Another hot and demanding round of 2025 MotoGP with the visit to Japan. Enea Bastianini was highest ranked in 11th place with Brad Binder in 12th and Pedro Acosta had run in the podium positions for the first half of the 24-lap distance. The KTM GP Academy were protagonists again in Moto3™ with the KTM RC4 race bikes as Jose Antonio Rueda charged to runner-up.

Pedro Acosta, encouraged by his third Sprint podium medal of the season on Saturday but also curious to know if the medium tire compound would help or hinder his rally for more silverware, started with fierce intent and was into 2nd place in the opening exchanges. Brad Binder and Enea Bastiani had to be proactive in the first laps to make strides into points scoring positions. BB33 reached 13th and the Italian gave chase while Maverick Viñales was further back and trying to make inroads.

 Acosta could not maintain his pace for the full 24-lap duration and a ‘moment’ while braking for Turn 1 put him off track and into the gravel. The Spaniard drifted down the race order and made it across the finish line in 17th. Bastianini forced his way up to 11th and was followed by Binder in 12th as the pair passed the checkered flag together. Viñales just missed out on Grand Prix points.

 The Lombok island setting of the Mandalika Street Circuit will activate the Indonesian Grand Prix next weekend and another back-to-back fixture for 2025 MotoGP.

 Enea Bastianini, 11th and 14th in the championship standings: “In general we can be happier than what we were yesterday, and we improved a bit the setup of the bike.From ten laps to go I improved my pace and I gave something more. This is a strange world. Sometimes, at some tracks, nothing works like what you want.I think we need to understand why and try to be competitive in every track. I hope to see us like 3-4 races in the past: competitive. I want to be back in the top five like a few races ago.”

Brad Binder, 12th and 11th in the championship standings: “A difficult weekend. I had a really good start but we had a lot of chatter from the beginning which made it difficult to ride the bike. The wheelspin when we were upright also finished the tire. Very tricky because I cannot take advantage of drive and corner entry is tough. If we can get to a circuit where we can lessen the chatter then we can do something; hopefully in Indonesia.”

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders has secured the 2025 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship with a dominant win at round four, Rally Raid Portugal. Continuing his unbeaten record this season, ‘Chucky’ topped the timesheets in the prologue and three of the five stages to take the race win and the championship crown in style. Luciano Benavides rode his KTM 450 RALLY to third place overall, while Edgar Canet took the win in the hotly contested Rally2 category.

After a break of four months since the previous round on the W2RC calendar, Red Bull KTM arrived in Portugal focused on continuing their run of success in the 2025 season. Sanders immediately threw down the gauntlet to his rivals on the short but intense prologue, where he beat teammate Canet to the win by a mere two seconds.

Heading into stage one – a 425km loop with 325km raced against the clock – Sanders took advantage of his start position to attack right from the start, mastering the dry, slippery terrain to open a gap on the rest of the field. Winning the special by just under a minute, the Australian laid down a statement ride, taking early control of the rally and setting the tone for what would become another dominant performance.

Despite leading out on stage two, Sanders clinched the win once again. Stage three, the longest of the event, saw tactics come in to play in order to conserve tires on the long, demanding timed special. After easing off to ensure a safe finish, Daniel placed second on the stage as the rally reached its halfway point.

Stage four was decisive. With a timed special of 274km, Sanders was able to push hard and subsequently open up a sizeable lead at the front of the field. Taking his third stage win of the event, Daniel would head into the final day with an advantage of over three minutes.

Sunday’s stage five could not have gone better for the team. Benavides claimed his first stage win of the event, closely followed by Sanders in second and Canet in third, with the three teammates separated by just 10 seconds. The result saw Daniel take the race win by a comfortable three minutes and 40 seconds.

In claiming victory at Rally Raid Portugal, Sanders secured the 2025 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship title with one round to spare. His triumph at round four is the latest in a flawless string of results. After a career-first win at the iconic Dakar Rally earlier this year, he then proceeded to win every subsequent round, culminating in this decisive performance in Portugal. His total sweep not only secures the rider title but underscores the performance and reliability of the KTM 450 RALLY under Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s development.

