Sometimes a weekend just can’t help but go your way. Take Marc Marquez, maybe the luckiest man on the grid right now. It seems this tournament really is going down to the wire, and playing a giant part in that is just how good these Aprilia bikes are right now. Playing four-in-a-row with a race’s top positions is the kind of game we’re used to seeing from Ducati, but it seems that The Other Italian Manufacturer is beating those Bologna Boys at their own game.
And then there is the hero of the hour, Raul Fernandez, with his exceptional finger work. How a man who has used his index finger for braking his entire life can just switch like that remains a mystery, even to Mat and Peter. And guess what: they know the brakes!
So get yourself a drink and get ready to hear us tell you all about the race at Mandalika this weekend. Cheers!
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The MotoGP Grand Prix at Mandalika in Indonesia is in the books, with Marco Bezzecchi taking the victory ahead of Raul Fernandez, while Jorge Martin completed the podium for Aprilia Racing. Read the teams’ post-race PR below.
More from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing:
Aprilia Racing makes history with its first MotoGP poker at Mandalika.
The weekend at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit ended with a historic result for Aprilia, which secured its first poker finish in MotoGP with four RS-GP26 bikes in the top four.
Starting second on the grid, Marco Bezzecchi rode a smart race on his RS-GP26 and set the fastest lap at 1:29.960. His victory is the 300th by an Italian rider in the top class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Today’s win is also his 11th in the top class and his fifth of the season, following victories at Buriram, Goiânia, Austin and Mugello.
Jorge Martín finished third after a solid race from the second row of the grid. This is the Spanish rider’s ninth podium of the season and his third in a row, following those in Austria and Japan. Today’s result also sees Martín regain the championship lead on 355 points.
The SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team riders were also outstanding. Raúl Fernández finished second, completing the all-Aprilia podium at Mandalika, while Ai Ogura’s fourth place secured a historic first clean sweep of the top four for the RS-GP.
As well as its first poker finish in MotoGP, this was Aprilia Racing’s fourth podium lockout of the season, following Le Mans, Assen and Silverstone. Today’s success takes the Noale manufacturer’s tally to 310 wins in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. It was also Aprilia’s eighth victory this season and its 16th overall in the top class.
Marco Bezzecchi (72) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Aprilia.
Marco Bezzecchi: “I’m happy with my race. I really wanted to leave Mandalika with a good result, and I’d been chasing this win since my injury at the Sachsenring. It felt really good. Clearly, with only five races left, the title is more lost than won. But that doesn’t change how I think or work, especially with my team. I’m not a rider who gives up. That’s who I am, and I’m happy to have met so many like-minded people along the way who I’m fortunate enough to work with.”
Jorge Martin (89) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Aprilia.
Jorge Martin: “I’m happy with this podium because I achieved the best possible result. Marco and Raúl had something extra all weekend. I tried to close the gap, but they were faster. I’m still a little disappointed with yesterday’s result because I could have won, but I’m happy with today’s. As for the championship, the most important thing is to stay in the title fight and, above all, arrive in Valencia with a chance.”
Massimo Rivola – CEO Aprilia: “Once again, Aprilia means high drama, for better and for worse. Saturday started in the best possible way with pole position for Raúl Fernández, but the sprint was marred by a mistake at turn one and a serious error over Jorge’s front tyre pressure, for which we owe him an apology. At least Ai’s superb ride through the field salvaged something from it. Sunday, on the other hand, has been a day to remember, with four RS-GP bikes in the top four for the first time. We know it will be tough right to the end, but just as we don’t get disheartened when things go badly, we don’t get carried away when they go well. I want to congratulate everyone at Noale on their commitment and dedication, which are proving so valuable in this hard-fought season.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Marc Márquez and the Ducati Lenovo Team wrap up the Grand Prix of Indonesia with a sixth-place finish. Francesco Bagnaia crashes out on lap six.
The Ducati Lenovo Team completed the Grand Prix of Indonesia at the Mandalika International Circuit. Marc Márquez finished the race in sixth place, while Francesco Bagnaia’s race came to an early end due to a crash.
Márquez moved up one place at the start before dropping back to fourth on lap three. From lap seven onwards, Marc exchanged positions with the riders around him on several occasions, ultimately finishing sixth. Bagnaia, tenth on the grid, crashed at Turn 17 on lap six while running in tenth place.
As the seventeenth Grand Prix of the season draws to a close, Marc Márquez is second in the championship standings with 353 points, two points behind the leader. Francesco Bagnaia is ninth with 166 points. The Ducati Lenovo Team is second in the teams’ standings with 519 points, while Ducati sits second in the constructors’ championship with 491 points.
The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action on Friday, October 23rd, for the opening day of the Grand Prix of Australia at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
Pedro Acosta (37) and Marc Marquez (93) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 6th: “This weekend went really well, and I’m very happy that I didn’t lose any points to Martín. It’s true that you always want more and that we struggled in the race today, but we expected that over the full race distance. We struggled, but at the same time, we managed the situation perfectly and came out swinging. I stayed focused on the present without thinking about the fact that I hadn’t finished a race here before today, so we can’t complain.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – DNF: “This weekend I lacked speed and confidence. I was trying to follow Luca Marini, but it was clear that I didn’t have the pace to do so and, when I tried to give something extra, I crashed. On a track like this, I feel the lack of rear-end grip and connection with the throttle that I’ve been experiencing even more, as being effective mid-corner is really important here. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to make the steps forward we were hoping for, but we’ll continue to work ahead of the next race.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Quartararo Takes 9th in Indonesian GP Race, Rins Finishes Inside the Points in P15.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo showed strong race pace in the hot 27-lap Grand Prix of Indonesia Race, riding from P12 on the grid to P9 at the chequered flag. Álex Rins also put up a determined fight but ultimately finished the contest in P15.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo delivered a strong performance around the Mandalika International Circuit today, combining solid race pace and tyre management in the demanding 27-lap Grand Prix of Indonesia. Pushing to the limit in the heat, he secured an encouraging ninth-place finish. Teammate Álex Rins was also in the mix for a top-10 result for much of the race, but a late drop in tyre performance hampered his progress, leaving him to cross the line in 15th place.
Quartararo started from P12 and maintained his position on the opening lap. After Fermín Aldeguer crashed on lap 2, the Frenchman moved up to 11th and set his sights on Francesco Bagnaia, whom he had battled during Saturday’s Sprint. This time, Bagnaia crashed out on lap 6, promoting Quartararo into the top 10. With more than 1.6s separating him from Luca Marini ahead, Quartararo focused on closing the gap while defending his position from Brad Binder, Enea Bastianini, and teammate Rins. With 10 laps remaining, he had reduced the deficit to Marini and was running directly behind him. One lap later, Quartararo made his move to take ninth place and immediately began reeling in Fabio Di Giannantonio in eighth. Despite his efforts, he narrowly missed out by 0.159s, taking the chequered flag in ninth place, 19.999s from the race winner.
Rins commenced from P13 and dropped to 16th on the opening lap. He overtook Johann Zarco on lap 2 and, following Aldeguer’s crash, moved into 14th place while chasing the riders ahead. On lap 6 and 11, he gained positions as Bagnaia crashed and Bastianini dropped back respectively. Riding in P12, the Spaniard soon found himself embroiled in a battle with Zarco. Initially coming out on top, Rins later lost two positions on lap 14. A further position was lost to Franco Morbidelli in the closing stages. Despite tyre drop, Rins continued to push in challenging conditions and crossed the finish line in 15th place, 31.662s from first.
Following the race, Quartararo is now joint 14th in the MotoGP World Championship standings with 74 points, while Rins keeps 20th place with 25 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP stay 10th in the Team Championship with 99 points, and Yamaha remain fifth in the Constructor Championship with 97 points.
The MotoGP paddock will now enjoy a one-week break before heading to the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit for the Australian Grand Prix, taking place from 23-25 October.
Fabio Quartararo (20) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Fabio Quartararo:“It was hot and physically demanding. I was struggling a lot on the first five laps, but I was able to maintain my position. After Moto2 and Moto3, the track conditions changed a lot, so I had some issues stopping in Turn 1 and Turn 10, but my feeling with the front was not so bad, so I could compensate a little bit. I saw that [Fabio] Di Giannantonio was struggling, but I came just one lap short. Also, on the last five laps, I destroyed my tyres. But I’m really happy with the race. It’s quite a great result getting P9 again.”
Alex Rins (42) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Alex Rins:“We didn’t have the same feeling we had on Friday or Saturday. The track conditions had changed and with it everything else changed – though this was the same for everybody. From the first lap, I didn’t have a good feeling, and then we also overheated the tyres, so that made this race very tough.”
Massimo Meregalli – Team Director:“Overall this weekend has been quite positive for us. Fabio rode a really good race from the first to the very last lap, maintaining his position whilst making progress through the field to secure ninth place. He was close to eighth place at the end, which shows that our race pace was competitive. Álex was also in the fight for the top 10 during the first part of the race, but unfortunately he suffered a drop of the rear tyre in the closing stages, which made it difficult for him to maintain that pace. We leave Indonesia with useful data and good motivation to keep working. Now our focus shifts to Phillip Island – a very different circuit again – where we hope to continue building good momentum.”
More, from a press release issued by Honda HRC:
Top ten fight rounds out Indonesian GP for Marini.
Luca Marini was the lone representative of the Honda HRC Castrol team and valiantly fought for tenth after the withdrawal of Aleix Espargaro in Mandalika.
The action continued to heat up at the Mandalika International Circuit with ambient temperatures rising as the MotoGP World Championship grid began their final preparation for the 27-lap Indonesian Grand Prix. A new record crowd of over 65,000 on race day embraced the heat to witness a thrilling race.
Making another incredible start when the lights went out, Luca Marini was able to repeat his start to the Sprint and immediately inserted himself into the battle for the top ten. Having made up five positions in just a few hundred meters, the Italian focused on maximising his early positive feeling and went on the attack. Keeping Quartararo at bay in the first half of the race, fading edge grip would limit Marini’s defensive capabilities and eventually drop him back into the hands of Bastianini and Binder.
Despite this, Marini was able to cross the line in 12th place and once again finish as the top Honda rider. Leaving Indonesia with a total of 108 points, the #10 sits comfortably as the leading Honda man also in the World Championship standings and remains just 17 points from the top ten.
After Saturday’s action, the Honda HRC Castrol team and Aleix Espargaro elected to withdraw from Sunday at the Indonesian GP. Given the physical restrictions felt by Espargaro already as a result of his injuries sustained at the start of the year, all involved decided this was the best course of action.
The Honda HRC Castrol squad and the rest of the MotoGP World Championship will enjoy a week off before an Australian, Malaysian and Qatar GP triple header starts on Friday, October 22 in Phillip Island.
Luca Marini (10) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Honda.
Luca Marini:“Again I was able to make a really good start and gain a lot of positions at the start. Once I was there in the top ten, I focused on defending my position as much as possible. The feeling with the bike and especially the tyres was a lot better than Saturday and we can see that from the pace in the first half. After 12 laps the edge grip started to drop and it became really difficult to defend from Fabio and then the KTM pair. At the end it is not as good as weekend as we were expecting, especially when last year we were so strong, but we at least finished as the top Honda again.”
More, from a press release issued by Gresini:
Alex Marquez scored points, Fermin Aldeguer injured.
RACEDAY
ALEX MARQUEZ 7º
FERMIN ALDEGUER NC
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ALEX MARQUEZ 8º (172)
FERMIN ALDEGUER 10º (125)
TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
BK8 GRESINI RACING 5º (306)
Alex Marquez (73) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Gresini.
Alex Marquez:“I was hoping to have more pace on the medium tyre, and we actually did, but the Aprilias were flying today. The result isn’t what we were hoping for, but we still fought hard and came away with some important points. Now we’ll reset this week and try to recover after a very intense weekend, also from a physical standpoint.”
Angel Charte – MotoGP Medical Director: “Fermín Aldeguer has sustained a fracture at the base of the first metacarpal bone in his right hand and will have to undergo surgery.”
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3:
Late Mandalika attack takes Bastianini to top 10 finish.
Enea Bastianini was among the fastest riders on track in the second half of the Indonesian Grand Prix as he recovered ground to finish tenth, while Maverick Viñales came home in 17th.
With track temperatures of 62 degrees and 73% humidity, Sunday’s 27-lap race at the Mandalika International Circuit was among the most physically challenging Grand Prix of the year. 53,296 fans were in attendance to witness it.
The temperatures were only heightened for Bastianini at the start when he was riding in the main group. The Italian found it difficult to turn his KTM RC16 and hold the correct line in the track’s 17 corners while trying to manage his front tyre pressure.
