Marc Marquez won the MotoGP Tissot Sprint race Saturday afternoon at Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26 on Michelin control tires, the seven-time MotoGP World Champion won the 13-lap race by 0.509 second.
Ai Ogura was the runner-up on his SuperFile Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP26.
Fabio Di Giannantonio finished third on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26.
Jorge Martin crossed the finish line fourth on his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26.
Alex Marquez got fifth on his BK8 Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP26.
Marc Marquez leads the championship with 343 points, 4 ahead of Jorge Martin who has 339 points. Marco Bezzecchi is third with 284 points.
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More, from a press release issued by MotoGP”
Marc Marquez wins dramatic Mandalika Sprint, Martin loses the lead after rollercoaster ride to fourth. The #93 emerges victorious in Indonesia, with Turn 1 drama for Bezzecchi and a dramatic Saturday afternoon for Martin seeing a new championship leader take over on top.
Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) takes home gold on Saturday at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, taking the lead in the Championship after a dramatic Tissot Sprint saw early leader Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) drop back, run off and then come home fourth. That was after Turn 1 drama off the start that sidelined Marco Bezzechi (Aprilia Racing) and polesitter Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team), changing the game early on after lights out.
Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) took second on the Sprint podium after escaping the drama early on, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) taking third.
LIGHTS OUT, DRAMA ON
There was immediate drama at Turn 1 as Fernandez vs Bezzecchi started as a drag race and then became a crunch, with Marc Marquez and Di Giannantonio both heading up the inside too. The top four all headed slightly wide and then the knock on effect saw Diggia sitting up make Marc Marquez sit up and then Bezzecchi left with nowhere to go, crashing out alongside polesitter Fernandez. Riders ok. As all that was happening, Martin carved around the apex and took the lead, in position to stake a strong claim on the 12 points for the win.
Behind him, Marc Marquez was holding second, with emerging in third ahead of Diggia after the #49 had slotted back in in fourth, defending it from Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP).
DUEL AT THE FRONT?
As the laps ticked down, it seemed a duel at the front as the #93 loomed large behind race leader Martin, but the Aprilia got the hammer down and started to build a gap, well over a second clear. But then drama suddenly as the #89 sat up with 4 laps to go, losing more than two seconds in the lap and watching Marquez take over in the lead.
Meanwhile, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was given a long lap for track limits, dropping him off the back of Diggia, Ogura and the podium fight. Martin slotted back in just ahead of the Japanese rider in that battle, but then the #89 started to reel in Sprint leader Marc Marquez once more. With three to go, the Aprilia was homing in and target locked on the leading Ducati – but he was bringing company.
Suddenly, the pendulum then swung back. As the title gap hovered at a single point, Martin was wide and off the circuit as he was forced into a save at Turn 15 – dropping out of the podium fight and leaving Ogura and Di Giannantonio to chase down the #93. The #89 was back in fourth.
THE LAST PUSH TO THE LINE
The metres were ticking down at the front but Ogura gave it a good run. The #79 halved the gap on the final lap then couldn’t quite make it to striking distance, leaving Marc Marquez to cross the line for his first Sprint win at Mandalika. Ogura’s P2 moves him to within a point of Acosta in fourth in the title fight, with Di Giannantonio completing the Saturday podium.
Then comes Martin. After leading the way and convincingly pulling away, dropping back and then ultimately losing out on the rostrum late on, the gap is now four points – and it’s now in favour of Marc Marquez at the top.
Alex Marquez takes P5 in some fresh air, with Acosta completing the top six after that Long Lap penalty for track limits. Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), the 2025 GP winner here, slots into P7 ahead of Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and the scorer of the final point: Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP).
That’s it from Sprint Saturday, but there’s plenty more to come on Sunday. Marc Marquez now leads the Championship by four points ahead of Martin – and a win takes 25 the 20 for second place. It can all change again tomorrow, with more laps, Bezzechi and Fernandez back in business, and another rollercoaster ready to race.
Join us at 15:00 (UTC +8) for the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia!