Daniel Sanders: “It’s a dream come true to win the world championship. You think about it when you’re a kid no matter what sport you do, but I chose motorbikes, and it worked out really well. The race here has gone so well, and the bike has been perfect, so a massive thank you to the team for all the hard work they put in. It’s very rare to have this sort of consistency in rally as it’s often so unpredictable. But up to now, we’ve put in a perfect season, and we’ll still be aiming to carry that into Morocco. It’s still all sinking in really. I’m happy to get the world

championship here in Portugal and hopefully, there’s a lot more to come.”

Delivering an excellent performance in Portugal, Luciano Benavides’ pace increased as the rally progressed. After delivering a top-10 result on the prologue, the Argentinian backed that up with fifth on stage one, followed by a fourth, then two consecutive third-place results. On the short, final 103km timed special on stage five, Benavides pushed hard to take the stage win and with it, secure his place on the Rally Raid Portugal podium in third.

Now, with just the Rallye du Maroc remaining, Benavides lies second in the RallyGP standings, three points ahead of third-placed Tosha Schareina.

The factory Honda HRC Team wrapped up the Aragón round of the 2025 Superbike World Championship with Xavi Vierge securing a pair of top-ten finishes in Sunday’s races, while stand-in rider Tommy Bridewell crossed the line 18th in both. Solid results for Vierge, but ones that still leave both him and Honda HRC hungry for more.

After a brief warmup in which the two riders made a few final tweaks and adjustments, it was time for the Superpole sprint. From twelfth on the grid, Vierge made a decent start, making up a position and pushing to close in on the top ten. Able to up his pace over the final few laps, he passed Bassani on lap seven. The Spaniard and the Italian continued to battle over the last three laps, but it was the home rider who came out on top, tenth across the line.

As he continued to build experience at this track, a new one for him, Bridewell was lying nineteenth through the opening stages of this ten-lapper. Lapping within half a second of the rider immediately ahead over the first half of the race, the British rider kept his focus, and, making up one position over the course of this sprint, finished P18.

The weekend’s final race ran in the early afternoon and in dry conditions, despite the threat of rain. From thirteenth, Vierge pushed to make his presence felt within a tightly packed group of riders. Holding the same position throughout the first half of the race, Xavi gained some ground in the latter stages, reaching the top ten and scoring another six championship points. Bridewell, twenty-second off the line, moved up one position and then tried to maintain a slightly quicker rhythm with respect to his Race 1 pace. Managing to set some faster lap times in today’s final race, the Brit was lying within a few tenths of Rinaldi mid-race. After the Italian entered the pit lane on lap eleven, Tommy lapped alone in the final stages, gaining another couple of places to again cross the line eighteenth.

Having collated more championship points on Spanish soil this weekend, Vierge lies eighth in the general standings with 129 points, while absent Lecuona lies fourteenth with 90. The Honda HRC team now looks ahead to round eleven, taking place at Portugal’s Estoril Circuit on 10-12 October, which will be immediately followed by the twelfth and final round at Jerez Circuit in Spain (17-19 October).

Monster Energy Honda HRC is set for a big push at Rally-Raid Portugal, the penultimate round of the World Rally-Raid Championship, running from 23–28 September.

The rally will see riders cover 2,367 kilometres across six demanding days, with 40% more timed special stages compared to the inaugural event in 2024. The action begins in Grândola, south of Lisbon, before heading east into Spain for stages two to four, where fast tracks and varied terrain are expected to test both skill and endurance. The competitors then return to Portugal for the closing stages, finishing in the heart of Lisbon.

Currently third in the World Rally-Raid Championship standings, Ricky Brabec comes into Portugal in fine form after podium finishes at both the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the South African Safari Rally. The 2020 and 2024 Dakar Rally winner has built consistent momentum and is eyeing victory in Portugal to keep his title hopes alive heading into the season finale.

