News Summary
- Aprilia secured the top three positions in Friday’s Indonesian MotoGP Practice, led by Raúl Fernández’s record lap of 1:28.725.
- Jorge Martín finished third, 0.220s ahead of championship rival Marc Márquez, who placed fifth.
- Márquez trails Martín by only two points and faces a circuit where Ducati expects Aprilia to be particularly competitive.
Marc Márquez arrived at the Indonesian GP knowing Mandalika could be one of the most difficult circuits remaining in the 2026 MotoGP championship. Friday’s Practice provided the first evidence of why: Aprilia occupied the top three positions, while the Ducati rider finished 0.701s off the fastest time.
Raúl Fernández led the session with a new Mandalika lap record of 1:28.725, followed by Marco Bezzecchi and championship leader Jorge Martín. Pedro Acosta placed fourth for KTM, leaving Márquez fifth and separated from his title rival by 0.220s.
The result did not decide anything ahead of Saturday’s sprint, but it confirmed that Martín may have more than one Aprilia capable of fighting at the front. With only two points separating the championship leaders, the presence of Fernández and Bezzecchi could become an important factor in the distribution of points.
Aprilia’s advantage is bigger than Martín alone
Aprilia’s performance at Mandalika was not limited to one particularly strong lap from Martín.
Fernández dominated the final phase of Practice, becoming the first rider to break the 1:29 barrier before improving to 1:28.725. Bezzecchi finished second, 0.219s behind, while Martín completed the manufacturer’s first top-three sweep in a MotoGP Practice session.
The three riders compete with different teams and have different championship objectives, but their results point towards a common strength in the Aprilia package.
Mandalika’s flowing layout rewards corner speed, stability and the ability to maintain momentum through long-radius turns, characteristics that can favour the RS-GP. Ducati’s advantage in braking and acceleration, which proved particularly effective at Motegi, may be less decisive in Indonesia.
As GRANDE PRÊMIO reported in Friday’s complete Practice results, all three Aprilia riders finished ahead of Márquez, although the Ducati rider secured direct qualification for Q2.
Márquez already expected Mandalika to be difficult
Márquez had warned before the weekend that the Indonesian circuit would present a greater challenge than recent races.
Speaking to Spanish newspaper AS, the eight-time world champion acknowledged that the layout was not ideally suited to his motorcycle or riding style.
“I’m not ruling anything out from the start this weekend, but it should be a little more difficult for us than at other circuits because of the track layout, the bike and my riding style. But we’ll see. We need to start on Friday and build things up little by little.”
He also compared Mandalika with Silverstone and Assen, two venues where he has traditionally faced difficulties.
“I like this circuit more than Silverstone and Assen, especially Assen. Assen is the one I’ve struggled with the most. I like this one a little more,” Márquez said. “In fact, I finished on the podium here in 2024 with Gresini, in the sprint. We’ll see. We’ll try to get as close as possible, but it’s true that this circuit is more in the style of Assen and Silverstone. Here, both in theory and in practice, on paper Aprilia should be very fast.”
Friday’s results were consistent with that assessment. Aprilia led the session, while Márquez finished behind three RS-GPs and Acosta’s KTM.
Bezzecchi and Fernández could influence the title fight
The presence of two additional Aprilias near the front creates a complication for Márquez.
Martín does not necessarily need to win both races to extend his championship advantage. If Fernández and Bezzecchi remain competitive, they could occupy positions between the championship contenders and increase the points difference.
In Saturday’s sprint, first place is worth 12 points, second nine and third seven. A result in which Martín finishes ahead of Márquez with other riders separating them could therefore create a larger championship swing than a straightforward battle between the two Spaniards.
However, Fernández and Bezzecchi are racing for their own results, and their Friday performance does not guarantee they will finish ahead of Márquez in either race.
Bezzecchi remains third in the championship, 49 points behind Martín, and has made clear that he intends to continue fighting for victories rather than change his approach because of the leading pair’s title battle.
Fernández, meanwhile, has an opportunity to convert his record-breaking Friday pace into a strong result for Trackhouse.
Qualifying could make Aprilia’s advantage more significant
Both Martín and Márquez qualified directly for Q2, but their positions on the starting grid could have a major influence on Saturday’s sprint.
Mandalika combines fast direction changes with sections where overtaking requires precise positioning and strong corner-exit speed. Starting behind several competitive Aprilias could therefore make Márquez’s task more difficult.
The Ducati rider has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to recover positions during races, but the shorter sprint provides less time to compensate for a poor starting position.
Martín leads the championship with 333 points to Márquez’s 331, meaning the Ducati rider needs to gain at least three points on his rival to move ahead outright on Saturday.
Friday’s Practice established Aprilia as the early benchmark. Saturday’s qualifying will determine whether Márquez can start close enough to challenge the manufacturer’s leading riders.
The complete Indonesian MotoGP schedule, including qualifying and broadcast information is available in GRANDE PRÊMIO‘s weekend guide. GRANDE PRÊMIO provides full coverage of the MotoGP championship.
MotoGP today: FAQ
Who was fastest in Indonesian MotoGP Practice at Mandalika?
Raúl Fernández topped Friday’s Practice with a new Mandalika lap record of 1:28.725, leading an Aprilia 1-2-3 ahead of Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martín. Marc Márquez finished fifth, 0.220s behind championship rival Martín. All four qualified directly for Q2.
Can Marc Márquez take the MotoGP championship lead in Saturday’s sprint?
Yes. Márquez trails Jorge Martín by just two points, 331 to 333. The Ducati rider can move ahead by scoring at least three more points than Martín during Saturday’s sprint. A Márquez victory would guarantee the championship lead regardless of Martín’s result.
What time is Indonesian MotoGP qualifying and the sprint on Saturday?
Qualifying begins at 10:50 local time on Saturday, October 10, equivalent to 03:50 BST in the UK and 22:50 EDT on Friday in the United States and Canada. The sprint starts at 15:00 local time, equivalent to 08:00 BST and 03:00 EDT on Saturday.
Why is Aprilia so competitive at Mandalika?
Mandalika’s flowing corners and emphasis on maintaining corner speed can favour the Aprilia RS-GP. Fernández, Bezzecchi and Martín finished first, second and third in Friday’s Practice.