However, as the group spread apart, ‘La Bestia’ started to feel more at home. From mid-race he could lap comfortably in the 1’30s, which was a similar pace to the riders fighting for the podium. Late moves saw him pass Brad Binder and Luca Marini on lap 23 and 26 respectively, which elevated him to tenth place – his eleventh top ten finish of the season so far.
Viñales had a difficult Sunday. The Spaniard didn’t feel at his physical best in morning Warm Up. Despite that, ‘Top Gun’ resolved to finish the race despite the punishing conditions and crossed the line in 17th.
The Tech3 team now have one weekend free before a run of three rounds in three weeks. That kicks off with the final Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island from 23-25 October.
Enea Bastianini (23) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Tech3.
Enea Bastianini: “It was a very difficult start, like always when you are starting behind many riders. But as the race progressed and the group spread apart, it was better for me. Today I suffered a lot in the slipstream, just like yesterday. My bike felt a little nervous when I was tucked in behind the others. The bike didn’t want to stay on line, and turning was tricky. Plus, we felt the turbulence from the other bikes. We need to study this for Phillip Island. From the middle of the race, it was much better. I came back, was fast and did a good job at the end. I’m not really happy about the result. Next time out the aim will be to qualify much better. Let’s see what we can do in Australia.”
Maverick Viñales (12) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Tech3.
Maverick Viñales: “It was a bad race. Already this morning in the Warm Up I felt really bad and at my limit. I did the race and tried to finish for my team. I tried to do a good rhythm in the middle of the race but it was really difficult. I tried to push but, also, I still don’t feel so good with the bike. It was very tough to do something good. Now is the time just to relax and go onto the next one. I will not train for the next days and try to recover and see the evolution of my physical condition over the next days. It was a very tough weekend.”
Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager: “In the end we’re leaving Mandalika with a strong top ten from Enea. This was the target before the race, but it wasn’t as easy as expected. Enea struggled in the first half of the race but did a super good job in the second half when he was one of the fastest riders on track. It wasn’t an easy weekend, but in the end Enea did a good job. Starting 14th, he ended up in tenth. It’s a decent job on our side.
“On the other side of the garage the situation is a little more tricky. For some reason, Maverick never really felt comfortable on the bike. He didn’t find a good setup and couldn’t find the confidence. It was clearly a disappointing result today. Maverick will have to take a break, refresh himself and come back in Phillip Island in better spirits and there is no reason why we can’t do it. Now it’s time to pack up everything, have one week off and then head to Australia.”
More from a press release issued by Castrol Honda LCR:
Castrol Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco finished 13th in Sunday’s race at Mandalika.
Starting from 19th on the grid, Zarco made a good start and immediately put himself in the fight for points and a top-10 finish.
The French rider put together strong laps and maintained a consistent pace, although he admitted that he had chosen not to push too hard in order to avoid making mistakes.
He eventually crossed the finish line in 13th place, scoring valuable points and gathering useful data for the upcoming rounds.
Johann Zarco (5) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Honda LCR.
Johann Zarco 13th:“I’m happy to have finished the race and scored some points. During the race, I had a good pace, but I got frustrated because I had to leave myself some margin to avoid crashing. I lost time that way. I couldn’t fight the way I wanted to, and it was tough. We need to look at the bright side, as it was a hard weekend, but we scored points. We’ll see how things go in Australia!”
More from a press release issued by Pro Honda LCR:
Pro Honda LCR rider Diogo Moreira finished 16th in Sunday’s race at Mandalika.
Starting from 20th on the grid, Moreira faced a challenging comeback mission on Indonesian soil.
The Brazilian rider put in some strong laps early in the race, moving into the points and fighting hard to defend his position intelligently.
After a difficult weekend, Diogo eventually crossed the finish line in 16th place, avoiding mistakes and gathering valuable data and information for the upcoming races.
Diogo Moreira (11) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Honda LCR.
Diogo Moreira 16th:“This weekend was difficult. Today, I tried to finish the race without crashing or making mistakes. I just wanted to finish the weekend. We couldn’t do more than that, but we gave it our best. Now it’s time to rest a bit, and let’s see how things go in Australia!”
More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:
Double DNF brings a disappointing end to Mandalika weekend for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP.
After a promising start to the Indonesian Grand Prix, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP suffered a disappointing end to the weekend, with both Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Jack Miller forced to retire from Sunday‘s race.
What had started as an encouraging weekend for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit ended in disappointment, as neither Toprak Razgatlıoğlu nor Jack Miller was able to finish Sunday‘s Indonesian Grand Prix. After showing improved feeling with the YZR-M1 on Friday, the team had hoped to build on that progress, with Miller continuing to make steps forward on Saturday. However, Razgatlıoğlu‘s weekend took a difficult turn after a highside crash in Free Practice left him with a dislocated shoulder.
The Turkish rider lined up for Sunday‘s race despite the injury, determined to give his best, but the challenge proved particularly demanding. Suffering from significant pain in his right shoulder and the surrounding area, Razgatlıoğlu was unable to continue and retired on lap eight. While his determination to race was clear, the physical discomfort ultimately made it impossible to complete the Grand Prix.
Miller‘s race came to an end even earlier. The Australian had approached Sunday with hopes of fighting for a points finish, encouraged by the more competitive pace he had shown throughout the weekend. However, a crash on lap five forced him to retire, bringing a premature end to what had looked like an opportunity to build on the progress made since Friday.
The double DNF is a frustrating conclusion to a weekend that had offered encouraging signs of improvement, and leaves the team without the result it had hoped to take away from Indonesia. Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP will now focus on analysing the data collected at Mandalika and preparing for the next round in Australia, with the aim of turning the progress shown earlier in the weekend into a stronger race result.
Jack Miller (43) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Pramac.
Jack Miller:“It was pretty similar to Japan. I had a reasonably good feeling this morning, but as soon as we went out for the Sprint, the bike became almost unrideable. Something is not working as it should, whether it‘s related to the fuel map or something else. The engine behaviour is inconsistent, and we need to work harder to understand why.”
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (07) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Pramac.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu:“Today, my biggest problem was my shoulder, not the bike. Yesterday, after the Sprint, it was not feeling too bad, but when I woke up this morning, the pain was much worse and I had less movement. I took painkillers, but the main issue was the lack of strength, especially under braking. With every lap, it became more difficult to manage the bike, particularly through the right-hand corners and the changes of direction.
Before the race, I spoke with the team, and they told me that if I felt too much pain, I should come back to the box or not race. But I wanted to try. I‘m not a stupid rider: if I feel it is too dangerous or I cannot continue, I will stop. Today, I gave it my best, but during the race the situation became more difficult because moving my shoulder felt very strange, almost as if it could come out of place again. I eventually had to stop because I could no longer ride the bike properly.
Tomorrow, I will return to Turkey and have an MRI as soon as possible to understand the condition of my shoulder. I hope I won‘t need surgery and that some rest will be enough to recover for the next race. We will see what the doctors say, but I hope I can come back stronger next weekend.”
(October 11, Knoxville, TN) The Barber Vintage Festival experienced serious challenges with impending weather. Thursday and Friday Practice days and the Pro Challenge qualifying went off in perfect dry conditions. Due to mandatory breakdown of pit canopies Friday night the decision was made to delay Saturday’s race start by one hour to get everyone sorted for the day. The poor Saturday weather required AHRMA to plan extra measures to complete the schedule of 18 races.
Races began as planned after track inspection, in safe rain racing conditions at 9:00 a.m. All 18 races (with a total of 600 entries) were run, reduced from 8 laps to 6 (with the exception of the Pro Challenge) to account for longer start-to-finish times and a hard stop time of 5:00 p.m.
The Pro Challenge was scheduled to run directly after the lunch break. 10 of the 25 competitors did not start the race.
Scheduled for 12 laps, the race ended after 8 laps on a red flag because a bike was down on the front straight, and the race was declared completed.
Stefano Mesa won on his Boulder Motorsports 749R with a fastest lap of 1:41.076 and a margin of 8.9 seconds over Eli Block on a Built By Block Aprilia RS660 with a fastest lap of 1:42.383.
The $ 27,000.00 purse was distributed as follows:
Pro Payout
1st Place $ 7,500.00
2nd Place $ 5,000.00
3rd Place $ 3,500.00
4th Place $ 2,200.00
5th Place $ 1,500.00
Non-Pro Payout for AHRMA qualified racers
1st Place $ 2,500.00
2nd Place $ 1,875.00
3rd Place $ 1,250.00
4th Place $ 1,000.00
5th Place $ 675.00
AHRMA’s annual Pro Challenge run at the Barber Vintage Festival allows pro riders to bring added attention and prestige to an already world-renowned event. By offering a generous purse, this race draws top talent from around the world.
Results:
Pro Entries
1-Stefano Mesa – 2005 Ducati 749RS
2-Eli Block – 2024 Aprilia RS 660
3-Robertino Pietri – 2019 Kalex Moto 2
4-Taylor Knapp – 2023 Triumph 765 Moto 2
5-Michael Hilton – 2006 Ducati 749XR
6-Melissa Paris – 2022 MV Agusta 800 F3
Non-Pro AHRMA Member Entries
1-Mark Heckles – 2023 Kramer GP2 890R Hooligan
2-Declan Bender – 2011 Triumph 765R
3-Tommy Ryan – 2024 Kramer GP2890RR
4-Josh Everett – 2024 Triumph 765 Street Triple
5-Abhinay Eswarappa – 2022 Kramer HKR 690 Evo2 S
6- Steve Metz – 2023 Pierobon X80R
7-Emma Betters – 2023 Aprilia RS660
8-Casey Clark – 2024 Triumph Street Triple
DNS-Nate Kern 2023 BMW R nine T
DNS-Sam Wiest 2006 Bimota DB5
DNS-Dakota Wolter 2006 Bimota DB5
DNS- Oliver Hutchinson 2007 Yamaha TZ250
DNS-Sean Dougherty 2005 Ducati DS1000 Supersport
DNS-Tony Strippoli 2025 Kramer GP2 890xx
DNS-Kevin Wiater 2024 Kramer GP2 890RR
DNS-Gus Rodio 2005 NCR Millona
DNS-Jules Wagner 2020 Kramer KTM 690
DNS-Kyle Kearcher 2023 KTM RC8C
DQ-Clint Austin 2023 KTM RC8C- * Caused red flag
About AHRMA
The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to competing on fantastic classic and true vintage along with a wide range of modern motorcycles. With nearly 3,000 members, AHRMA is the largest vintage racing group in North America and one of the biggest in the world. The association has grown steadily over the years, reflecting the increasing interest in classic bikes.
Nicolo Bulega won the World Superbike Race Two Sunday afternoon at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R, the Italian rider won the 21-lap race by 4.888 seconds.
His teammate, Iker Lecuona was the runner-up, and Alberto Surra was third on his Motocorsa Racing Ducati Panigale V4R.
Yari Montella got fourth on his Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4R and Axel Bassani got fifth on his bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team KB998 Rimini.
American Garrett Gerloff went from 13th on the grid to 7th at the finish on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
Danilo Petrucci finished his race 16th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR.
Nicolo Bulega leads the championship with 664 points, 146 ahead of Iker Lecuona who has 518 points. Yari Montella is third with 290 points.
MORE HISTORY MADE: Bulega beats long-standing Rea points record with Race 2 victory at Estoril. Bulega has now scored more points than anyone else in a single WorldSBK campaign after his Estoril treble.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) continues to make MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship history with victory in Race 2 of the Tissot Estoril Round. The #11 beat teammate Iker Lecuona by just under five seconds for his latest win, while there was late podium drama at the Circuito Estoril. Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) completed a hat-trick of P3 finishes in Portugal after a late crash for Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team).
MORE RECORDS FOR BULEGA
On the opening lap, Lecuona took the lead of the race, but Bulega made an aggressive move at Turn 6 on Lap 1 to reclaim the lead of the race before immediately starting to build a gap over his teammate. Although Lecuona initially stayed within half-a-second of his teammate, a 1’34.696s enabled ‘Bulegas’ to build a gap over his teammate in the first half of the race as he went on to secure a 29th victory of the season, and it also means the 25 points he gained put his 2026 tally to 664 points – the highest tally in a single season, beating Jonathan Rea’s 2019 tally of 663 with three races to go. He also has 33 podiums in 2026, with the all-time record for rostrums in a season standing at 34, set by Rea in 2019. Lecuona claimed his 31st WorldSBK rostrum, with 25 of those being P2 finishes.
