Ducati Lenovo
The Ducati Lenovo Team completed the Grand Prix of Indonesia at the Mandalika International Circuit. Marc Márquez finished the race in sixth place, while Francesco Bagnaia’s race came to an early end due to a crash.
Márquez moved up one place at the start before dropping back to fourth on lap three. From lap seven onwards, Marc exchanged positions with the riders around him on several occasions, ultimately finishing sixth. Bagnaia, tenth on the grid, crashed at Turn 17 on lap six while running in tenth place.
As the seventeenth Grand Prix of the season draws to a close, Marc Márquez is second in the championship standings with 353 points, two points behind the leader. Francesco Bagnaia is ninth with 166 points. The Ducati Lenovo Team is second in the teams’ standings with 519 points, while Ducati sits second in the constructors’ championship with 491 points.
The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action on Friday, October 23rd, for the opening day of the Grand Prix of Australia at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 6th
“This weekend went really well, and I’m very happy that I didn’t lose any points to Martín. It’s true that you always want more and that we struggled in the race today, but we expected that over the full race distance. We struggled, but at the same time, we managed the situation perfectly and came out swinging. I stayed focused on the present without thinking about the fact that I hadn’t finished a race here before today, so we can’t complain.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – DNF
“This weekend I lacked speed and confidence. I was trying to follow Luca Marini, but it was clear that I didn’t have the pace to do so and, when I tried to give something extra, I crashed. On a track like this, I feel the lack of rear-end grip and connection with the throttle that I’ve been experiencing even more, as being effective mid-corner is really important here. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to make the steps forward we were hoping for, but we’ll continue to work ahead of the next race.”
KTM Factory Racing
The fifth Indonesian Grand Prix to take place at the Mandalika International Circuit since 2022 brought MotoGP into draining tropical race conditions. The 4.3km trajectory formed from 17 fast corners and kinks was punishing for tire wear but also energy and stamina of the riders. Pedro Acosta, Enea Bastianini, Brad Binder and Maverick Viñales started the 27-lap contest from 9-14-16 and 18 on the grid.
Acosta was 10th on the first lap but made some sharp passes to invade the tussle for the top five and tried to improve his feeling through the second sector of fast, flowing curves. He overtook world champion Marc Marquez for 4th and was also busy with Fabio Di Giannantonio and Ai Ogura. Pedro had to manipulate his position to protect tire pressure but in the charge to the line was able to take P5 and 11 points.
Brad made decent progress to gain ground and hover on the fringe of the top ten with Enea for company. The pair then swapped places and flew in formation to the flag for P10 and P11 while Maverick, in his second Grand Prix run in the space of a week, was further back in P17 but gaining more feeling, strength and confidence in his left shoulder rehab.
Acosta is 5th in the world championship standings as KTM hold 3rd from 5 brands in the Constructors table.
After back-to-back GPs in Japan and Indonesia, MotoGP pauses for a week before another frantic spell. The Grand Prix of Australia at Phillip Island will occur on October 23-25 and is followed by the visit to Sepang (Malaysia) a week later and then the Qatar Grand Prix slated for the final part of a triple header.
Pedro Acosta, 5th and 5th in the championship: “I was struggling all race with the front tire pressure and I was losing massive time letting Marc past then passing him again, him going past and then struggling to pass again! Ogura caught us and I lost a lot of time with these things and it took away the possibility of being in the top four. Anyway, we made a good race. I think we took the maximum we could. First non-Aprilia and much better than yesterday. Happy.”
Enea Bastianini, 10th and 11th in the championship: “Like always, tough when you are behind [others] at the start. When the group gets a bit smaller then it is easier for me to fight back. I suffered in the slipstream of the others today; a lot of turbulence from the middle of the race until the end I was better and getting faster and I did a good job at the end but I was not happy with just the top ten today.”
Brad Binder, 11th and 13th in the championship: “Way too long and hot of a race to finish 11th! I gave everything I had and we’ve been heavy on the edge of the tire all weekend, so from eight laps in it was tricky until the end. Anyway, I enjoyed riding and I enjoyed the track. We made a step from yesterday and went faster. The bike wasn’t bad at all, I was just missing some speed. The guys did a great job and I had more feeling with the front. We’ll prepare for the next one in Australia; Phillip Island is my favorite track so I’m looking forward to see how we manage.”
Maverick Viñales, 17th and 22nd in the championship: “I was already at my limit this morning. I need to try and recover because this was a tough weekend. I tried what I could in the race and I had a good rhythm in the middle but it was very difficult. We’ll see how I feel in the coming days for the plan ahead.”
Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “With Pedro in 5th, Enea in the top ten and Brad in 11th after a tough race means we have to be happy. It was challenging as always here in Mandalika and the track temperatures were extreme. Pedro once again managed his race very well despite the tire pressures. Big respect for that. A solid weekend for Brad. We always want the best positions but he did all he could to get near the top ten today.”
Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing
The Pertamina Indonesian GP ends with bittersweet feelings for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, with Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli crossing the finish line in eighth and fourteenth place, respectively. However, both the riders and all the team felt honoured to hit the track with the special Garuda livery, the symbol of Indonesia, and are extremely grateful for the support and passion shown by the Indonesian fans.
Di Giannantonio started from the front row and immediately tried to join the battle for the podium. However, he lost two positions on the opening lap, dropping from third to fifth. Although his feeling on the bike was not as good as it had been during the Sprint, Fabio defended his position with great determination throughout the race, making decisive overtakes as he attempted to bounce back. An issue halted his progress, forcing him arrive to the Mandalika race finish line in eighth place. Di Giannantonio currently sits sixth in the World Standing with 245 points.
Morbidelli started from the fourth row and had a complicated start, losing seven positions. The opening stages proved to be challenging for Franco, who was in nineteenth place by the second lap. However, as the race progressed, the Italian-Brazilian rider began to find a better feeling on the bike and gradually made-up ground. Morbidelli fought his way back to fourteenth place at the chequered flag, earning two points. He now sits sixteenth in the World Standing with 59 points.
Following a record-breaking Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, with an attendance of 157,875 spectators, MotoGP will take a one-week break before returning to action at Phillip Island for the last time. The Australian GP will kick off the final overseas triple-header from 23rd to 25th October.
Fabio Di Giannantonio – 49
“Today, we could have done a great job, but unfortunately, we had a problem that caused us to lose all feeling with the front of the bike. At the beginning of the race, I stayed calm and focused on maintaining my pace because I knew our rivals had something extra and that it was going to be a long race. Our goal was to stay as close to them as possible, but at Turn 10 I had a significant front lock, and from that moment on, I had a lot of vibrations at the front of the bike. I was very lucky not to crash. It was a tough race, but despite the problem, we were still in the fight. There are plenty of positives to take away from this weekend. It was one of our best weekends of the season, with a front-row start in qualifying and a podium in the Sprint. I’m very happy, and we should be extremely proud of the work we’ve done.”
Franco Morbidelli – 21
“Today’s race went as I expected. We knew what our potential was and that we would be more competitive on more used tyres. The positive thing is that once the tyres reached their ideal temperature, I was able to find a better feeling than I had yesterday in the Sprint. Another positive is that we were very fast in the final stages of the race. On the final lap, I was the fastest Ducati rider and the third-fastest rider on the grid. Unfortunately, it was too late to recover any more positions. We also learned some new things this weekend.”
Pablo Nieto – Team Manager
“It has been a somewhat bittersweet weekend. On the one hand, we are extremely proud to have once again experienced the warmth and support of all the Indonesian fans and our partner, Pertamina Lubricants. From Monday, when we landed in Jakarta, right through to today here in Lombok, we have felt at home. It is a unique feeling, and we are truly grateful for it. Today’s result was not what we had hoped for, but we understand what prevented us from being more competitive. We hope that, at the very least, with yesterday’s Sprint podium and our front-row start, we were able to give something back and bring you some joy in return for all the support you have shown us over the past few days. See you next year!”
Honda HRC Castrol
The action continued to heat up at the Mandalika International Circuit with ambient temperatures rising as the MotoGP World Championship grid began their final preparation for the 27-lap Indonesian Grand Prix. A new record crowd of over 65,000 on race day embraced the heat to witness a thrilling race.
Making another incredible start when the lights went out, Luca Marini was able to repeat his start to the Sprint and immediately inserted himself into the battle for the top ten. Having made up five positions in just a few hundred meters, the Italian focused on maximising his early positive feeling and went on the attack. Keeping Quartararo at bay in the first half of the race, fading edge grip would limit Marini’s defensive capabilities and eventually drop him back into the hands of Bastianini and Binder.
Despite this, Marini was able to cross the line in 12th place and once again finish as the top Honda rider. Leaving Indonesia with a total of 108 points, the #10 sits comfortably as the leading Honda man also in the World Championship standings and remains just 17 points from the top ten.
After Saturday’s action, the Honda HRC Castrol team and Aleix Espargaro elected to withdraw from Sunday at the Indonesian GP. Given the physical restrictions felt by Espargaro already as a result of his injuries sustained at the start of the year, all involved decided this was the best course of action.
The Honda HRC Castrol squad and the rest of the MotoGP World Championship will enjoy a week off before an Australian, Malaysian and Qatar GP triple header starts on Friday, October 22 in Phillip Island.
