Aprilia lock out top three at Mandalika as Raul Fernandez sets new lap best and Martin edges Marquez
Raul Fernandez led an Aprilia 1-2-3 in Friday practice for the Indonesian MotoGP. Championship leader Jorge Martin was third, ahead of Marc Marquez in fifth.
Aprilia took the top three places in Friday practice for the Indonesian MotoGP at Mandalika on 9 October. Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez was fastest with a 1:28.725. Marco Bezzecchi was second and championship leader Jorge Martin third. Martin's title rival Marc Marquez was fifth for Ducati, so both men go straight into Q2 for Saturday's qualifying. It was the first time Aprilia had filled the top three in a MotoGP Practice session.
Fernandez goes under the circuit's best
Fernandez set his time in the last 15 minutes of the hour-long session. It was faster than the 1:28.832 Bezzecchi set in 2025, which had been the quickest lap recorded at the Lombok circuit. Bezzecchi was 0.219 seconds behind Fernandez and Martin 0.481 seconds behind.
The session started about 35 minutes late after a stoppage in Moto2 practice. The air temperature was around 29°C and the track reached 59°C.
The top ten into Q2
The ten fastest riders went straight into Q2:
- Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia), 1:28.725
- Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia), +0.219
- Jorge Martin (Aprilia), +0.481
- Pedro Acosta (KTM), +0.669
- Marc Marquez (Ducati), +0.701
- Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati), +0.705
- Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha), +0.833
- Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati), +0.847
- Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati), +0.968
- Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati), +1.061
Quartararo had a high-speed crash at Turn 9 but still got into the top ten. Alex Rins was 11th, just 0.09 seconds behind Bagnaia, and goes to Q1 with Jack Miller, Ai Ogura, Brad Binder and the rest. Gresini's Fermin Aldeguer crashed at the final corner and finished 15th. LCR Honda rookie Diogo Moreira crashed in the morning session and again at Turn 11 on his final push in the afternoon, ending up 19th.
In the morning FP1 session, Bezzecchi was quickest with a 1:30.132, ahead of Marc Marquez and Martin.
The title fight
Martin arrived in Lombok with 333 points, two ahead of Marc Marquez on 331. A two-point lead can change in Saturday's sprint, where the top nine riders score points. Marquez needs to outscore Martin by at least three points in the sprint to go top before Sunday. On Friday's evidence, Aprilia's pace gives Martin the advantage.
Saturday and Sunday times in Malaysia
Mandalika is on Central Indonesia Time (UTC+8), the same as Malaysia, so the local times work for Malaysian fans too:
- Q1: 10.50am, Saturday 10 October
- Q2: 11.15am, Saturday 10 October
- Sprint: 3pm, Saturday 10 October
- Grand Prix: 3pm, Sunday 11 October
Qualifying and the sprint had not started when this article was written.
Key takeaways
- Aprilia filled the top three in Friday practice at Mandalika for the first time, led by Raul Fernandez on 1:28.725.
- Fernandez's lap beat Bezzecchi's 2025 best of 1:28.832 at the circuit.
- Martin (third) and Marc Marquez (fifth), separated by two points in the standings, both go straight into Q2.
- Qualifying starts at 10.50am and the sprint at 3pm Malaysia time on Saturday.
FAQ
Who was fastest in Friday practice at the Indonesian MotoGP? Raul Fernandez of Trackhouse Aprilia, with a lap of 1:28.725.
What is the MotoGP championship gap before Mandalika? Jorge Martin leads Marc Marquez by two points, 333 to 331.
What time is the Mandalika sprint in Malaysia? The sprint starts at 3pm on Saturday, 10 October. Mandalika and Malaysia are both on UTC+8.
Sources: Crash.net, Grande Premio