ROOKIE VS THE TWO-TIME CHAMPION
In the fight for third, Bautista jumped up the order from fifth to run in third but an in-form Surra at Turn 6 on Lap 2, and their battle continued into Turn 1 on Lap 3; Surra retained the podium place. Bautista then had to resist Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), which allowed Surra to build a gap over the chasing pack. However, once Bautista stabilised his pace, he started putting pressure on the #67 once again in the early stages, although the rookie was able to keep the two-time WorldSBK Champion at bay across the first half of the 21-lap race. By Lap 12, Bautista was all over the back of the rookie, and on Lap 13 the #19 was in P3 when Surra went wide at Turn 1. On the same lap, Surra answered back at Turn 6, but Bautista was able to respond immediately. However, a Lap 17 crash for Bautista at Turn 1 cost him a potential podium and promoted Surra back onto the rostrum.
TOP INDEPENDENT RIDER CONFIRMED
Montella battled from 11th on the grid to finish fourth, and, coupled with Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) finishing in 15th he secured the 2026 Independent Riders’ title – the third year in a row a Barni Ducati rider has won it. With the #5 also outscoring his rivals for P3 in the standings, he has a 53-point advantage heading to Jerez in the battle for bronze. Bassani finished the race in fifth place after managing a gap to Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven), with ‘Balda’ coming home in a relatively lonely sixth place.
OLIVEIRA’S ROLLERCOASTER RACE
Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) finished in P7 as he fended off a hard-charging Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). After starting from P4, the #88 was running as low as 14th on the opening lap after he ran wide at Turn 6. From there, he fought his way through the field – passing Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and Gerloff in one move at Turn 1 on Lap 6 for P9, and attempting a similar move two laps later on Baldassarri and Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha), although he was only able to get ahead of ‘Balda’. On Lap 9, Oliveira ran wide at Turn 1 trying to pass his rivals and fell to 11th, before eventually finishing in eighth. Vierge was classified in ninth with Jake Dixon (Honda HRC) rounding out the top ten.
BRINGING HOME POINTS
Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates) finished in 11th, half-a-second down on his fellow Brit in P10, while Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished in 12th. The #87 had to fend off Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC) on the final lap, with the Thai star just 0.033s behind the Australian rider at the end of the race. Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 14th with Sam Lowes picking up the final point with 15th.
NON-SCORES AND RETIREMENTS
Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished in 16th place, almost five seconds down on the #14 ahead. Mattia Rato (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and teammate Twan Smits were 17th and 18th respectively, as the last classified riders. Alex Lowes crashed out of the race on Lap 16 at Turn 4, while Loris Baz (MGM Optical Express Racing) crashed at Turn 3 a lap later. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) also didn’t finish the race after bringing his bike into the pits with a technical issue.
Jeremy Alcoba won the red-flagged FIM Supersport World Championship Race Two Sunday at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. The Spaniard won the six-lap race by just 0.378 second.
Filippo Farioli was second on his VFT Racing Yamaha YZF-R9, and former MotoAmerica regular Valentin Debise finished third, just 2.242 seconds behind the winner, on his Eastroc Evan Bros ZXMOTO 820RR.
Can Oncu finished fourth on his Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing Yamaha YZF-R9.
Lucas Mahias, riding his GMT94 Yamaha YZF-R9, got fifth.
Albert Arenas leads the championship with 364 points, 73 ahead of Valentin Debise who has 291 points. Can Oncu is third with 234 points.
Alcoba wins red-flagged WorldSSP Race 2 at Estoril in tricky conditions, foiling Farioli and ZXMOTO’s Debise. The fight for third in the Championship standings is heating up with two riders just five points back.
With a new FIM Supersport World Champion crowned in Race 1, the class attacked their red-flagged final race at the Circuito Estoril. Rain began to fall on track in the opening laps on Sunday afternoon, and after the red flags waved for track conditions after a crash, Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) crossed the line first in the restarted six-lap race, bagging his third win in four races. Filippo Farioli (VFT Racing Yamaha) took P2 at the final race of the Tissot Estoril Round for his third consecutive podium, ahead of Valentin Debise (EASTROC ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing), who took a composed bronze medal to clinch second place in the Riders’ Championship.
RED FLAGS WAVED
Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha) shot off from pole to take the holeshot, tailed by Valentin Debise, Filippo Farioli and Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing). Garcia led the race as rain began to fall, until Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) clipped the Spaniard’s leg on the run into Turn 1 of Lap 6, sending the #37 wide and later to the medical centre, where he was ruled unfit with a contusion and sprain to his right knee. Moments later, on the same lap, Booth-Amos slipped past the Turk but lost the front and crashed out of the lead in the increasingly wet conditions. With 10 laps remaining, the sun began to reappear as Farioli led the race ahead of Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) and Oncu. The next lap, however, brought red flags for track conditions after Bahattin Sofuoglu (QJMOTOR Factory Racing) crashed out at Turn 3, sending dirt, dust, and fluids from the bike onto the tarmac.
A SIX-LAP SPRINT TO THE FINISH
Oncu took zero prisoners on Sunday, cutting inside for the holeshot from quite a distance behind Farioli and Mahias. The #94 saw his time fighting at the front come to an end, however, as he ran wide at and the Spaniard seized the opportunity as he took P1 from Farioli on the run into Turn 1 with three laps to go. Farioli hung in within half a second of the Spaniard, but the shortened race distance didn’t leave the Italian much time to take his revenge. Alcoba ran away with Race 2 to land his third win in four races. While Farioli couldn’t quite strike back in Race 2 for his first win in the class, he has been a revelation in the late rounds of his sophomore 2026 season. Debise set off from P6 after the restart and came out the victor in a no-holds-barred battle with Oncu for a ninth podium this season.
ONCU AND MAHIAS MISS OUT ON THE ROSTRUM
Despite aggressive attack after attack into Turn 1, the Turkish rider finished off the podium in P4. He has an important final round to come at Jerez, as Alcoba and Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) now sit just five points behind the #61 for third in the Riders’ Championship. Like Oncu, Mahias ran up near the front for most of the race, but the Frenchman dropped to P5 for the second time in the round. German rider Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) took P6 for his best result of the past three rounds, just a tenth ahead of Matteo Ferrari (WRP Racing). The Italian’s P7 helped right the ship after a costly Race 1 DNF saw him fall behind Oettl in the Riders’ Championship standings, now in ninth place.
AEGERTER TAKES SECOND TOP EIGHT RESULT IN 2026
Dominique Aegerter (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) finished P8 on Sunday after a P14 start following the red flag. He can be happy with his performance at Estoril; while he took a P24 finish in Race 1, he was riding in the top ten in the opening race as well. Mattia Casadei (D34G WorldSSP Racing Team) finished in his same grid start position after the restart in P9, tying his third-best result so far in 2026. Closing out the top ten, Spanish rider Borja Jimenez (WRP Racing) took his best result of his rookie WorldSSP season in P10. The rider from Murcia has enjoyed his time at Estoril, scoring points in both races for the first time in his WorldSSP career.
EIGHT RIDERS TUMBLE IN RACE 2
Eight riders saw gravel on Sunday in the tricky conditions: Aldi Mahendra (AS BLU CRU Racing Team), Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), Eric Fernandez (Cerba Yamaha Racing Team), Oliver Konig (Compos Racing Team), Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha), Tom Booth-Amos Bahattin Sofuoglu, as well as Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team), who saw his race end before the red flag with a tech issue at Turn 1. All riders were ruled fit apart from Masia after his crash with Fernandez, the #5 was diagnosed with a fracture of the second metatarsal on his left foot.
Nicolo Bulega won the World Superbike Superpole Race Sunday morning at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R, the 2026 Champion won the 10-lap race by 0.734 seconds.
His teammate, Iker Lecuona was the runner-up, and Alberto Surra was third on his Motocorsa Racing Ducati Panigales V4R.
Home hero, Miguel Oliveira, got fourth on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR and Alvaro Bautista got fifth on his Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4R.
Danilo Petrucci finished his race 16th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR.
American Garrett Gerloff finished 18th on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
Nicolo Bulega leads the championship with 639 points, 141 ahead of Iker Lecuona who has 498 points. Yari Montella is third with 277 points.
RECORD BREAKER: Bulega takes historic 28th win of 2026 as Surra denies Oliveira dream home rostrum. Bulega took advantage of an error from Lecuona, who finished P2, while Surra claimed P3 after a last-lap battle with Oliveira.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) made more MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship history with a 28th win of the 2026 campaign. He won the Tissot Superpole Race at the Circuito Estoril ahead of teammate Iker Lecuona, while Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) snatched third place from home hero Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) on the final lap at the Tissot Estoril Round.
MORE HISTORY FOR BULEGA AS OLIVEIRA IS DENIED
Lecuona got a sensational start when the race got underway as he claimed the lead at Turn 1, while Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) made an aggressive move at the opening corner, making contact with Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), with both dropping down the order, which allowed Oliveira to move into a provisional podium spot, slotting in behind polesitter Bulega. Montella was given a Long Lap Penalty for irresponsible riding. At the start of Lap 3, Lecuona had a huge moment under braking at Turn 1 and ran wide, allowing his teammate to take the lead and allowing Oliveira to challenge for P2; the #7 just held on. That gave Bulega breathing room at the head of the field as he claimed a record-breaking 28th win of the season, beating the previous best set by Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) in 2023 when he won 27 times. Lecuona claimed his 30th WorldSBK podium, 28 of which have come this season. In the fight for third, it looked like Oliveira had the rostrum covered but Surra put on a late spurt to claim third after passing the BMW star at Turn 3 on Lap 10, with Oliveira unable to respond across the rest of the final lap. That gave Surra his third podium in the last four races.
SECOND ROW START FOR BAUTISTA
Bautista made quick progress in the early stages of the 10-lap race, launching up to the top five and remaining there for his first top five finish since the Balaton Park Superpole Race. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was another who had a great start and he eventually finished the race in sixth place, keeping in touch with Bautista but unable to get close enough to pass. It means the second row for Race 2 will be Oliveira, Bautista and Bassani.
THREE MANUFACTURERS ON THE THIRD ROW IN RACE 2
Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) will line up from the third row for this afternoon’s Race 2 after claiming seventh ahead of Jake Dixon (Honda HRC), with the #96 losing one place compared to his starting position but securing an all-important top nine finish. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) rounded out the top nine, with Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) missing out on a third-row start in Race 2 as he finished in P10.
ALEX LOWES AND MONTELLA LOSE OUT
With both Alex Lowes and Montella dropping down the order, they both lose out on the Race 2 grid. The #22 will start from 10th while Montella will line up from P11 in the final race of the weekend in Portugal.
The top nine from the WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race, full results here:
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.734s
Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) +6.465s
Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +6.606s
Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) +8.152s
Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +10.035s
Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +11.642s
Jake Dixon (Honda HRC) +12.120s
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +12.960s
Fastest lap: Nicolo Bulega (Ducati), 1’34.525 – new lap record
Marco Bezzecchi won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday afternoon at Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 on Michelin control tires, the Italian rider won the 27-lap race by 4.260 seconds.
Raul Fernandez was the runner-up on his SuperFile Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP26.
Bezzecchi’s teammate, Jorge Martin placed third.
Fernandez’s teammate, Ai Ogura crossed the finish line fourth.
Pedro Acosta took fifth on his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16.
Jorge Martin leads the championship with 355 points, 2 ahead of Marc Marquez who has 353 points. Marco Bezzecchi is third with 309 points.
Bezzecchi beats Fernandez in Mandalika as Martin returns to championship summit. The Italian keeps his title hopes alive with a first victory since Mugello, with Aprilia making history in Indonesia to see Marc Marquez finish outside of the top five.
300 MotoGP wins for Italy. A history-making Aprilia top-four lockout. And a first victory since the Italian Grand Prix for Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing). That result, after the drama bubbled over in the Mandalika cauldron on Saturday, was desperately needed as Bezzecchi claws back crucial ground in the championship chase. Second place went to the heroic Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team), who, despite two broken fingers, climbed onto the podium, while Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) pocketed P3 to retake the World Championship lead after Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) came home in P6.
THE START
Unlike in the Tissot Sprint, Turn 1 in the Grand Prix was attacked and negotiated without incident. Bezzecchi lunged up the inside of Fernandez to try and gobble up the holeshot and take the lead, but the Italian was slightly wide on the exit to allow the polesitter back through. Marc Marquez got away well, the Sprint winner was an early P3, with 2025 Indonesia winner Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) getting the better of Martin to grab P5, and then P4 from Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team).
Martin then picked his way past Di Giannantonio to move up to P5, before the fast-starting Aldeguer slipped out of contention at the tricky Turn 16 on Lap 2. That gave Martin a free pass to move into P4, but what wasn’t a free pass was what came half a lap later.
Martin, on the inside of Marc Marquez at Turn 10, fired his Aprilia through to climb ahead of his title rival. It was P3 for Martin now, P4 for Marquez, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) now hunting the pre-race World Championship leader. And on Lap 4, Acosta set the fastest lap of the Grand Prix.