Luca Marini 10
Honda HRC Castrol
“Again I was able to make a really good start and gain a lot of positions at the start. Once I was there in the top ten, I focused on defending my position as much as possible. The feeling with the bike and especially the tyres was a lot better than Saturday and we can see that from the pace in the first half. After 12 laps the edge grip started to drop and it became really difficult to defend from Fabio and then the KTM pair. At the end it is not as good as weekend as we were expecting, especially when last year we were so strong, but we at least finished as the top Honda again.”
Aprilia Racing
The weekend at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit ended with a historic result for Aprilia, which secured its first poker finish in MotoGP with four RS-GP26 bikes in the top four.
Starting second on the grid, Marco Bezzecchi rode a smart race on his RS-GP26 and set the fastest lap at 1:29.960. His victory is the 300th by an Italian rider in the top class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Today’s win is also his 11th in the top class and his fifth of the season, following victories at Buriram, Goiânia, Austin and Mugello.
Jorge Martín finished third after a solid race from the second row of the grid. This is the Spanish rider’s ninth podium of the season and his third in a row, following those in Austria and Japan. Today’s result also sees Martín regain the championship lead on 355 points.
The SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team riders were also outstanding. Raúl Fernández finished second, completing the all-Aprilia podium at Mandalika, while Ai Ogura’s fourth place secured a historic first clean sweep of the top four for the RS-GP.
As well as its first poker finish in MotoGP, this was Aprilia Racing’s fourth podium lockout of the season, following Le Mans, Assen and Silverstone. Today’s success takes the Noale manufacturer’s tally to 310 wins in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. It was also Aprilia’s eighth victory this season and its 16th overall in the top class.
MARCO BEZZECCHI
“I’m happy with my race. I really wanted to leave Mandalika with a good result, and I’d been chasing this win since my injury at the Sachsenring. It felt really good. Clearly, with only five races left, the title is more lost than won. But that doesn’t change how I think or work, especially with my team. I’m not a rider who gives up. That’s who I am, and I’m happy to have met so many like-minded people along the way who I’m fortunate enough to work with.”
JORGE MARTÍN
“I’m happy with this podium because I achieved the best possible result. Marco and Raúl had something extra all weekend. I tried to close the gap, but they were faster. I’m still a little disappointed with yesterday’s result because I could have won, but I’m happy with today’s. As for the championship, the most important thing is to stay in the title fight and, above all, arrive in Valencia with a chance.”
MASSIMO RIVOLA
“Once again, Aprilia means high drama, for better and for worse. Saturday started in the best possible way with pole position for Raúl Fernández, but the sprint was marred by a mistake at turn one and a serious error over Jorge’s front tyre pressure, for which we owe him an apology. At least Ai’s superb ride through the field salvaged something from it. Sunday, on the other hand, has been a day to remember, with four RS-GP bikes in the top four for the first time. We know it will be tough right to the end, but just as we don’t get disheartened when things go badly, we don’t get carried away when they go well. I want to congratulate everyone at Noale on their commitment and dedication, which are proving so valuable in this hard-fought season.”
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo delivered a strong performance around the Mandalika International Circuit today, combining solid race pace and tyre management in the demanding 27-lap Grand Prix of Indonesia. Pushing to the limit in the heat, he secured an encouraging ninth-place finish. Teammate Álex Rins was also in the mix for a top-10 result for much of the race, but a late drop in tyre performance hampered his progress, leaving him to cross the line in 15th place.
Quartararo started from P12 and maintained his position on the opening lap. After Fermín Aldeguer crashed on lap 2, the Frenchman moved up to 11th and set his sights on Francesco Bagnaia, whom he had battled during Saturday’s Sprint. This time, Bagnaia crashed out on lap 6, promoting Quartararo into the top 10. With more than 1.6s separating him from Luca Marini ahead, Quartararo focused on closing the gap while defending his position from Brad Binder, Enea Bastianini, and teammate Rins. With 10 laps remaining, he had reduced the deficit to Marini and was running directly behind him. One lap later, Quartararo made his move to take ninth place and immediately began reeling in Fabio Di Giannantonio in eighth. Despite his efforts, he narrowly missed out by 0.159s, taking the chequered flag in ninth place, 19.999s from the race winner.
Rins commenced from P13 and dropped to 16th on the opening lap. He overtook Johann Zarco on lap 2 and, following Aldeguer’s crash, moved into 14th place while chasing the riders ahead. On lap 6 and 11, he gained positions as Bagnaia crashed and Bastianini dropped back respectively. Riding in P12, the Spaniard soon found himself embroiled in a battle with Zarco. Initially coming out on top, Rins later lost two positions on lap 14. A further position was lost to Franco Morbidelli in the closing stages. Despite tyre drop, Rins continued to push in challenging conditions and crossed the finish line in 15th place, 31.662s from first.
Following the race, Quartararo is now joint 14th in the MotoGP World Championship standings with 74 points, while Rins keeps 20th place with 25 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP stay 10th in the Team Championship with 99 points, and Yamaha remain fifth in the Constructor Championship with 97 points.
The MotoGP paddock will now enjoy a one-week break before heading to the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit for the Australian Grand Prix, taking place from 23-25 October.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
“Overall this weekend has been quite positive for us. Fabio rode a really good race from the first to the very last lap, maintaining his position whilst making progress through the field to secure ninth place. He was close to eighth place at the end, which shows that our race pace was competitive. Álex was also in the fight for the top 10 during the first part of the race, but unfortunately he suffered a drop of the rear tyre in the closing stages, which made it difficult for him to maintain that pace. We leave Indonesia with useful data and good motivation to keep working. Now our focus shifts to Phillip Island – a very different circuit again – where we hope to continue building good momentum.”
FABIO QUARTARARO
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
“It was hot and physically demanding. I was struggling a lot on the first five laps, but I was able to maintain my position. After Moto2 and Moto3, the track conditions changed a lot, so I had some issues stopping in Turn 1 and Turn 10, but my feeling with the front was not so bad, so I could compensate a little bit. I saw that [Fabio] Di Giannantonio was struggling, but I came just one lap short. Also, on the last five laps, I destroyed my tyres. But I’m really happy with the race. It’s quite a great result getting P9 again.”
ÁLEX RINS
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
“We didn’t have the same feeling we had on Friday or Saturday. The track conditions had changed and with it everything else changed – though this was the same for everybody. From the first lap, I didn’t have a good feeling, and then we also overheated the tyres, so that made this race very tough.”
Prima Pramac Yamaha
What had started as an encouraging weekend for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit ended in disappointment, as neither Toprak Razgatlıoğlu nor Jack Miller was able to finish Sunday’s Indonesian Grand Prix. After showing improved feeling with the YZR-M1 on Friday, the team had hoped to build on that progress, with Miller continuing to make steps forward on Saturday. However, Razgatlıoğlu’s weekend took a difficult turn after a highside crash in Free Practice left him with a dislocated shoulder.
The Turkish rider lined up for Sunday’s race despite the injury, determined to give his best, but the challenge proved particularly demanding. Suffering from significant pain in his right shoulder and the surrounding area, Razgatlıoğlu was unable to continue and retired on lap eight. While his determination to race was clear, the physical discomfort ultimately made it impossible to complete the Grand Prix.
Miller’s race came to an end even earlier. The Australian had approached Sunday with hopes of fighting for a points finish, encouraged by the more competitive pace he had shown throughout the weekend. However, a crash on lap five forced him to retire, bringing a premature end to what had looked like an opportunity to build on the progress made since Friday.
The double DNF is a frustrating conclusion to a weekend that had offered encouraging signs of improvement, and leaves the team without the result it had hoped to take away from Indonesia. Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP will now focus on analysing the data collected at Mandalika and preparing for the next round in Australia, with the aim of turning the progress shown earlier in the weekend into a stronger race result.
GINO BORSOI
Team Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP
Unfortunately, it has been another disappointing weekend. Expectations were high, especially after the way Friday started, and we were hoping to fight for points and build on the progress we had shown. Toprak’s injury certainly made things more difficult, but Jack’s crash today was also a setback we could have done without.
We know we are facing difficulties at the moment, but we have shown that we can fight for points, so we need to understand why we are not managing to turn that potential into results. We have to make a change, be more precise in our work and make sure we are doing everything possible to give both riders the opportunity to achieve the results we know are within reach.
JACK MILLER
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Rider
It was pretty similar to Japan. I had a reasonably good feeling this morning, but as soon as we went out for the Sprint, the bike became almost unrideable. Something is not working as it should, whether it’s related to the fuel map or something else. The engine behaviour is inconsistent, and we need to work harder to understand why.
TOPRAK RAZGATLIOGLU
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP rider
Today, my biggest problem was my shoulder, not the bike. Yesterday, after the Sprint, it was not feeling too bad, but when I woke up this morning, the pain was much worse and I had less movement. I took painkillers, but the main issue was the lack of strength, especially under braking. With every lap, it became more difficult to manage the bike, particularly through the right-hand corners and the changes of direction.
Before the race, I spoke with the team, and they told me that if I felt too much pain, I should come back to the box or not race. But I wanted to try. I’m not a stupid rider: if I feel it is too dangerous or I cannot continue, I will stop. Today, I gave it my best, but during the race the situation became more difficult because moving my shoulder felt very strange, almost as if it could come out of place again. I eventually had to stop because I could no longer ride the bike properly.
Tomorrow, I will return to Turkey and have an MRI as soon as possible to understand the condition of my shoulder. I hope I won’t need surgery and that some rest will be enough to recover for the next race. We will see what the doctors say, but I hope I can come back stronger next weekend.
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