Winner: Fabio Di Giannantonio

Di Giannantonio was one of the quiet stars of the weekend, earning a double podium (his first since Qatar 2023), where he claimed his grand prix victory.

Starting from the front row only the third time this year, he beat Fernandez to second in the sprint with a late move. On Sunday, Fernandez reversed the order, but Di Giannantonio still impressed by passing Marquez and coming out on top of a lively scrap with Acosta to take third.

The result was crucial for Ducati too, as his late charge preserved their podium streak, now stretching to 87 consecutive Sunday races.

Loser: Franco Morbidelli

Morbidelli hasn’t always deserved the criticism he has received this year, but the Valencia finale didn’t help his case.

Starting seventh, he lost concentration on the grid and ran straight into the back of Aleix Espargaro. Morbidelli fell immediately and had to start from the pitlane, only to retire five laps later with what was later confirmed to be a fracture in his left hand.

He has been ruled out of Tuesday’s Valencia test, and with no recovery timeline yet confirmed, his preparations for 2026 face an early setback.

Winner: Aprilia

Aprilia wrapped up the season in perfect style, making an impressive 1-2 finish thanks to Marco Bezzecchi and Raul Fernandez.

Throughout the later stages of the season, the RS-GP had often been the bike to beat, yet Aprilia had repeatedly let strong opportunities slip away. Indonesia was the clearest example, the bike was dominant, yet the team only managed sixth. In Portugal, Bezzecchi was left to fly the flag alone after Fernandez crashed and withdrew.

Valencia was different. This time everything clicked. Bezzecchi made a clean getaway, avoided the holeshot problems that hurt him in the sprint, and went on to secure the victory. Fernandez meanwhile fought his way through the field in the second half of the race.

For Fernandez, who had just scored his first win a little over a month earlier, closing in on Bezzecchi’s factory bike was a huge morale boost.

Loser: Francesco Bagnaia

Bagnaia’s tough season ended in the worst way imaginable, knocked out on the opening lap. This wasn’t a case of lacking pace, he had been competitive all weekend. But failing to score a single point and slipping to fifth overall made him one of the clear losers in Valencia.

His troubles began on Friday, when a wrong set-up choice and an oil cooler problem kept him out of Q2. Then Ducati misjudged his fuel load for qualifying, leaving him a distant 16th on the grid for both races.

After a strong Sunday start, Johann Zarco plunged into the back of him at Turn 4, ending his race and his season.

Bagnaia later spoke of attracting negativity, which hardly inspired confidence heading into the winter break.

Winner: Honda

There were rare smiles inside the Honda garage on Sunday as the team officially climbed out of MotoGP’s lowest concession tier, moving up to the same category as Aprilia and KTM.

It may seem odd to celebrate losing extra technical privileges, but for Honda this was a key objective. They aren’t a struggling newcomer, they are a historic powerhouse trying to rise again after several painful years.

Their hard work on the RC213V has paid off. Joan Mir rediscovered his speed, taking podiums in Japan and Malaysia, and Luca Marini quietly delivered when it mattered most. Starting 13th,

Marini climbed to seventh on Sunday, scoring the points Honda needed to escape Group D.
It marked a strong recovery after Mir accidentally wiped out his teammate the day before.

Loser: Pedro Acosta

Acosta arrived at the final European rounds cautiously optimistic, but his tone shifted after being beaten straight up by Alex Márquez in the sprint. He even admitted it might take another full year before he can realistically fight for victories.

While some of this comes down to KTM’s overall progress rather than Acosta’s talent, the fact remains that he is still searching for his first MotoGP win after two seasons.

He showed genuine promise in Portugal, leading much of the sprint before being overtaken by Márquez, but Valencia was a far tougher challenge. He topped Friday practice, only to qualify fifth in a tightly matched field.

A strong start put him behind Márquez in the sprint, but he simply lacked the pace and grip to attack. In Sunday’s race, he slipped off the podium as Fernandez and Di Giannantonio blasted past on faster bikes.