ACOSTA VS MM93, BEZ SHADOWS FERNANDEZ
It felt like it had been coming for a couple of laps, and sure enough, Acosta pounced on the championship leader. Teammates next year. No teamwork this year, though. Acosta lunged at Turn 10, super late on the anchors, but boy did he nail the pass. A moment on the front-end came through Turn 11 for Acosta, but the #37 held onto P4 to shuffle Marc Marquez back to P5, and in the clutches of Di Giannantonio.
At the front, Fernandez held Bezzecchi at bay by 0.5s, with Martin lapping 1.9s away from his teammate’s rear Michelin tyre. It was as you were for a few laps before Bezzecchi netted the fastest lap of the Grand Prix, a 1:29.991, to begin adding some pressure to Fernandez. 0.4s was the slender gap, with Martin now 2.5s back.
On Lap 13, Marc Marquez was back ahead of Acosta. From the TV pictures, it looked like Acosta was forced to allow his 2027 teammate through, which seemingly meant tyre pressure problems were arising for the KTM star. Then, two laps later, the switch came at Turn 10. Was Marc Marquez now suffering from tyre pressure problems? Incredible.
BEZ MAKES HIS MOVE AS P4 SCRAP IGNITES
Back at the front. Lap 19 of 27, the lead changed for the first time since Turn 1, Lap 1. Bezzecchi carved his way past Fernandez to snatch the lead from the Trackhouse star, and on that very same lap, the Italian hammered home another fastest lap of the Grand Prix. With Fernandez running a little wide at Turn 1 after the move, Bezzecchi’s lead grew to an immediate 1.4s, with Martin riding in a lonely P3 – 2.4s behind Fernandez, 5.7s clear of the popcorn-consuming fight between Acosta, Marc Marquez, and now Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team).
Sure enough, the Japanese star pounced. Marc Marquez was shoved back to P6 on Lap 21 at Turn 16, as Ogura then set his sights on trying to make a move on Acosta. His teammate wasn’t giving Martin a sniff at P2 a little further up the road; Fernandez was digging in deep to maintain the gap to Martin, as Ogura then clawed his way past Acosta.
Not without a fightback from Acosta though. The KTM star returned the favour into Turn 13, but Ogura got the job done into Turn 16. Both needed to be careful not to beat each other up too much though, because the #93 was lurking.
APRILIA CLINCH HISTORIC 1-2-3-4
Last lap time then in Indonesia. Bezzecchi’s 3.3s lead meant the Italian could cruise to the flag to earn a much-needed victory, his first since Mugello, to keep his slim title hopes well and truly alive.
Chapeau to Fernandez. With not one, but two broken fingers sustained in the Sprint crash yesterday, Fernandez went above and beyond the call of duty to pocket P2 in Indonesia and also extracting the maximum from Sunday was Martin. The championship leader again. Two points the gap. As you were coming into the weekend. Martin’s 16 points were critical in Mandalika. And handing Aprilia their very first MotoGP 1-2-3-4 finish was Ogura, who did manage to fend off Acosta at the end of the Grand Prix. What a day for the Noale factory.
YOUR INDONESIA POINTS SCORERS
Acosta finished just a tenth away from Ogura to bag a hard-fought P5 in Mandalika, and just over a second behind the battle was Marc Marquez. P6 at the flag means the #93 slides back into P2 in the title chase, but the seven-time MotoGP World Champion would have taken a two-point deficit at the beginning of the weekend. Why? Because he’d never even finished a Grand Prix in Indonesia. And such was Aprilia’s superiority here; not losing any ground to Martin signals a job well done ahead of a trip to Phillip Island.
Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Di Giannantonio crossed the line in P7 and P8, with the Italian only just holding off ninth-place Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). P10 went to Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3), with the other points going to Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) in P12, Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) in P13, Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in P14, and Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) in P15.
NEXT UP: PHILLIP ISLAND
Indonesia hosted its fair share of drama. And as we look ahead to our final date with the beautiful Phillip Island, the title race remains finely poised. Two points separate Martin and Marc Marquez, with Bezzecchi, the underdog, 46 points away. Tantalising.
Izan Guevara won the FIM Moto2 World Championship race Sunday afternoon at Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Boscoscuro on Pirelli control tires, the Spaniard won the 22-lap race by 3.570 seconds.
Championship point leader, Manuel Gonzalez was the runner-up on his Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP Kalex.
Daniel Holgado was third on his CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team Kalex.
Gonzalez’s teammate, Senna Agius fourth.
Daniel Muñoz took fifth on his Italtrans Racing Team Kalex.
American Joe Roberts, riding his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex, was involved in a crash at Turn 1 with four other riders and did not finish the race.
Manuel Gonzalez leads the championship with 265.5 points, 5.5 ahead of Izan Guevara who has 260 points. Ivan Ortola is third with 191.5 points.
Hat-trick hero: Guevara wins dramatic Mandalika battle as gap tightens to Gonzalez. The #28 capitalises on late heartbreak for race leader Escrig to make it three victories on the spin, but the #18 produces a fine comeback to lose just five points in Indonesia.
How about that for a drama-drenched Moto2 race at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia? Coming out on top, for the third time in a row, was red-hot Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) as the title race gap between the Spaniard and Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) reduces further – but not by much. Gonzalez limited the damage done with a fine ride to P2, while after late heartbreak arrives for race leader Alex Escrig (KLINT Racing Team) on the penultimate lap, Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) – who was involved in a four-rider, red-flagged Turn 1 crash – ends his weekend with a return to podium ways.
As we went racing in Moto2, there was immediate drama at Turn 1. Four riders were down, including both CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team riders in David Alonso and Holgado, with the latter tagging the back of his teammate into the opening corner to send the duo down. Alonso was brutally launched into the air, while Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) had nowhere to go on the outside line and collected the stricken bike of Holgado’s, sending the American sliding down the road too. Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was then left with no option but to run into the barrel-rolling, out-of-control Kalex-Triumph of Alonso, which caused Veijer to crash at Turn 1 too.
Thankfully, all four riders were able to return to the pit lane and were relatively unscathed after the red flags were shown. Unfortunately for Alonso, with the fuel tank being ripped out in the crash, amongst other significant bike damage, his Sunday in Indonesia wouldn’t be restarted. Rotten luck for the Colombian. There were better fortunes for Holgado, Roberts, and Veijer though – all three left pit lane in time to take up their spots on the restart grid, but Roberts then peeled back into the box before lights out. Clearly something wasn’t quite right on the American’s machine, and we subsequently learned it was a rear brake problem. Just like Alonso, a slice of terrible luck for Roberts.
There were no such issues for Escrig, though. The Spaniard grabbed the holeshot to dip his wheels ahead of Guevara at the start, with Holgado third before Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – JP Financial – MSI) battled past the #96. That changed hands again on Lap 2 with Gonzalez pouncing up to P6, then P5, as we clicked onto Lap 3.
By Lap 6, a clear top five had formed. Escrig led Guevara by 0.8s, Holgado held P3 and sat 0.8s behind Guevara’s rear tyre, with fourth place Ortola being caught by Gonzalez. And soon enough, P4 was now in the hands of the championship leader on Lap 7.
P4 became P3 for Gonzalez not too long after. Holgado didn’t have the pace to remain in the podium-paying positions, and with five laps to go, the title race frontrunner sat in the bronze medal position. Three seconds up the road, Guevara was making moves too. No passes yet, but the #28 was beginning to reel in race leader Escrig.
But Escrig did then pick up the pace on Lap 12 of 14. We were about to strap in for a proper fight for the win in Indonesia between Escrig and Guevara for the win, before a technical issue halted Escrig’s Lombok stormer. Cruel in the extreme. Escrig’s wonderful weekend ended with a woeful bit of luck, and that allowed Guevara to take over the P1 baton.
And he didn’t flinch. A hat-trick of wins for Guevara, as the gap to Gonzalez comes down again – but only by five points as the #18 bounces back from a disappointing Saturday to earn 20 crucial points in this compelling title chase. 6.5 points now the margin.
Third went to Holgado after Escrig’s technical problem, and after his Turn 1 crash, his rollercoaster Sunday ends on a high. Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) was another rider, like his teammate, who delivered a classy comeback ride on Sunday. The Australian clinched P4 from P13 on the grid, with Daniel Muñoz (Italtrans Racing Team) closing out the top five ahead of Ortola.
Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team) crossed the line in P7, 1.6s clear of Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2), Tony Arbolino (REDS Fantic Racing), and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Tech3) – those were the riders closing out the top 10 in Indonesia.
A weekend off arrives before this compelling Moto2 title race revs back into life at Phillip Island. See you there.
The #28 seals the deal with a win – get to know the newest Moto3 World Champion and future Moto2 star after a landmark season.
Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) is the 2026 Moto3 World Champion! The #28 has shown incredible pace and expert racecraft all season to secure the crown, sealing the deal with a stylish win at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia. He’s only the fourth rider in history to ever win a Championship – in any class – with five races remaining, alongside Marc Marquez, Giacomo Agostini and Mike Hailwood.
A STAR IN THE MAKING
Quiles, born in 2008, began his racing career at a young age, making headlines on minibikes before climbing through the Spanish ranks. The #28’s talent was clear, as he found himself in the MotoJunior paddock, making his European Cup debut in 2021. Incredible. The only word that comes close to describing his rookie season. Three victories, five podiums and plenty of encouraging signs. Backing that pace up the following two seasons, Quiles returned to the top step in 2022 before setting up a title attack in 2023. The Spanish star joined Aspar, winning five times and proving he was the real deal; the #28 took the 2023 European Cup crown.
There was a change of scenery in 2024 as he made the step up to the Moto3 Junior World Championship. Quiles impressed instantly, winning at the season finale and clinching third in the standings. Alongside his efforts in the MotoJunior paddock, he raced in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup for three seasons. Finishing third in the Championship on two occasions and picking up seven wins from his time in the class, Quiles’ name wasn’t far from the headlines. Aspar had seen enough, signing the #28 for the 2025 season – Quiles was Moto3 World Championship bound.
ROOKIE SENSATION
His rookie campaign was nothing short of incredible. His season didn’t get underway until COTA, with Quiles initially being too young to race in the opening two rounds. P5 on debut before a training crash forced the rookie to miss two rounds, returning in France. It didn’t take long for the ball to get rolling either, with Quiles earning podiums at Silverstone and Aragon before a maiden win at Mugello. Ending 2025 with three wins, nine podiums and two pole positions was an impressive addition to his CV, and set up a title attack…
QUILES’ CROWNING MOMENT
2026 couldn’t have started much better for Quiles, winning four of the opening six races and standing on the podium a further two times. Further wins in Hungary and Assen only upped his Championship momentum – bringing his lead to 104 points – as we reached the summer break in Germany. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the title leader, crashing in Q2 at Silverstone and sitting out the remainder of the weekend after a collarbone break.
His comeback and response? Winning the next round at MotorLand Aragon to make his intentions clear – the title attack wasn’t over. Quiles carried his incredible form to Misano and Austria, making it three consecutive race wins, extending his lead to 131 points and setting up his first match point in Japan. His future might already be decided, with the Spanish sensation confirming the move to Moto2 next season, but his mission in Moto3 wasn’t over yet.
The deal wasn’t sealed just yet though. A second place in Motegi, under the pressure of his first match point, was impressive – but closest title rival David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) made a stunning last stand to make Quiles wait for it.
The #28’s moment in the spotlight then finally arrived at the Indonesian GP. Quiles was right at the front from the off, escaped a huge group scuffle for the podium and kept it calm to the line for his 10th win of the season, crowning himself 2026 Moto3 World Champion.
Maximo Quiles won the FIM Moto3 World Championship race Sunday morning at Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, in Indonesia. Using his Pirelli-shod CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team KTM, the Spaniard won the 20-lap race by 2.994 seconds.
David Almansa was the runner-up on his Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Brian Uriarte was third, 5.156 seconds behind race winner Quiles.
Matteo Bertelle crossed the finish line fourth on his LEVEL UP – MTA KTM.
Rico Salmela got fifth on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 machine.
Maximo Quiles leads the championship with 351 points, 132 ahead of David Almansa who has 219 points. Brian Uriarte is third with 203 points.
Quiles crowned Moto3 World Champion with Mandalika victory. The sensational 18-year-old is the latest young talent to life the World Championship with a stunning five rounds to spare.
The Championship race is over as victory for Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) secured the World Champion for the Spaniard. A glittering campaign of ten wins so far, he led from Lap 2 onwards, pulled out an advantage and never looked back for one of his most dominant wins of the season ahead of nearest challenger David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) and Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo).
From P2 on the grid it was a perfect launch to grab the holeshot for Almansa whilst Quiles was already into P2 on Lap 1. However, it was a barnstorming second lap that saw the gloves really come off, with Quiles in the lead as Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) battled his way into the podium places. The rough and tumble was starting to fragment the group and Almansa was the rider who was paying the price; with title rival Quiles leading, Almansa was down to P8.
On Lap 3, it was Grand Prix done for Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse) who crashed at Turn 5, whilst teammate Leo Rammerstorfer joined him in a separate incident. Further round the lap, Ryota Ogiwara (CODE Motorsports) came to grief whilst back in the lead pack, Almansa was back into P2 by Lap 5. A mistake by Quiles at Turn 16 gave the chasing pack hope, the gap to chief title rival Almansa down to 1.6s.
Half GP distance complete and things had started to spread out with Quiles 1.5s clear of Almansa, Fernandez and Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) who in-turn were 1.6s clear of Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3). On Lap 11, disaster for Carpe who tagged the back of Fernandez and crashed at Turn 10 and although the #31 could continue, he was back in the group behind and then made a mistake at Turn 2 a lap later. More drama at the end of the lap, this time for Adrian Cruces (CIP GreenPower) who crashed at Turn 16 but was able to rejoin.
Lap 14 and two seconds out front, Champion-designate Quiles picked up a track limits warning, the #28 had no room for error. With a 2.8s advantage with two laps to go though, he had the margin to relax and keep it wheels in line, despite Almansa’s efforts.
Across the line and doing it in the most Quiles style possible, the Championship leader became the World Champion with a tenth victory of the season and with five rounds remaining. A magnificent campaign going to a deserving World Champion whilst Almansa was a solid second and strengthens his grasp on P2 overall. Third went the way of Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) after the Spaniard pounced to pass Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP-MTA) on the final lap.
Salmela matched his career-best result in fifth ahead of home-hero Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia), whereas Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) resisted teammate Fernandez for P7 at the line but due to a shortcut at Turn 9, was given a Long Lap Penalty equivalent so was P8 in the end. Joel Esteban (LEVELUP-MTA) was ninth whilst Scott Ogden (CIP GreenPower) completed the top ten.
Quiles taking the title with five rounds remaining puts him in an exclusive club of riders who have done that across all classes. Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini and Marc Marquez were the only three that had managed it but now, Maximo Quiles’ name is part of a unique club of riders.
The title race is done but with five rounds still to go, plenty of battles remain in 2026!
Fabio Di Giannantonio (49), Marc Marquez (93), Marco Bezzecchi (72), Jorge Martin (89) and Raul Fernandez (25) at the start of the Sprint Race at Estoril. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
By Mat Oxley:
Sometimes a weekend just can’t help but go your way. Take Marc Marquez, maybe the luckiest man on the grid right now. It seems this tournament really is going down to the wire, and playing a giant part in that is just how good these Aprilia bikes are right now. Playing four-in-a-row with a race’s top positions is the kind of game we’re used to seeing from Ducati, but it seems that The Other Italian Manufacturer is beating those Bologna Boys at their own game.
And then there is the hero of the hour, Raul Fernandez, with his exceptional finger work. How a man who has used his index finger for braking his entire life can just switch like that remains a mystery, even to Mat and Peter. And guess what: they know the brakes!
So get yourself a drink and get ready to hear us tell you all about the race at Mandalika this weekend. Cheers!
Want more? Visit our website or support us on Patreon. With big thanks as always to Brad Baloo from The Next Men and Gentleman’s Dub Club for writing our theme song. Check out The Nextmen for more great music!
Oh, and a quick word in regards to sponsors:
If you’re interested in connecting with a really unique MotoGP audience — we’re working with Smash Brand Group out of Sydney to manage partnerships. Curious? Just head to smashbrandgroup.com.au and get in touch!
Pedro Acosta (left) and Marc Marquez (93) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
The MotoGP Grand Prix at Mandalika in Indonesia is in the books, with Marco Bezzecchi taking the victory ahead of Raul Fernandez, while Jorge Martin completed the podium for Aprilia Racing. Read the teams’ post-race PR below.
More from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing:
Aprilia Racing makes history with its first MotoGP poker at Mandalika.
The weekend at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit ended with a historic result for Aprilia, which secured its first poker finish in MotoGP with four RS-GP26 bikes in the top four.
Starting second on the grid, Marco Bezzecchi rode a smart race on his RS-GP26 and set the fastest lap at 1:29.960. His victory is the 300th by an Italian rider in the top class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Today’s win is also his 11th in the top class and his fifth of the season, following victories at Buriram, Goiânia, Austin and Mugello.
Jorge Martín finished third after a solid race from the second row of the grid. This is the Spanish rider’s ninth podium of the season and his third in a row, following those in Austria and Japan. Today’s result also sees Martín regain the championship lead on 355 points.
The SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team riders were also outstanding. Raúl Fernández finished second, completing the all-Aprilia podium at Mandalika, while Ai Ogura’s fourth place secured a historic first clean sweep of the top four for the RS-GP.
As well as its first poker finish in MotoGP, this was Aprilia Racing’s fourth podium lockout of the season, following Le Mans, Assen and Silverstone. Today’s success takes the Noale manufacturer’s tally to 310 wins in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. It was also Aprilia’s eighth victory this season and its 16th overall in the top class.
Marco Bezzecchi (72) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Aprilia.
Marco Bezzecchi: “I’m happy with my race. I really wanted to leave Mandalika with a good result, and I’d been chasing this win since my injury at the Sachsenring. It felt really good. Clearly, with only five races left, the title is more lost than won. But that doesn’t change how I think or work, especially with my team. I’m not a rider who gives up. That’s who I am, and I’m happy to have met so many like-minded people along the way who I’m fortunate enough to work with.”
Jorge Martin (89) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Aprilia.
Jorge Martin: “I’m happy with this podium because I achieved the best possible result. Marco and Raúl had something extra all weekend. I tried to close the gap, but they were faster. I’m still a little disappointed with yesterday’s result because I could have won, but I’m happy with today’s. As for the championship, the most important thing is to stay in the title fight and, above all, arrive in Valencia with a chance.”
Massimo Rivola – CEO Aprilia: “Once again, Aprilia means high drama, for better and for worse. Saturday started in the best possible way with pole position for Raúl Fernández, but the sprint was marred by a mistake at turn one and a serious error over Jorge’s front tyre pressure, for which we owe him an apology. At least Ai’s superb ride through the field salvaged something from it. Sunday, on the other hand, has been a day to remember, with four RS-GP bikes in the top four for the first time. We know it will be tough right to the end, but just as we don’t get disheartened when things go badly, we don’t get carried away when they go well. I want to congratulate everyone at Noale on their commitment and dedication, which are proving so valuable in this hard-fought season.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Marc Márquez and the Ducati Lenovo Team wrap up the Grand Prix of Indonesia with a sixth-place finish. Francesco Bagnaia crashes out on lap six.
The Ducati Lenovo Team completed the Grand Prix of Indonesia at the Mandalika International Circuit. Marc Márquez finished the race in sixth place, while Francesco Bagnaia’s race came to an early end due to a crash.
Márquez moved up one place at the start before dropping back to fourth on lap three. From lap seven onwards, Marc exchanged positions with the riders around him on several occasions, ultimately finishing sixth. Bagnaia, tenth on the grid, crashed at Turn 17 on lap six while running in tenth place.
As the seventeenth Grand Prix of the season draws to a close, Marc Márquez is second in the championship standings with 353 points, two points behind the leader. Francesco Bagnaia is ninth with 166 points. The Ducati Lenovo Team is second in the teams’ standings with 519 points, while Ducati sits second in the constructors’ championship with 491 points.
The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action on Friday, October 23rd, for the opening day of the Grand Prix of Australia at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
Pedro Acosta (37) and Marc Marquez (93) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 6th: “This weekend went really well, and I’m very happy that I didn’t lose any points to Martín. It’s true that you always want more and that we struggled in the race today, but we expected that over the full race distance. We struggled, but at the same time, we managed the situation perfectly and came out swinging. I stayed focused on the present without thinking about the fact that I hadn’t finished a race here before today, so we can’t complain.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – DNF: “This weekend I lacked speed and confidence. I was trying to follow Luca Marini, but it was clear that I didn’t have the pace to do so and, when I tried to give something extra, I crashed. On a track like this, I feel the lack of rear-end grip and connection with the throttle that I’ve been experiencing even more, as being effective mid-corner is really important here. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to make the steps forward we were hoping for, but we’ll continue to work ahead of the next race.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Quartararo Takes 9th in Indonesian GP Race, Rins Finishes Inside the Points in P15.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo showed strong race pace in the hot 27-lap Grand Prix of Indonesia Race, riding from P12 on the grid to P9 at the chequered flag. Álex Rins also put up a determined fight but ultimately finished the contest in P15.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo delivered a strong performance around the Mandalika International Circuit today, combining solid race pace and tyre management in the demanding 27-lap Grand Prix of Indonesia. Pushing to the limit in the heat, he secured an encouraging ninth-place finish. Teammate Álex Rins was also in the mix for a top-10 result for much of the race, but a late drop in tyre performance hampered his progress, leaving him to cross the line in 15th place.
Quartararo started from P12 and maintained his position on the opening lap. After Fermín Aldeguer crashed on lap 2, the Frenchman moved up to 11th and set his sights on Francesco Bagnaia, whom he had battled during Saturday’s Sprint. This time, Bagnaia crashed out on lap 6, promoting Quartararo into the top 10. With more than 1.6s separating him from Luca Marini ahead, Quartararo focused on closing the gap while defending his position from Brad Binder, Enea Bastianini, and teammate Rins. With 10 laps remaining, he had reduced the deficit to Marini and was running directly behind him. One lap later, Quartararo made his move to take ninth place and immediately began reeling in Fabio Di Giannantonio in eighth. Despite his efforts, he narrowly missed out by 0.159s, taking the chequered flag in ninth place, 19.999s from the race winner.
Rins commenced from P13 and dropped to 16th on the opening lap. He overtook Johann Zarco on lap 2 and, following Aldeguer’s crash, moved into 14th place while chasing the riders ahead. On lap 6 and 11, he gained positions as Bagnaia crashed and Bastianini dropped back respectively. Riding in P12, the Spaniard soon found himself embroiled in a battle with Zarco. Initially coming out on top, Rins later lost two positions on lap 14. A further position was lost to Franco Morbidelli in the closing stages. Despite tyre drop, Rins continued to push in challenging conditions and crossed the finish line in 15th place, 31.662s from first.
Following the race, Quartararo is now joint 14th in the MotoGP World Championship standings with 74 points, while Rins keeps 20th place with 25 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP stay 10th in the Team Championship with 99 points, and Yamaha remain fifth in the Constructor Championship with 97 points.
The MotoGP paddock will now enjoy a one-week break before heading to the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit for the Australian Grand Prix, taking place from 23-25 October.
Fabio Quartararo (20) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Fabio Quartararo:“It was hot and physically demanding. I was struggling a lot on the first five laps, but I was able to maintain my position. After Moto2 and Moto3, the track conditions changed a lot, so I had some issues stopping in Turn 1 and Turn 10, but my feeling with the front was not so bad, so I could compensate a little bit. I saw that [Fabio] Di Giannantonio was struggling, but I came just one lap short. Also, on the last five laps, I destroyed my tyres. But I’m really happy with the race. It’s quite a great result getting P9 again.”
Alex Rins (42) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Alex Rins:“We didn’t have the same feeling we had on Friday or Saturday. The track conditions had changed and with it everything else changed – though this was the same for everybody. From the first lap, I didn’t have a good feeling, and then we also overheated the tyres, so that made this race very tough.”
Massimo Meregalli – Team Director:“Overall this weekend has been quite positive for us. Fabio rode a really good race from the first to the very last lap, maintaining his position whilst making progress through the field to secure ninth place. He was close to eighth place at the end, which shows that our race pace was competitive. Álex was also in the fight for the top 10 during the first part of the race, but unfortunately he suffered a drop of the rear tyre in the closing stages, which made it difficult for him to maintain that pace. We leave Indonesia with useful data and good motivation to keep working. Now our focus shifts to Phillip Island – a very different circuit again – where we hope to continue building good momentum.”
More, from a press release issued by Honda HRC:
Top ten fight rounds out Indonesian GP for Marini.
Luca Marini was the lone representative of the Honda HRC Castrol team and valiantly fought for tenth after the withdrawal of Aleix Espargaro in Mandalika.
The action continued to heat up at the Mandalika International Circuit with ambient temperatures rising as the MotoGP World Championship grid began their final preparation for the 27-lap Indonesian Grand Prix. A new record crowd of over 65,000 on race day embraced the heat to witness a thrilling race.
Making another incredible start when the lights went out, Luca Marini was able to repeat his start to the Sprint and immediately inserted himself into the battle for the top ten. Having made up five positions in just a few hundred meters, the Italian focused on maximising his early positive feeling and went on the attack. Keeping Quartararo at bay in the first half of the race, fading edge grip would limit Marini’s defensive capabilities and eventually drop him back into the hands of Bastianini and Binder.
