimao Sprint on the final lap. But the 2021 Moto3 and 2023 Moto2 champion came up just shy of glory. Marquez held on to win the Portimao Sprint by just 0.120 seconds ahead of Acosta after the 12 laps.

Portimao Sprint Race results at the 2025 MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix