News Summary
- Marc Márquez says he would prefer Raúl Fernández or Ai Ogura to lead Aprilia’s challenge, rather than Jorge Martín or Marco Bezzecchi.
- The Ducati rider admits he is struggling more over a single lap but believes his race pace is consistent after finding a better setup at Mandalika.
- Márquez finished fifth in Friday’s Practice, with just two points separating him from championship leader Martín ahead of Saturday’s sprint.
Marc Márquez has admitted that he would rather see Raúl Fernández or Ai Ogura leading Aprilia’s challenge at the Indonesian GP than championship rival Jorge Martín or Marco Bezzecchi, revealing how the manufacturer’s dominance at Mandalika could influence the 2026 MotoGP title fight.
Aprilia occupied the top three positions in Friday’s Practice, with Fernández setting a new circuit record ahead of Bezzecchi and Martín. Márquez finished fifth, 0.701s behind the Trackhouse rider and 0.220s slower than Martín, but believes Ducati is closer to the front than he expected before the weekend.
Speaking to reporters after the session, Márquez laughed when asked about Fernández’s performance and acknowledged that the identity of the leading Aprilia riders matters to his championship prospects.
Márquez would rather see Fernández or Ogura ahead
Fernández’s performance provided an unusual opportunity for Márquez. Although the Trackhouse rider competes on Aprilia machinery, he is not directly involved in the championship fight between the Ducati rider and Martín.
That makes his position potentially valuable to Márquez if he can finish ahead of the championship leader.
“I’m happy for Raul,” Márquez said with a laugh. “I mean, if an Aprilia needs to perform well, I would prefer Raul or [Ai] Ogura than the other two.”
The Spaniard also acknowledged that the RS-GP was particularly competitive through Mandalika’s flowing corners, which place greater emphasis on corner speed and maintaining momentum.
“But we are only on Friday. As we know, all Aprilias are first, second, third; they are super-fast on these flowing corners, flowing tracks. “Let’s see. [We’ll] try to work on our strong points.”
Martín leads Márquez by only two points, 333 to 331, meaning the finishing order among the leading Aprilias could have a significant effect on Saturday’s sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Bezzecchi remains third in the championship, 49 points behind Martín, while Fernández and Ogura are competing primarily for their own results.
Márquez says Ducati is closer than expected
Despite finishing behind three Aprilias and Pedro Acosta’s KTM, Márquez was encouraged by his first day at Mandalika.
The eight-time world champion had expected Ducati to struggle more than it did, particularly on a circuit where he has historically found it difficult to maintain the required corner speed.
“At least we are there, in the middle of the group,” Márquez told. “It’s true that we are not the fastest ones, as we expected, but closer than what we thought yesterday. So, happy.”
“First of all, my mood is another one. But it’s true that the feeling is better; I’m able to ride with more consistency.”
Márquez explained that improvements discovered during the 2025 Indonesian GP weekend, before the crash that ended his season, had provided a better starting point for this year’s setup.
“Last year we already understood a bit what I need on this track.”
Those changes have allowed him to ride more consistently, even though he continues to struggle when attempting to extract maximum performance over a single lap.
Ducati’s race pace gives Márquez hope for the sprint
Márquez believes the biggest difference between his Ducati and the leading Aprilias is currently more evident in qualifying simulations than over longer runs.
“It’s true that on the race pace I feel consistent, but on the time attack is where I struggle more. So, let’s see if tomorrow we can improve.”
The Spaniard also highlighted how Mandalika’s surface changes as more rubber is deposited throughout the weekend, improving grip and potentially reducing the disadvantage he experiences early in the event.
“Last year, what I noticed was during the weekend the track was always getting more and more rubbered, and the grip was better and better, I was closer and closer to the top guys. So, we need to understand well. It’s true that the warm-up is the practice where we have the best grip of a weekend, because we are coming from a sprint race.”
That progression could be particularly important for Márquez, who has already demonstrated strong race pace but needs to improve his qualifying performance to avoid starting behind several Aprilias.
Márquez believes two tenths could put Ducati in the top three
Márquez identified a relatively small improvement as the difference between his current position and a potential front-row challenge.
“It’s true that last year’s data helped us to start with a better base this year, but still we need to improve some areas to be more consistent – not because I’m inconsistent, but to try to be a bit faster by one, two tenths, which gives us the opportunity to fight for the top five, top three.”
That target is significant because Márquez finished only 0.220s behind Martín in Friday’s Practice, despite the larger gap to Fernández’s record-breaking lap.
Both championship contenders advanced directly to Q2, avoiding Saturday’s opening qualifying session.
As GRANDE PRÊMIO reported in its complete Indonesian Practice coverage, Fernández led Bezzecchi and Martín in Aprilia’s first top-three sweep of a MotoGP Practice session.
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.