Despite this, Marini was able to cross the line in 12th place and once again finish as the top Honda rider. Leaving Indonesia with a total of 108 points, the #10 sits comfortably as the leading Honda man also in the World Championship standings and remains just 17 points from the top ten.
After Saturday’s action, the Honda HRC Castrol team and Aleix Espargaro elected to withdraw from Sunday at the Indonesian GP. Given the physical restrictions felt by Espargaro already as a result of his injuries sustained at the start of the year, all involved decided this was the best course of action.
The Honda HRC Castrol squad and the rest of the MotoGP World Championship will enjoy a week off before an Australian, Malaysian and Qatar GP triple header starts on Friday, October 22 in Phillip Island.
Luca Marini (10) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Honda.
Luca Marini:“Again I was able to make a really good start and gain a lot of positions at the start. Once I was there in the top ten, I focused on defending my position as much as possible. The feeling with the bike and especially the tyres was a lot better than Saturday and we can see that from the pace in the first half. After 12 laps the edge grip started to drop and it became really difficult to defend from Fabio and then the KTM pair. At the end it is not as good as weekend as we were expecting, especially when last year we were so strong, but we at least finished as the top Honda again.”
More, from a press release issued by Gresini:
Alex Marquez scored points, Fermin Aldeguer injured.
RACEDAY
ALEX MARQUEZ 7º
FERMIN ALDEGUER NC
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ALEX MARQUEZ 8º (172)
FERMIN ALDEGUER 10º (125)
TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
BK8 GRESINI RACING 5º (306)
Alex Marquez (73) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Gresini.
Alex Marquez:“I was hoping to have more pace on the medium tyre, and we actually did, but the Aprilias were flying today. The result isn’t what we were hoping for, but we still fought hard and came away with some important points. Now we’ll reset this week and try to recover after a very intense weekend, also from a physical standpoint.”
Angel Charte – MotoGP Medical Director: “Fermín Aldeguer has sustained a fracture at the base of the first metacarpal bone in his right hand and will have to undergo surgery.”
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3:
Late Mandalika attack takes Bastianini to top 10 finish.
Enea Bastianini was among the fastest riders on track in the second half of the Indonesian Grand Prix as he recovered ground to finish tenth, while Maverick Viñales came home in 17th.
With track temperatures of 62 degrees and 73% humidity, Sunday’s 27-lap race at the Mandalika International Circuit was among the most physically challenging Grand Prix of the year. 53,296 fans were in attendance to witness it.
The temperatures were only heightened for Bastianini at the start when he was riding in the main group. The Italian found it difficult to turn his KTM RC16 and hold the correct line in the track’s 17 corners while trying to manage his front tyre pressure.
However, as the group spread apart, ‘La Bestia’ started to feel more at home. From mid-race he could lap comfortably in the 1’30s, which was a similar pace to the riders fighting for the podium. Late moves saw him pass Brad Binder and Luca Marini on lap 23 and 26 respectively, which elevated him to tenth place – his eleventh top ten finish of the season so far.
Viñales had a difficult Sunday. The Spaniard didn’t feel at his physical best in morning Warm Up. Despite that, ‘Top Gun’ resolved to finish the race despite the punishing conditions and crossed the line in 17th.
The Tech3 team now have one weekend free before a run of three rounds in three weeks. That kicks off with the final Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island from 23-25 October.
Enea Bastianini (23) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Tech3.
Enea Bastianini: “It was a very difficult start, like always when you are starting behind many riders. But as the race progressed and the group spread apart, it was better for me. Today I suffered a lot in the slipstream, just like yesterday. My bike felt a little nervous when I was tucked in behind the others. The bike didn’t want to stay on line, and turning was tricky. Plus, we felt the turbulence from the other bikes. We need to study this for Phillip Island. From the middle of the race, it was much better. I came back, was fast and did a good job at the end. I’m not really happy about the result. Next time out the aim will be to qualify much better. Let’s see what we can do in Australia.”
Maverick Viñales (12) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Tech3.
Maverick Viñales: “It was a bad race. Already this morning in the Warm Up I felt really bad and at my limit. I did the race and tried to finish for my team. I tried to do a good rhythm in the middle of the race but it was really difficult. I tried to push but, also, I still don’t feel so good with the bike. It was very tough to do something good. Now is the time just to relax and go onto the next one. I will not train for the next days and try to recover and see the evolution of my physical condition over the next days. It was a very tough weekend.”
Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager: “In the end we’re leaving Mandalika with a strong top ten from Enea. This was the target before the race, but it wasn’t as easy as expected. Enea struggled in the first half of the race but did a super good job in the second half when he was one of the fastest riders on track. It wasn’t an easy weekend, but in the end Enea did a good job. Starting 14th, he ended up in tenth. It’s a decent job on our side.
“On the other side of the garage the situation is a little more tricky. For some reason, Maverick never really felt comfortable on the bike. He didn’t find a good setup and couldn’t find the confidence. It was clearly a disappointing result today. Maverick will have to take a break, refresh himself and come back in Phillip Island in better spirits and there is no reason why we can’t do it. Now it’s time to pack up everything, have one week off and then head to Australia.”
More from a press release issued by Castrol Honda LCR:
Castrol Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco finished 13th in Sunday’s race at Mandalika.
Starting from 19th on the grid, Zarco made a good start and immediately put himself in the fight for points and a top-10 finish.
The French rider put together strong laps and maintained a consistent pace, although he admitted that he had chosen not to push too hard in order to avoid making mistakes.
He eventually crossed the finish line in 13th place, scoring valuable points and gathering useful data for the upcoming rounds.
Johann Zarco (5) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Honda LCR.
Johann Zarco 13th:“I’m happy to have finished the race and scored some points. During the race, I had a good pace, but I got frustrated because I had to leave myself some margin to avoid crashing. I lost time that way. I couldn’t fight the way I wanted to, and it was tough. We need to look at the bright side, as it was a hard weekend, but we scored points. We’ll see how things go in Australia!”
More from a press release issued by Pro Honda LCR:
Pro Honda LCR rider Diogo Moreira finished 16th in Sunday’s race at Mandalika.
Starting from 20th on the grid, Moreira faced a challenging comeback mission on Indonesian soil.
The Brazilian rider put in some strong laps early in the race, moving into the points and fighting hard to defend his position intelligently.
After a difficult weekend, Diogo eventually crossed the finish line in 16th place, avoiding mistakes and gathering valuable data and information for the upcoming races.
Diogo Moreira (11) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Honda LCR.
Diogo Moreira 16th:“This weekend was difficult. Today, I tried to finish the race without crashing or making mistakes. I just wanted to finish the weekend. We couldn’t do more than that, but we gave it our best. Now it’s time to rest a bit, and let’s see how things go in Australia!”
More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:
Double DNF brings a disappointing end to Mandalika weekend for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP.
After a promising start to the Indonesian Grand Prix, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP suffered a disappointing end to the weekend, with both Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Jack Miller forced to retire from Sunday‘s race.
What had started as an encouraging weekend for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit ended in disappointment, as neither Toprak Razgatlıoğlu nor Jack Miller was able to finish Sunday‘s Indonesian Grand Prix. After showing improved feeling with the YZR-M1 on Friday, the team had hoped to build on that progress, with Miller continuing to make steps forward on Saturday. However, Razgatlıoğlu‘s weekend took a difficult turn after a highside crash in Free Practice left him with a dislocated shoulder.
The Turkish rider lined up for Sunday‘s race despite the injury, determined to give his best, but the challenge proved particularly demanding. Suffering from significant pain in his right shoulder and the surrounding area, Razgatlıoğlu was unable to continue and retired on lap eight. While his determination to race was clear, the physical discomfort ultimately made it impossible to complete the Grand Prix.
Miller‘s race came to an end even earlier. The Australian had approached Sunday with hopes of fighting for a points finish, encouraged by the more competitive pace he had shown throughout the weekend. However, a crash on lap five forced him to retire, bringing a premature end to what had looked like an opportunity to build on the progress made since Friday.
The double DNF is a frustrating conclusion to a weekend that had offered encouraging signs of improvement, and leaves the team without the result it had hoped to take away from Indonesia. Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP will now focus on analysing the data collected at Mandalika and preparing for the next round in Australia, with the aim of turning the progress shown earlier in the weekend into a stronger race result.
Jack Miller (43) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Pramac.
Jack Miller:“It was pretty similar to Japan. I had a reasonably good feeling this morning, but as soon as we went out for the Sprint, the bike became almost unrideable. Something is not working as it should, whether it‘s related to the fuel map or something else. The engine behaviour is inconsistent, and we need to work harder to understand why.”
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (07) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Pramac.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu:“Today, my biggest problem was my shoulder, not the bike. Yesterday, after the Sprint, it was not feeling too bad, but when I woke up this morning, the pain was much worse and I had less movement. I took painkillers, but the main issue was the lack of strength, especially under braking. With every lap, it became more difficult to manage the bike, particularly through the right-hand corners and the changes of direction.
Before the race, I spoke with the team, and they told me that if I felt too much pain, I should come back to the box or not race. But I wanted to try. I‘m not a stupid rider: if I feel it is too dangerous or I cannot continue, I will stop. Today, I gave it my best, but during the race the situation became more difficult because moving my shoulder felt very strange, almost as if it could come out of place again. I eventually had to stop because I could no longer ride the bike properly.
Tomorrow, I will return to Turkey and have an MRI as soon as possible to understand the condition of my shoulder. I hope I won‘t need surgery and that some rest will be enough to recover for the next race. We will see what the doctors say, but I hope I can come back stronger next weekend.”
The AHRMA Pro Challenge podium, from left to right, Eli Block (2nd place), Stefano Mesa (1st place), and Robertino Pietri (3rd place). Photo by Alberto Gonzalez, Jr./AHRMA
(October 11, Knoxville, TN) The Barber Vintage Festival experienced serious challenges with impending weather. Thursday and Friday Practice days and the Pro Challenge qualifying went off in perfect dry conditions. Due to mandatory breakdown of pit canopies Friday night the decision was made to delay Saturday’s race start by one hour to get everyone sorted for the day. The poor Saturday weather required AHRMA to plan extra measures to complete the schedule of 18 races.
Races began as planned after track inspection, in safe rain racing conditions at 9:00 a.m. All 18 races (with a total of 600 entries) were run, reduced from 8 laps to 6 (with the exception of the Pro Challenge) to account for longer start-to-finish times and a hard stop time of 5:00 p.m.
The Pro Challenge was scheduled to run directly after the lunch break. 10 of the 25 competitors did not start the race.
Scheduled for 12 laps, the race ended after 8 laps on a red flag because a bike was down on the front straight, and the race was declared completed.
Stefano Mesa won on his Boulder Motorsports 749R with a fastest lap of 1:41.076 and a margin of 8.9 seconds over Eli Block on a Built By Block Aprilia RS660 with a fastest lap of 1:42.383.
The $ 27,000.00 purse was distributed as follows:
Pro Payout
1st Place $ 7,500.00
2nd Place $ 5,000.00
3rd Place $ 3,500.00
4th Place $ 2,200.00
5th Place $ 1,500.00
Non-Pro Payout for AHRMA qualified racers
1st Place $ 2,500.00
2nd Place $ 1,875.00
3rd Place $ 1,250.00
4th Place $ 1,000.00
5th Place $ 675.00
AHRMA’s annual Pro Challenge run at the Barber Vintage Festival allows pro riders to bring added attention and prestige to an already world-renowned event. By offering a generous purse, this race draws top talent from around the world.
Results:
Pro Entries
1-Stefano Mesa – 2005 Ducati 749RS
2-Eli Block – 2024 Aprilia RS 660
3-Robertino Pietri – 2019 Kalex Moto 2
4-Taylor Knapp – 2023 Triumph 765 Moto 2
5-Michael Hilton – 2006 Ducati 749XR
6-Melissa Paris – 2022 MV Agusta 800 F3
Non-Pro AHRMA Member Entries
1-Mark Heckles – 2023 Kramer GP2 890R Hooligan
2-Declan Bender – 2011 Triumph 765R
3-Tommy Ryan – 2024 Kramer GP2890RR
4-Josh Everett – 2024 Triumph 765 Street Triple
5-Abhinay Eswarappa – 2022 Kramer HKR 690 Evo2 S
6- Steve Metz – 2023 Pierobon X80R
7-Emma Betters – 2023 Aprilia RS660
8-Casey Clark – 2024 Triumph Street Triple
DNS-Nate Kern 2023 BMW R nine T
DNS-Sam Wiest 2006 Bimota DB5
DNS-Dakota Wolter 2006 Bimota DB5
DNS- Oliver Hutchinson 2007 Yamaha TZ250
DNS-Sean Dougherty 2005 Ducati DS1000 Supersport
DNS-Tony Strippoli 2025 Kramer GP2 890xx
DNS-Kevin Wiater 2024 Kramer GP2 890RR
DNS-Gus Rodio 2005 NCR Millona
DNS-Jules Wagner 2020 Kramer KTM 690
DNS-Kyle Kearcher 2023 KTM RC8C
DQ-Clint Austin 2023 KTM RC8C- * Caused red flag
About AHRMA
The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to competing on fantastic classic and true vintage along with a wide range of modern motorcycles. With nearly 3,000 members, AHRMA is the largest vintage racing group in North America and one of the biggest in the world. The association has grown steadily over the years, reflecting the increasing interest in classic bikes.
