News Summary
- Marc Márquez admitted that winning the Indonesian sprint had not been his original objective, given Aprilia’s superior pace at Mandalika.
- The Ducati rider revealed that he nearly crashed during the opening laps and had to change his approach before recovering.
- Márquez capitalised on Jorge Martín’s difficulties to win the sprint and take a four-point championship lead.
Marc Márquez has admitted that winning the Indonesian MotoGP sprint was not part of his original expectations, after overcoming an early scare and taking advantage of Aprilia’s difficulties to claim victory at Mandalika and move into the championship lead for the first time in 2026.
The Ducati rider arrived in Indonesia expecting to struggle against the Aprilias, which had dominated Friday’s Practice and occupied the first two positions on the starting grid. However, a first-corner incident eliminated Raúl Fernández and Marco Bezzecchi, while Jorge Martín eventually surrendered the lead amid tyre-pressure problems.
Márquez went on to win the 13-lap race ahead of Ai Ogura and Fabio Di Giannantonio, collecting 12 points and moving four ahead of Martín in the championship, 343 to 339.
Márquez admits victory was not his original target
Márquez had already acknowledged before the weekend that Mandalika was unlikely to favour his Ducati, particularly through the circuit’s flowing corners.
The Spaniard had struggled to match Aprilia over a single lap during Friday’s Practice, although he believed his race pace was more competitive.
His prospects changed immediately after the start when Fernández and Bezzecchi collided at Turn 1, removing two of the strongest contenders from the race.
Márquez also experienced a difficult opening phase, revealing afterwards that he had come close to crashing and needed to reduce his pace to regain control.
The Ducati rider subsequently remained close enough to Martín to benefit when the Aprilia rider encountered difficulties with his front tyre pressure.
‘You have to chase luck,’ says Márquez
Márquez acknowledged that the circumstances of the race had worked in his favour, despite the problems he encountered during the opening laps.
“You have to chase luck,” the Spaniard said after the sprint.
The eight-time world champion had not expected to challenge for victory after seeing Aprilia’s pace throughout the weekend, but the incidents involving Fernández and Bezzecchi transformed the race.
Martín initially appeared capable of winning, but a front tyre-pressure problem forced him to allow Márquez through with five laps remaining.
The Aprilia rider subsequently made another mistake while attempting to recover, running wide and dropping to fourth.
As GRANDE PRÊMIO reported in its complete Indonesian sprint coverage, Márquez crossed the line 0.509s ahead of Ogura, with Di Giannantonio completing the podium.
Márquez turns difficult Mandalika weekend into championship advantage
The victory was particularly significant because Márquez had never previously completed a Sunday MotoGP Grand Prix at Mandalika.
He arrived at the Indonesian circuit two points behind Martín, having reduced the championship gap through a series of strong results during the second half of the season.
The Ducati rider had also acknowledged before the weekend that he wanted to score as close as possible to the maximum 37 points available, despite Aprilia’s expected advantage.
His victory produced the seventh change of championship leader in 2026, continuing a season in which Pedro Acosta, Marco Bezzecchi, Martín and Márquez have all occupied first place.
GRANDE PRÊMIO documented all seven championship lead changes, including the latest reversal at Mandalika.
Martín’s tyre-pressure problem opens the door
Martín had led much of the sprint after the opening-corner incident, but his race was compromised by a front tyre-pressure problem.
The Aprilia rider explained that an error in tyre preparation prevented him from maintaining the required minimum pressure while running at the front.
He deliberately allowed Márquez through to increase the tyre temperature and pressure while following another motorcycle, but subsequently ran wide while attempting to recover the position.
“We win and we lose together,” Martín said after the race.
The complete explanation of Martín’s tyre-pressure problem is available in GRANDE PRÊMIO.
Márquez now leads the championship with 343 points to Martín’s 339, with another 25 points available in Sunday’s Grand Prix.
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.
