News Summary
- Marc Márquez wants to score as close as possible to the maximum 37 points available at the Indonesian GP.
- The Ducati rider has never finished a Sunday MotoGP race at Mandalika, but trails Jorge Martín by only two points in the championship.
- Márquez believes the circuit’s characteristics favour Aprilia and could make this weekend more difficult than recent rounds.
Marc Márquez has refused to rule out a perfect weekend at the Indonesian GP, setting his sights on the maximum 37 points available at Mandalika despite never having finished a Sunday MotoGP race at the circuit.
The Ducati rider arrives in Indonesia just two points behind championship leader Jorge Martín, having reduced the gap dramatically at Motegi. However, Mandalika presents a considerably different challenge, with its flowing corners expected to favour Aprilia over Ducati.
Speaking to Spanish newspaper AS ahead of the weekend, Márquez acknowledged that his target might appear ambitious given his previous results at the circuit, but insisted that he would not lower his expectations before the first practice session.
Márquez refuses to rule out a perfect weekend
Márquez was asked about Martín’s decision not to place additional pressure on himself by targeting all 37 points available across Saturday’s sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix.
The eight-time world champion explained that each rider approaches the championship differently and that he has never been reluctant to declare his ambitions when he believes a perfect weekend is possible.
“Everyone approaches it however they want. It’s true that, in my case, I’ve always been honest, and when I’ve gone for the 37 points, I’ve said so — and it’s worked out well many times,” Márquez told AS.
“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.”
The Spaniard’s comments reflect the difference between the two championship contenders. Martín is trying to protect his narrow advantage, while Márquez arrives with momentum after his Japanese GP performance.
Márquez admits his target sounds ambitious at Mandalika
Asked to define his objective for the Indonesian GP, Márquez was explicit about wanting to maximise his points haul.
“To be as close as possible to 37. I know that might sound very ambitious because I’m at Mandalika and I haven’t finished a single race here in the last four years,” he said.
“But I’ll try to get as close as possible. Then we’ll see whether it’s 20, 30 or 10 points. Hopefully it’ll be as many as possible so we can stay in the fight for the World Championship.”
Márquez has never finished a Sunday MotoGP race at Mandalika, making the circuit one of the most unusual gaps in his record.
In 2022, he suffered a violent crash during warm-up and was withdrawn after being diagnosed with a concussion. He crashed out of the Grand Prix in 2023, while an engine failure ended his race in 2024 when he was competing for Gresini Ducati.
The Spaniard nevertheless demonstrated competitive pace at the circuit in 2024, finishing third in the sprint before retiring from Sunday’s race.
As GRANDE PRÊMIO previously examined, Mandalika has repeatedly prevented Márquez from converting his speed into a Grand Prix result.
Márquez expects Aprilia to be particularly strong
Márquez also compared Mandalika with Silverstone and Assen, two circuits where he has traditionally faced greater difficulties.
He acknowledged that Indonesia presents some of the same technical challenges, particularly because the flowing layout places considerable emphasis on corner speed and maintaining momentum.
“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.”
That assessment reinforces Ducati’s expectations ahead of the Indonesian GP.
Team manager Davide Tardozzi has already acknowledged that losing 10-12 points to Martín could be an acceptable outcome, particularly because the Aprilia RS-GP is expected to suit Mandalika’s characteristics.
Martín also has a stronger recent record at the circuit, having won the Indonesian GP in 2024 during his championship-winning campaign.
Only two points separate Martín and Márquez
The championship situation makes Márquez’s ambitions particularly significant.
Martín arrives at Mandalika with 333 points, compared with Márquez’s 331, leaving the title fight almost level with six rounds remaining.
A sprint victory awards 12 points, while Sunday’s Grand Prix offers another 25. That means Márquez can take the championship lead as early as Saturday, even if Martín also finishes on the podium.
The exact scenarios are detailed in GRANDE PRÊMIO‘s guide to what Márquez needs to lead the championship after the Indonesian sprint.
Aprilia’s expected strength could also bring Marco Bezzecchi into contention, adding another rider capable of influencing the championship battle.
The Indonesian GP takes place from October 9-11, with qualifying and the sprint on Saturday before Sunday’s Grand Prix at 15:00 local time. GRANDE PRÊMIO follows the latest MotoGP news throughout the Mandalika weekend.
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.
How many points does Marc Márquez need to lead MotoGP in Indonesia?
Márquez trails Jorge Martín by two points. He can take the championship lead by scoring at least three more points than Martín during Saturday’s sprint.