WorldSBK Race start at Estoril. Photo courtesy WSBK.
Nicolo Bulega won the World Superbike Race Two Sunday afternoon at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R, the Italian rider won the 21-lap race by 4.888 seconds.
His teammate, Iker Lecuona was the runner-up, and Alberto Surra was third on his Motocorsa Racing Ducati Panigale V4R.
Yari Montella got fourth on his Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4R and Axel Bassani got fifth on his bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team KB998 Rimini.
American Garrett Gerloff went from 13th on the grid to 7th at the finish on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
Danilo Petrucci finished his race 16th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR.
Nicolo Bulega leads the championship with 664 points, 146 ahead of Iker Lecuona who has 518 points. Yari Montella is third with 290 points.
MORE HISTORY MADE: Bulega beats long-standing Rea points record with Race 2 victory at Estoril. Bulega has now scored more points than anyone else in a single WorldSBK campaign after his Estoril treble.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) continues to make MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship history with victory in Race 2 of the Tissot Estoril Round. The #11 beat teammate Iker Lecuona by just under five seconds for his latest win, while there was late podium drama at the Circuito Estoril. Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) completed a hat-trick of P3 finishes in Portugal after a late crash for Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team).
MORE RECORDS FOR BULEGA
On the opening lap, Lecuona took the lead of the race, but Bulega made an aggressive move at Turn 6 on Lap 1 to reclaim the lead of the race before immediately starting to build a gap over his teammate. Although Lecuona initially stayed within half-a-second of his teammate, a 1’34.696s enabled ‘Bulegas’ to build a gap over his teammate in the first half of the race as he went on to secure a 29th victory of the season, and it also means the 25 points he gained put his 2026 tally to 664 points – the highest tally in a single season, beating Jonathan Rea’s 2019 tally of 663 with three races to go. He also has 33 podiums in 2026, with the all-time record for rostrums in a season standing at 34, set by Rea in 2019. Lecuona claimed his 31st WorldSBK rostrum, with 25 of those being P2 finishes.
ROOKIE VS THE TWO-TIME CHAMPION
In the fight for third, Bautista jumped up the order from fifth to run in third but an in-form Surra at Turn 6 on Lap 2, and their battle continued into Turn 1 on Lap 3; Surra retained the podium place. Bautista then had to resist Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), which allowed Surra to build a gap over the chasing pack. However, once Bautista stabilised his pace, he started putting pressure on the #67 once again in the early stages, although the rookie was able to keep the two-time WorldSBK Champion at bay across the first half of the 21-lap race. By Lap 12, Bautista was all over the back of the rookie, and on Lap 13 the #19 was in P3 when Surra went wide at Turn 1. On the same lap, Surra answered back at Turn 6, but Bautista was able to respond immediately. However, a Lap 17 crash for Bautista at Turn 1 cost him a potential podium and promoted Surra back onto the rostrum.
TOP INDEPENDENT RIDER CONFIRMED
Montella battled from 11th on the grid to finish fourth, and, coupled with Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) finishing in 15th he secured the 2026 Independent Riders’ title – the third year in a row a Barni Ducati rider has won it. With the #5 also outscoring his rivals for P3 in the standings, he has a 53-point advantage heading to Jerez in the battle for bronze. Bassani finished the race in fifth place after managing a gap to Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven), with ‘Balda’ coming home in a relatively lonely sixth place.
OLIVEIRA’S ROLLERCOASTER RACE
Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) finished in P7 as he fended off a hard-charging Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). After starting from P4, the #88 was running as low as 14th on the opening lap after he ran wide at Turn 6. From there, he fought his way through the field – passing Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and Gerloff in one move at Turn 1 on Lap 6 for P9, and attempting a similar move two laps later on Baldassarri and Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha), although he was only able to get ahead of ‘Balda’. On Lap 9, Oliveira ran wide at Turn 1 trying to pass his rivals and fell to 11th, before eventually finishing in eighth. Vierge was classified in ninth with Jake Dixon (Honda HRC) rounding out the top ten.
BRINGING HOME POINTS
Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates) finished in 11th, half-a-second down on his fellow Brit in P10, while Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished in 12th. The #87 had to fend off Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC) on the final lap, with the Thai star just 0.033s behind the Australian rider at the end of the race. Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 14th with Sam Lowes picking up the final point with 15th.
NON-SCORES AND RETIREMENTS
Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished in 16th place, almost five seconds down on the #14 ahead. Mattia Rato (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and teammate Twan Smits were 17th and 18th respectively, as the last classified riders. Alex Lowes crashed out of the race on Lap 16 at Turn 4, while Loris Baz (MGM Optical Express Racing) crashed at Turn 3 a lap later. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) also didn’t finish the race after bringing his bike into the pits with a technical issue.
WorldSSP Race 2 start at Estoril. Photo courtesy WSBK.
Jeremy Alcoba won the red-flagged FIM Supersport World Championship Race Two Sunday at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. The Spaniard won the six-lap race by just 0.378 second.
Filippo Farioli was second on his VFT Racing Yamaha YZF-R9, and former MotoAmerica regular Valentin Debise finished third, just 2.242 seconds behind the winner, on his Eastroc Evan Bros ZXMOTO 820RR.
Can Oncu finished fourth on his Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing Yamaha YZF-R9.
Lucas Mahias, riding his GMT94 Yamaha YZF-R9, got fifth.
Albert Arenas leads the championship with 364 points, 73 ahead of Valentin Debise who has 291 points. Can Oncu is third with 234 points.
Alcoba wins red-flagged WorldSSP Race 2 at Estoril in tricky conditions, foiling Farioli and ZXMOTO’s Debise. The fight for third in the Championship standings is heating up with two riders just five points back.
With a new FIM Supersport World Champion crowned in Race 1, the class attacked their red-flagged final race at the Circuito Estoril. Rain began to fall on track in the opening laps on Sunday afternoon, and after the red flags waved for track conditions after a crash, Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) crossed the line first in the restarted six-lap race, bagging his third win in four races. Filippo Farioli (VFT Racing Yamaha) took P2 at the final race of the Tissot Estoril Round for his third consecutive podium, ahead of Valentin Debise (EASTROC ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing), who took a composed bronze medal to clinch second place in the Riders’ Championship.
RED FLAGS WAVED
Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha) shot off from pole to take the holeshot, tailed by Valentin Debise, Filippo Farioli and Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing). Garcia led the race as rain began to fall, until Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) clipped the Spaniard’s leg on the run into Turn 1 of Lap 6, sending the #37 wide and later to the medical centre, where he was ruled unfit with a contusion and sprain to his right knee. Moments later, on the same lap, Booth-Amos slipped past the Turk but lost the front and crashed out of the lead in the increasingly wet conditions. With 10 laps remaining, the sun began to reappear as Farioli led the race ahead of Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) and Oncu. The next lap, however, brought red flags for track conditions after Bahattin Sofuoglu (QJMOTOR Factory Racing) crashed out at Turn 3, sending dirt, dust, and fluids from the bike onto the tarmac.
A SIX-LAP SPRINT TO THE FINISH
Oncu took zero prisoners on Sunday, cutting inside for the holeshot from quite a distance behind Farioli and Mahias. The #94 saw his time fighting at the front come to an end, however, as he ran wide at and the Spaniard seized the opportunity as he took P1 from Farioli on the run into Turn 1 with three laps to go. Farioli hung in within half a second of the Spaniard, but the shortened race distance didn’t leave the Italian much time to take his revenge. Alcoba ran away with Race 2 to land his third win in four races. While Farioli couldn’t quite strike back in Race 2 for his first win in the class, he has been a revelation in the late rounds of his sophomore 2026 season. Debise set off from P6 after the restart and came out the victor in a no-holds-barred battle with Oncu for a ninth podium this season.
ONCU AND MAHIAS MISS OUT ON THE ROSTRUM
Despite aggressive attack after attack into Turn 1, the Turkish rider finished off the podium in P4. He has an important final round to come at Jerez, as Alcoba and Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) now sit just five points behind the #61 for third in the Riders’ Championship. Like Oncu, Mahias ran up near the front for most of the race, but the Frenchman dropped to P5 for the second time in the round. German rider Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) took P6 for his best result of the past three rounds, just a tenth ahead of Matteo Ferrari (WRP Racing). The Italian’s P7 helped right the ship after a costly Race 1 DNF saw him fall behind Oettl in the Riders’ Championship standings, now in ninth place.
AEGERTER TAKES SECOND TOP EIGHT RESULT IN 2026
Dominique Aegerter (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) finished P8 on Sunday after a P14 start following the red flag. He can be happy with his performance at Estoril; while he took a P24 finish in Race 1, he was riding in the top ten in the opening race as well. Mattia Casadei (D34G WorldSSP Racing Team) finished in his same grid start position after the restart in P9, tying his third-best result so far in 2026. Closing out the top ten, Spanish rider Borja Jimenez (WRP Racing) took his best result of his rookie WorldSSP season in P10. The rider from Murcia has enjoyed his time at Estoril, scoring points in both races for the first time in his WorldSSP career.
EIGHT RIDERS TUMBLE IN RACE 2
Eight riders saw gravel on Sunday in the tricky conditions: Aldi Mahendra (AS BLU CRU Racing Team), Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), Eric Fernandez (Cerba Yamaha Racing Team), Oliver Konig (Compos Racing Team), Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha), Tom Booth-Amos Bahattin Sofuoglu, as well as Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team), who saw his race end before the red flag with a tech issue at Turn 1. All riders were ruled fit apart from Masia after his crash with Fernandez, the #5 was diagnosed with a fracture of the second metatarsal on his left foot.
Iker Lecuona (7), Nicolo Bulega (11) and Miguel Oliveira (88) at Estoril. Photo courtesy WSBK.
Nicolo Bulega won the World Superbike Superpole Race Sunday morning at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R, the 2026 Champion won the 10-lap race by 0.734 seconds.
His teammate, Iker Lecuona was the runner-up, and Alberto Surra was third on his Motocorsa Racing Ducati Panigales V4R.
Home hero, Miguel Oliveira, got fourth on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR and Alvaro Bautista got fifth on his Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4R.
Danilo Petrucci finished his race 16th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR.
American Garrett Gerloff finished 18th on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
Nicolo Bulega leads the championship with 639 points, 141 ahead of Iker Lecuona who has 498 points. Yari Montella is third with 277 points.
RECORD BREAKER: Bulega takes historic 28th win of 2026 as Surra denies Oliveira dream home rostrum. Bulega took advantage of an error from Lecuona, who finished P2, while Surra claimed P3 after a last-lap battle with Oliveira.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) made more MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship history with a 28th win of the 2026 campaign. He won the Tissot Superpole Race at the Circuito Estoril ahead of teammate Iker Lecuona, while Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) snatched third place from home hero Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) on the final lap at the Tissot Estoril Round.
MORE HISTORY FOR BULEGA AS OLIVEIRA IS DENIED
Lecuona got a sensational start when the race got underway as he claimed the lead at Turn 1, while Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) made an aggressive move at the opening corner, making contact with Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), with both dropping down the order, which allowed Oliveira to move into a provisional podium spot, slotting in behind polesitter Bulega. Montella was given a Long Lap Penalty for irresponsible riding. At the start of Lap 3, Lecuona had a huge moment under braking at Turn 1 and ran wide, allowing his teammate to take the lead and allowing Oliveira to challenge for P2; the #7 just held on. That gave Bulega breathing room at the head of the field as he claimed a record-breaking 28th win of the season, beating the previous best set by Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) in 2023 when he won 27 times. Lecuona claimed his 30th WorldSBK podium, 28 of which have come this season. In the fight for third, it looked like Oliveira had the rostrum covered but Surra put on a late spurt to claim third after passing the BMW star at Turn 3 on Lap 10, with Oliveira unable to respond across the rest of the final lap. That gave Surra his third podium in the last four races.
SECOND ROW START FOR BAUTISTA
Bautista made quick progress in the early stages of the 10-lap race, launching up to the top five and remaining there for his first top five finish since the Balaton Park Superpole Race. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was another who had a great start and he eventually finished the race in sixth place, keeping in touch with Bautista but unable to get close enough to pass. It means the second row for Race 2 will be Oliveira, Bautista and Bassani.
