Marco Bezzecchi won at Mandalika to give Italy its 300th victory in the MotoGP premier class. The Aprilia rider returned to the top step for the first time since Mugello in May, while also claiming the 11th premier-class win of his career.

The result followed a difficult Sprint, in which Bezzecchi and Raul Fernandez collided at Turn 1 in an Aprilia-versus-Aprilia incident. They exchanged the lead at Turn 1 again in Sunday’s race. Fernandez had the stronger opening phase, but Bezzecchi stayed with the Trackhouse rider for 18 laps before finding the opportunity to make his move.

Bezzecchi described his return after injury as difficult, even though the comeback itself had not gone badly, and said the team had finally managed to get back to the top of the podium. The victory leaves him 46 points behind Jorge Martin in the championship. If Martin loses his mathematical title chances, Bezzecchi is expected to support him alongside Aprilia’s other riders.

Despite the deficit, Bezzecchi said he will continue fighting and doing his best through the end of the season. His Mandalika win was his 11th in the premier class, with each one achieved at a different circuit. Only Freddie Spencer has matched that record. When recalling notable Italian victories, Bezzecchi named Valentino Rossi’s wins, the Francesco Bagnaia-Jorge Martin battle at Sepang in 2024 and his own Mugello success in 2026.