Fourth in the standings, Adrien Van Beveren is looking to add to his 2025 Dakar podium and improve on his third-place finish at last year’s Portugal Rally.  After undergoing wrist ligament surgery following the South Africa round, he has focused on his recovery and will be aiming for another solid points haul to climb the overall championship table.

Last year’s inaugural Portugal Rally winner, Tosha Schareina, is eager to repeat history, this time buoyed by home fans as the race crosses into Spain. After securing second place at Dakar and third in Abu Dhabi, his campaign was interrupted in South Africa by a hand injury that forced an early withdrawal. However, his recent victory at the Sertões Rally confirmed his return to full fitness, and he enters Portugal with confidence and determination.

A consistent challenger, Howes achieved a best result of fourth in Portugal in 2024. He is aiming to step onto the podium this year and close out the season with a strong showing aboard the Honda CRF450 RALLY on terrain he’s not used to, building momentum for 2026.

Monster Energy Honda HRC touched down in Portugal midway through last week, using the extra time to make final preparations ahead of the highly anticipated Rally Raid Portugal.  The team put their Honda CRF450 RALLY machines through a productive shakedown test, ensuring everything was dialled in, before passing administrative checks and scrutineering at the Grândola bivouac today.

Competition officially gets underway on Tuesday afternoon with the prologue, a short but decisive 5 km sprint on gravel. While brief, the result will be crucial in determining the riders’ starting positions for stage one and could set the tone for six demanding days of racing across Portugal and Spain.

With enthusiastic crowds expected along the route and strong local support in both Portugal and Spain, Rally-Raid Portugal promises a dramatic and pivotal chapter in the World Rally-Raid Championship season.

Monster Energy Honda HRC enters the rally with clear ambitions: to fight for stage wins, secure maximum points and keep the team firmly in contention for the championship crown as the series heads toward its grand finale.

The Yamalube YART Yamama EWC Official Team of Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika, and Jason O’Halloran were crowned the 2025 FIM Endurance World Champions as they finished second at the title-deciding Bol d’Or in one of the most dramatic climaxes to a championship ever, securing the title by just one point after a sensational three-way battle, and in the process also ensured that Yamaha lifted the FIM Endurance World Championship for Manufacturers for the second year in a row.

YART arrived in France for the 88th edition of the legendary endurance race, leading the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) standings by one point from the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team (BMW). The Austrian squad qualified in fourth to secure another three points, but they conceded a point to BMW, who qualified in second, meaning they would start the race level on points in what would prove to be a thrilling EWC season finale.

Fritz took the first stint at Circuit Paul Ricard, and after a good start, settled into a superb rhythm. He handed over to Hanika in fourth, but it did not take long for the Czech rider to close the gap and get involved in a magnificent battle for third with BMW. O’Halloran took over, and the team continued to push, knowing every second counted. After two hours, they were third and had opened up a gap over BMW of over 40 seconds.

As the race progressed, YART started to fall back into the clutches of their rivals, and at the front, the Yoshimura SERT Motul team (SERT) were also bringing themselves into title contention. Showcasing just how close the racing was, Fritz and Hanika enjoyed some superb on-track battles, with less than half a second separating the YART and BMW teams at the 7-hour mark. 

Unfortunately, an issue with a loose fairing saw YART have to spend extra time during three pit stops to try and fix it, conceding over a minute. This saw them drop back to fourth, but they never gave up. Hanika and Fritz went back-to-back for a few stints during the night, as their pace was slightly quicker than their teammate O’Halloran, due to the fact that the Australian had never ridden at the track before the Private Practice sessions on Tuesday.

At the eight-hour mark, YART were third, securing another eight points, but once again, they conceded a point to BMW, and two to SERT. It was the same result at the 16-hour mark, with the race turning into an enthralling three-way battle for the title, although YART knew they just needed to finish in second, ahead of BMW, even if SERT won, to be crowned champions. 

YART kept pushing, showcasing their famous “never give up” attitude, and all three riders, despite suffering from a severe stomach bug, continued to push as hard as they could. As dawn broke on Sunday, Hanika was so sick that O’Halloran and Fritz went back-to-back for three hours to let him recover, with the trio showing remarkable fortitude to battle through the pain barrier.

