News Summary
- Aprilia dominated Indonesian MotoGP Practice, with Raúl Fernández setting a new Mandalika lap record ahead of Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martín.
- Marc Márquez finished fifth, 0.220s behind championship leader Martín, with only two points separating them in the standings.
- Saturday’s qualifying and sprint could change the championship lead, with 12 points available to the sprint winner.
MotoGP’s Indonesian GP weekend began with Aprilia taking complete control of Friday’s Practice session at Mandalika, while the championship battle between Jorge Martín and Marc Márquez moved towards a potentially decisive Saturday.
Raúl Fernández set a new all-time circuit record of 1:28.725, beating Marco Bezzecchi by 0.219s and Martín by 0.481s. Pedro Acosta finished fourth for KTM, while Márquez completed the top five on his Ducati, 0.701s behind Fernández.
The results confirmed Aprilia’s expected competitiveness on Mandalika’s flowing layout, but also revealed a more complicated situation for the title contenders. Martín leads Márquez by just two points, 333 to 331, with both riders qualifying directly for Saturday’s Q2.
Aprilia dominates Mandalika as Fernández breaks lap record
Fernández produced the fastest lap of Friday’s Practice to complete an Aprilia sweep of the top three positions, the first such result for the manufacturer in a MotoGP Practice session.
Bezzecchi finished second, while Martín placed third to establish an early advantage over Márquez.
The session also featured several crashes, including incidents involving Fabio Quartararo, Fermín Aldeguer and Diogo Moreira. Despite falling, Quartararo recovered to finish seventh and qualify directly for Q2.
GRANDE PRÊMIO published the complete Indonesian MotoGP Practice results, including all 22 riders and their lap times.
Márquez admits he would prefer Fernández or Ogura ahead of Martín
Márquez acknowledged that Aprilia’s advantage was expected, but admitted that the identity of the riders finishing ahead could influence the championship battle.
“I’m happy for Raul,” Márquez said with a laugh after Friday’s session.
“I mean, if an Aprilia needs to perform well, I would prefer Raul or [Ai] Ogura than the other two.”
The Ducati rider also explained that his race pace was more encouraging than his single-lap performance, having found a better starting setup using information collected during the 2025 Indonesian GP weekend.
“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.”
Márquez’s complete explanation of Ducati’s pace and his preference among Aprilia riders is available in GRANDE PRÊMIO.
Bagnaia takes final Q2 place as Moreira faces Q1
Francesco Bagnaia secured the final automatic qualifying position after finishing 10th in Practice, narrowly ahead of Álex Rins.
Fernández, Bezzecchi, Martín, Acosta, Marc Márquez, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Quartararo, Álex Márquez, Franco Morbidelli and Bagnaia will advance directly to Q2.
Moreira finished 19th after another crash and must compete in Q1, alongside riders including Ai Ogura, Brad Binder, Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini.
The complete list of Indonesian MotoGP Q2 qualifiers and Q1 riders is available in the qualifying guide.
Can Márquez take the MotoGP championship lead on Saturday?
Yes. Márquez can overtake Martín in the standings during Saturday’s sprint, provided he scores at least three more points than his rival.
The sprint awards 12 points to the winner, nine to second place and seven to third. A Márquez victory would guarantee the championship lead regardless of Martín’s finishing position.
However, Aprilia’s Friday performance suggests Fernández and Bezzecchi could influence the points distribution, while Acosta also demonstrated strong pace with KTM.
GRANDE PRÊMIO has detailed the results Márquez needs to take the championship lead, with Saturday’s sprint offering the first opportunity for the standings to change.
What time are Indonesian MotoGP qualifying and sprint?
Qualifying begins on Saturday, October 10, at 10:50 local time, followed by Q2 at 11:15. The sprint starts at 15:00 in Mandalika.
| Session | UK (BST) | US/Canada (ET) | India (IST) | Australia (AEDT) | New Zealand (NZDT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Sat 03:50 | Fri 22:50 | Sat 08:20 | Sat 13:50 | Sat 15:50 |
| Q2 | Sat 04:15 | Fri 23:15 | Sat 08:45 | Sat 14:15 | Sat 16:15 |
| Sprint | Sat 08:00 | Sat 03:00 | Sat 12:30 | Sat 18:00 | Sat 20:00 |
| Grand Prix (Sunday) | Sun 08:00 | Sun 03:00 | Sun 12:30 | Sun 18:00 | Sun 20:00 |
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.
F1 today: FAQ
What time is Singapore GP sprint qualifying today?
Sprint qualifying starts at 20:30 Singapore time on Friday, October 9, equivalent to 13:30 BST in the UK, 08:30 ET in the United States and Canada, and 18:00 IST in India. The session determines the starting grid for Saturday’s sprint.
Who was fastest in Singapore GP FP1?
George Russell topped FP1 with a 1:32.274, driving Mercedes’ older W17 aerodynamic specification. Charles Leclerc finished second, 0.198s behind, followed by Lando Norris in third. Kimi Antonelli was seventh with the upgraded Mercedes, while Gabriel Bortoleto finished 16th.
Why is George Russell using the old Mercedes at the Singapore GP?
Mercedes is comparing its previous W17 specification with the aerodynamic upgrade introduced at Sepang. Russell is using the older package, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli retains the new version. Russell led FP1, but differences in tyre compounds and run programmes mean the result alone does not establish which specification is faster.