As the hours ticked down, despite their best efforts, it looked like YART would have to settle for third in the race and second in the championship, but with the glorious sunshine at Circuit Paul Ricard replaced by threatening storm clouds on Sunday, adding an element of uncertainty to the mix. Then, with just 30 minutes to go in the race, the whole championship was thrown on its head.  

In a dramatic turn of events, BMW suffered an engine failure, meaning that YART inherited second place, and were now heading the overall standings, but only by one point from race leaders SERT. Hanika handed over to O’Halloran for the final stint with just 20 minutes on the clock, two laps down on SERT, knowing they effectively just had to finish the race to be crowned champions, but just as he headed out, rain started to fall, adding to the pressure as they also knew that one mistake could cost them the title. 

As the final seconds ticked down, the team watched on nervously from the garage, but the nerves turned to joy as O’Halloran brought the Bridgestone-shod R1 home in second after completing 725 laps to spark wild celebrations and deliver YART their third EWC title by the closest points margin in history, to add to their trophies from 2009 and 2023. 

It also meant that Fritz, who had extra reason to celebrate after getting married a week before the race, and Hanika became double EWC champions, while O’Halloran secured his first title in his debut season with YART. Fuelling the celebrations even further was the fact that YART’s efforts also meant that Yamaha had claimed back-to-back FIM Endurance World Championships for Manufacturers.

It was an unfortunate race for the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99 of Florian Marino, Alessandro Delbianco, and Jérémy Guarnoni, who were looking to secure back-to-back podiums at the Bol d’Or, and they were on course for a top-six finish after a strong start before unfortunately being forced to retire due to a technical issue.

In the FIM Endurance World Cup, Team 18 Pompiers Igol CMS Motorstore produced an incredible performance to finish in sixth overall and fourth in class, and there was more success for Yamaha in the FIM Endurance World Trophy as Team Moto Ain secured the class victory. However, the championship leaders, Team Supermoto Racing, unfortunately missed out on the title after having to retire from the race, but still finished in second, meaning Yamaha also won the FIM Endurance World Trophy for Manufacturers.

Simon Laengenfelder has won the 2025 FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship after finishing 2nd at a busy, hot and storm-hit Hidden Valley Motorsports Complex for the Grand Prix of Australia and the final round of the season. The 21-year-old became the second German #1 in the MX2 class for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and the first for his country in FIM motocross competition since 2011. Lucas Coenen ruled the MXGP division in Darwin and the 18-year-old caps an outstanding and record-breaking debut year in the premier class as runner-up.

MXGP jetted from a sweltering Chinese Grand Prix to another humid and challenging tropical climate: this time in Australia’s northern territories and to the confines of the new Hidden Valley Motorsports motocross circuit. The track was clay-based, sandy and hard-packed in sections and suitably spectacular. The complex was surrounded by a large attendance as the world championship arrived back in the country for the first time since 2001.

Red Bull KTM still had chances of MXGP and MX2 titles in Australia. Lucas Coenen faced a 47-point deficit with 60 points on offer and Simon Laengenfelder led defending #1 Kay De Wolf by 16 points in MX2. The team had Jeffrey Herlings in bright form with consecutive wins in the Netherlands, Turkey and China while the MX2 trio had banked three of the last four rounds. The Grand Prix began on Saturday with Coenen escaping to win the qualification heat while Herlings was P7. In the MX2 class Sacha Coenen, Laengenfelder and Andrea Adamo were P2, P4 and P5 respectively.

On Sunday the Grand Prix was severely affected by weather. The first motos took place in dry conditions and in front of a bustling crowd. Coenen repeated his authority from Saturday and, after his 13th holeshot of the term, eased to his fourteenth moto victory of the season, with Herlings in 2nd place. 4th position for Romain Febvre meant that Coenen solidified his position as official runner-up for the year. In MX2 there was drama as Laengenfelder clashed with title rival De Wolf but still finished P2. Adamo was P6 and Coenen fell on his way to P13. The young Belgian was determined to end 2025 in a more positive fashion in the second moto, and seized his seventeenth holeshot. Laengenfelder again hit the soil in the first laps and his world title seemed under threat but then a tropical storm washed through the area and flooded the track. Laengenfelder kept going through the deluge and when the red flag was shown he was 6th for P2 overall, and placed both hands on the gold number plate. Adamo had already retired and ranked 11th on the day (for the bronze medal in the championship) while Coenen’s recovery allowed him to sign-off his second GP term with P4 and the same standing in the points table.

The track state forced the second MXGP moto to be scrapped. Therefore, Lucas Coenen increased his GP win column number to five and 13 podiums while Herlings pulled a curtain on 2025 with his sixth rostrum and fourth trophy in a row, having already won five GPs in fifteen appearances.

2025 has involved 20 Grands Prix, 40 motos (39 in MXGP) and 20 Qualification Heats. In the MXGP category, with the KTM 450 SX-F, Red Bull KTM have aced 10 GPs, 22 moto wins and 12 Quali races. Coenen and Herlings have tallied 19 podium finishes for the year. In MX2, with the KTM 250SX-F, Red Bull KTM have filled three of the top four final championship slots. The team have won 12 GPs, clinched 23 motos and 9 qualification races. Adamo, Coenen and Laengenfelder captured 34 trophies. On 12 occasions there was more than one Red Bull KTM rider on the podium and the trio lined all three steps at the Grands Prix of France and China. Red Bull KTM won both categories on the same day at seven GPs in 2025.

The Motocross of Nations is the traditional season closer. For the second time since 2022 it will take place on American turf and more than 30 nations will travel to the Ironman circuit near Crawfordsville on the first weekend of October. Red Bull KTM will have four of their current Grand Prix racers active in the USA.

Less than 24 hours after the San Marino and the Rimini Riviera Grand Prix closed the sixteenth round of 2025 MotoGP, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3 were back laying rubber at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli for the third one-day IRTA test of the year.

Sunshine and decent summer temperatures continued to beat down on the Italian asphalt near Riccione. The 91,000 Sunday crowds were gone but the speed remained. The Red Bull KTM race crews counted on the presence of MotoGP Hall of Famer Dani Pedrosa for extra input as the Grand Prix project worked on solutions and fixes for Misano and for the six Grands Prix still to come this season.

The high-grip nature of the tarmac in Misano and some ideas for modifications that couldn’t be tried in the hectic nature of a GP schedule were on the job list. Pedro Acosta, Brad Binder and Enea Bastianini as well as Maverick Viñales turned almost 400 laps as they also tried chassis configurations and other details. Acosta ended the day with the fastest lap-time; three tenths of a second from the lap record. Viñales, Binder and Bastianini registered the 10th, 11th and 13th quickest efforts respectively during their track stints.

The teams ended the day by packing freight in preparation for the Japanese Grand Prix in less than two weeks’ time. From Motegi the championship will travel to Mandalika in Indonesia, then to Phillip Island in Australia and onwards to Sepang in Malaysia to complete the overseas swing by the end of October.

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 1st: “Quite nice to come back after yesterday to show some speed. I wanted to improve my best set-up to be faster in the fast corners because we will have these sectors in Japan, Indonesia and Phillip Island and T2 in Malaysia. It was interesting how we were able to make improvements. We still have many good opportunities left this season and we will have time after Valencia to think about next year. A good day.” 

Maverick Viñales, Red Bull KTM Tech3, 10th: “Today was about making laps and putting stress on the shoulder, to see how it will feel in the next days. I still cannot push the bike 100% so there was not much sense to try things, even if the track conditions feel fantastic. Now I need to train as much as I can, lift weights and build muscle to be more ready for Japan.”

Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 11th: “Today was pretty solid. We tried some different frames and swingarms and found some potential for sure, and managed to make the bike more stable especially in the fast stuff. The feeling was quite a bit better even if I didn’t quite get the speed in T3. I think we made a pretty good step. I’m not sure on the timeline for everything but I think there is something we can try in Japan. Let’s see.”

Plenty of work to do for Luca Marini at the post-San Marino GP Test, Joan Mir sidelined in order to continue his recovery.

A day of long runs and hard work met Luca Marini on Monday at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, the #10 quickly getting down to business and running for the entirety of the day. With 71 laps in hand at the conclusion of the day at 18:00 Local Time, Marini’s best time of 1’30.983 saw him end in 11th on the combined times. A positive but busy test for the #10, continuing to build on the recent running after the Barcelona Grand Prix. The day consisted of work for the longer-term future, while also dedicating some time to the closing races of the year.

Joan Mir did not participate in the test as he continued to focus on being fully fit for the Japanese GP and the intense end of the 2025 campaign.

Takaaki Nakagami completed a handful of laps in the afternoon with a best time of 1’31.994.

Brad Binder won considerable ground to finish 10th in the sixteenth round of 2025 MotoGP at Misano and bank points for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. The South African started P16 on the grid to roar past the checkered flag in the top ten and bounced back from his DNF in the Saturday Sprint. The KTM GP Academy were protagonists in a sizzling Moto3 grand prix as Jose Antonio Rueda triumphed again with a last corner, last gasp lunge for P1.

The high grip potential of Misano created fresh set-up demands for the Red Bull KTM quartet through Friday and Saturday and led to qualifying positions of P9 for Pedro Acosta, P16 for Brad Binder, P17 for Maverick Viñales and P20 for Enea Bastianini. Acosta secured a top five result in the Saturday Sprint as Bastianini sliced through half of the field to finish 10th at his home Grand Prix.

There was renewed belief for the 27 laps on Sunday and the harder tire options necessary for the full race distance. Overnight rainfall meant the track was initially cooler and with damp patches in the morning but the conditions were warm and consistent by mid-afternoon. Acosta made an effective getaway from the grid but Pedro’s bid for podium contention expired on lap eight with a technical issue while Maverick fell in the second sector on lap five. Enea’s search for a top nine result ended at Turn 14 at mid-distance. Binder gassed his way past rivals and dealt with a lack of optimal traction to grab 10th.

Acosta is 5th in the MotoGP standings. Binder holds 11th followed by Bastianini in 13th and Viñales in 15th. MotoGP now has a one-day IRTA test at Misano on Monday and then commences a Pan-Asia trek with races in Japan, Indonesia, Australia and Malaysia in the next five weeks. First-up is the trip to the Mobility Resort Motegi from September 26-28.

Brad Binder, 10th and 11th in the championship standings: “A really difficult race. It was hard to push-on from the beginning and there was a big difference between front and rear grip. Then there was a lot of chatter from 12 laps onwards and it was hard to stay up. Really tricky, and we didn’t expect that. In the end we could put together the weekend that we planned. It’s a good thing that we have a test here tomorrow so we can play around a little bit to understand the right way to go for the future.”

The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team secured the fourth place with Franco Morbidelli, while Fabio Di Giannantonio finished fifth in the San Marino and the Rimini Riviera GP. 

The home atmosphere is always something special, and the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team tackled the San Marino and the Rimini Riviera GP with great energy, ending very close to the podium in front of the home crowd. Franco Morbidelli crossed the line in fourth place in Sunday’s race, while Fabio Di Giannantonio followed in fifth.

Morbidelli got off to a strong start from the second row, immediately placing himself in the battle for the podium. Franco showed a solid pace over the 27 laps, finishing his home race in fourth position. The #21 remains sixth in the World Standings with 180 points.

Di Giannantonio, who started from the third row, also made a great start and was battling for the top positions from the first turns. Fabio finished the Misano race in fifth place and now sits seventh in the World Standings with 179 points.

The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will be back on track tomorrow for an official MotoGP test day at Misano, before heading to Motegi in two weeks’ time for the Japanese Grand Prix, which will kick off the Asian tour from September 26th to 28th.