THREE MANUFACTURERS ON THE THIRD ROW IN RACE 2
Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) will line up from the third row for this afternoon’s Race 2 after claiming seventh ahead of Jake Dixon (Honda HRC), with the #96 losing one place compared to his starting position but securing an all-important top nine finish. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) rounded out the top nine, with Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) missing out on a third-row start in Race 2 as he finished in P10.
ALEX LOWES AND MONTELLA LOSE OUT
With both Alex Lowes and Montella dropping down the order, they both lose out on the Race 2 grid. The #22 will start from 10th while Montella will line up from P11 in the final race of the weekend in Portugal.
The top nine from the WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race, full results here:
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.734s
Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) +6.465s
Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +6.606s
Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) +8.152s
Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +10.035s
Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +11.642s
Jake Dixon (Honda HRC) +12.120s
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +12.960s
Fastest lap: Nicolo Bulega (Ducati), 1’34.525 – new lap record
Marco Bezzecchi won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday afternoon at Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 on Michelin control tires, the Italian rider won the 27-lap race by 4.260 seconds.
Raul Fernandez was the runner-up on his SuperFile Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP26.
Bezzecchi’s teammate, Jorge Martin placed third.
Fernandez’s teammate, Ai Ogura crossed the finish line fourth.
Pedro Acosta took fifth on his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16.
Jorge Martin leads the championship with 355 points, 2 ahead of Marc Marquez who has 353 points. Marco Bezzecchi is third with 309 points.
Bezzecchi beats Fernandez in Mandalika as Martin returns to championship summit. The Italian keeps his title hopes alive with a first victory since Mugello, with Aprilia making history in Indonesia to see Marc Marquez finish outside of the top five.
300 MotoGP wins for Italy. A history-making Aprilia top-four lockout. And a first victory since the Italian Grand Prix for Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing). That result, after the drama bubbled over in the Mandalika cauldron on Saturday, was desperately needed as Bezzecchi claws back crucial ground in the championship chase. Second place went to the heroic Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team), who, despite two broken fingers, climbed onto the podium, while Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) pocketed P3 to retake the World Championship lead after Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) came home in P6.
THE START
Unlike in the Tissot Sprint, Turn 1 in the Grand Prix was attacked and negotiated without incident. Bezzecchi lunged up the inside of Fernandez to try and gobble up the holeshot and take the lead, but the Italian was slightly wide on the exit to allow the polesitter back through. Marc Marquez got away well, the Sprint winner was an early P3, with 2025 Indonesia winner Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) getting the better of Martin to grab P5, and then P4 from Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team).
Martin then picked his way past Di Giannantonio to move up to P5, before the fast-starting Aldeguer slipped out of contention at the tricky Turn 16 on Lap 2. That gave Martin a free pass to move into P4, but what wasn’t a free pass was what came half a lap later.
Martin, on the inside of Marc Marquez at Turn 10, fired his Aprilia through to climb ahead of his title rival. It was P3 for Martin now, P4 for Marquez, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) now hunting the pre-race World Championship leader. And on Lap 4, Acosta set the fastest lap of the Grand Prix.
ACOSTA VS MM93, BEZ SHADOWS FERNANDEZ
It felt like it had been coming for a couple of laps, and sure enough, Acosta pounced on the championship leader. Teammates next year. No teamwork this year, though. Acosta lunged at Turn 10, super late on the anchors, but boy did he nail the pass. A moment on the front-end came through Turn 11 for Acosta, but the #37 held onto P4 to shuffle Marc Marquez back to P5, and in the clutches of Di Giannantonio.
At the front, Fernandez held Bezzecchi at bay by 0.5s, with Martin lapping 1.9s away from his teammate’s rear Michelin tyre. It was as you were for a few laps before Bezzecchi netted the fastest lap of the Grand Prix, a 1:29.991, to begin adding some pressure to Fernandez. 0.4s was the slender gap, with Martin now 2.5s back.
On Lap 13, Marc Marquez was back ahead of Acosta. From the TV pictures, it looked like Acosta was forced to allow his 2027 teammate through, which seemingly meant tyre pressure problems were arising for the KTM star. Then, two laps later, the switch came at Turn 10. Was Marc Marquez now suffering from tyre pressure problems? Incredible.
BEZ MAKES HIS MOVE AS P4 SCRAP IGNITES
Back at the front. Lap 19 of 27, the lead changed for the first time since Turn 1, Lap 1. Bezzecchi carved his way past Fernandez to snatch the lead from the Trackhouse star, and on that very same lap, the Italian hammered home another fastest lap of the Grand Prix. With Fernandez running a little wide at Turn 1 after the move, Bezzecchi’s lead grew to an immediate 1.4s, with Martin riding in a lonely P3 – 2.4s behind Fernandez, 5.7s clear of the popcorn-consuming fight between Acosta, Marc Marquez, and now Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team).
Sure enough, the Japanese star pounced. Marc Marquez was shoved back to P6 on Lap 21 at Turn 16, as Ogura then set his sights on trying to make a move on Acosta. His teammate wasn’t giving Martin a sniff at P2 a little further up the road; Fernandez was digging in deep to maintain the gap to Martin, as Ogura then clawed his way past Acosta.
Not without a fightback from Acosta though. The KTM star returned the favour into Turn 13, but Ogura got the job done into Turn 16. Both needed to be careful not to beat each other up too much though, because the #93 was lurking.
APRILIA CLINCH HISTORIC 1-2-3-4
Last lap time then in Indonesia. Bezzecchi’s 3.3s lead meant the Italian could cruise to the flag to earn a much-needed victory, his first since Mugello, to keep his slim title hopes well and truly alive.
Chapeau to Fernandez. With not one, but two broken fingers sustained in the Sprint crash yesterday, Fernandez went above and beyond the call of duty to pocket P2 in Indonesia and also extracting the maximum from Sunday was Martin. The championship leader again. Two points the gap. As you were coming into the weekend. Martin’s 16 points were critical in Mandalika. And handing Aprilia their very first MotoGP 1-2-3-4 finish was Ogura, who did manage to fend off Acosta at the end of the Grand Prix. What a day for the Noale factory.
YOUR INDONESIA POINTS SCORERS
Acosta finished just a tenth away from Ogura to bag a hard-fought P5 in Mandalika, and just over a second behind the battle was Marc Marquez. P6 at the flag means the #93 slides back into P2 in the title chase, but the seven-time MotoGP World Champion would have taken a two-point deficit at the beginning of the weekend. Why? Because he’d never even finished a Grand Prix in Indonesia. And such was Aprilia’s superiority here; not losing any ground to Martin signals a job well done ahead of a trip to Phillip Island.
Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Di Giannantonio crossed the line in P7 and P8, with the Italian only just holding off ninth-place Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). P10 went to Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3), with the other points going to Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) in P12, Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) in P13, Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in P14, and Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) in P15.
NEXT UP: PHILLIP ISLAND
Indonesia hosted its fair share of drama. And as we look ahead to our final date with the beautiful Phillip Island, the title race remains finely poised. Two points separate Martin and Marc Marquez, with Bezzecchi, the underdog, 46 points away. Tantalising.
Moto2 race start at Mandalika. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
Izan Guevara won the FIM Moto2 World Championship race Sunday afternoon at Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Boscoscuro on Pirelli control tires, the Spaniard won the 22-lap race by 3.570 seconds.
Championship point leader, Manuel Gonzalez was the runner-up on his Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP Kalex.
Daniel Holgado was third on his CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team Kalex.
Gonzalez’s teammate, Senna Agius fourth.
Daniel Muñoz took fifth on his Italtrans Racing Team Kalex.
American Joe Roberts, riding his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex, was involved in a crash at Turn 1 with four other riders and did not finish the race.
Manuel Gonzalez leads the championship with 265.5 points, 5.5 ahead of Izan Guevara who has 260 points. Ivan Ortola is third with 191.5 points.
Hat-trick hero: Guevara wins dramatic Mandalika battle as gap tightens to Gonzalez. The #28 capitalises on late heartbreak for race leader Escrig to make it three victories on the spin, but the #18 produces a fine comeback to lose just five points in Indonesia.
How about that for a drama-drenched Moto2 race at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia? Coming out on top, for the third time in a row, was red-hot Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) as the title race gap between the Spaniard and Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) reduces further – but not by much. Gonzalez limited the damage done with a fine ride to P2, while after late heartbreak arrives for race leader Alex Escrig (KLINT Racing Team) on the penultimate lap, Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) – who was involved in a four-rider, red-flagged Turn 1 crash – ends his weekend with a return to podium ways.
As we went racing in Moto2, there was immediate drama at Turn 1. Four riders were down, including both CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team riders in David Alonso and Holgado, with the latter tagging the back of his teammate into the opening corner to send the duo down. Alonso was brutally launched into the air, while Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) had nowhere to go on the outside line and collected the stricken bike of Holgado’s, sending the American sliding down the road too. Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was then left with no option but to run into the barrel-rolling, out-of-control Kalex-Triumph of Alonso, which caused Veijer to crash at Turn 1 too.
Thankfully, all four riders were able to return to the pit lane and were relatively unscathed after the red flags were shown. Unfortunately for Alonso, with the fuel tank being ripped out in the crash, amongst other significant bike damage, his Sunday in Indonesia wouldn’t be restarted. Rotten luck for the Colombian. There were better fortunes for Holgado, Roberts, and Veijer though – all three left pit lane in time to take up their spots on the restart grid, but Roberts then peeled back into the box before lights out. Clearly something wasn’t quite right on the American’s machine, and we subsequently learned it was a rear brake problem. Just like Alonso, a slice of terrible luck for Roberts.
There were no such issues for Escrig, though. The Spaniard grabbed the holeshot to dip his wheels ahead of Guevara at the start, with Holgado third before Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – JP Financial – MSI) battled past the #96. That changed hands again on Lap 2 with Gonzalez pouncing up to P6, then P5, as we clicked onto Lap 3.
By Lap 6, a clear top five had formed. Escrig led Guevara by 0.8s, Holgado held P3 and sat 0.8s behind Guevara’s rear tyre, with fourth place Ortola being caught by Gonzalez. And soon enough, P4 was now in the hands of the championship leader on Lap 7.
P4 became P3 for Gonzalez not too long after. Holgado didn’t have the pace to remain in the podium-paying positions, and with five laps to go, the title race frontrunner sat in the bronze medal position. Three seconds up the road, Guevara was making moves too. No passes yet, but the #28 was beginning to reel in race leader Escrig.
But Escrig did then pick up the pace on Lap 12 of 14. We were about to strap in for a proper fight for the win in Indonesia between Escrig and Guevara for the win, before a technical issue halted Escrig’s Lombok stormer. Cruel in the extreme. Escrig’s wonderful weekend ended with a woeful bit of luck, and that allowed Guevara to take over the P1 baton.
And he didn’t flinch. A hat-trick of wins for Guevara, as the gap to Gonzalez comes down again – but only by five points as the #18 bounces back from a disappointing Saturday to earn 20 crucial points in this compelling title chase. 6.5 points now the margin.
Third went to Holgado after Escrig’s technical problem, and after his Turn 1 crash, his rollercoaster Sunday ends on a high. Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) was another rider, like his teammate, who delivered a classy comeback ride on Sunday. The Australian clinched P4 from P13 on the grid, with Daniel Muñoz (Italtrans Racing Team) closing out the top five ahead of Ortola.
Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team) crossed the line in P7, 1.6s clear of Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2), Tony Arbolino (REDS Fantic Racing), and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Tech3) – those were the riders closing out the top 10 in Indonesia.
A weekend off arrives before this compelling Moto2 title race revs back into life at Phillip Island. See you there.
Maximo Quiles clinches 2026 Moto3 World Championship. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
The #28 seals the deal with a win – get to know the newest Moto3 World Champion and future Moto2 star after a landmark season.
Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) is the 2026 Moto3 World Champion! The #28 has shown incredible pace and expert racecraft all season to secure the crown, sealing the deal with a stylish win at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia. He’s only the fourth rider in history to ever win a Championship – in any class – with five races remaining, alongside Marc Marquez, Giacomo Agostini and Mike Hailwood.
A STAR IN THE MAKING
Quiles, born in 2008, began his racing career at a young age, making headlines on minibikes before climbing through the Spanish ranks. The #28’s talent was clear, as he found himself in the MotoJunior paddock, making his European Cup debut in 2021. Incredible. The only word that comes close to describing his rookie season. Three victories, five podiums and plenty of encouraging signs. Backing that pace up the following two seasons, Quiles returned to the top step in 2022 before setting up a title attack in 2023. The Spanish star joined Aspar, winning five times and proving he was the real deal; the #28 took the 2023 European Cup crown.
There was a change of scenery in 2024 as he made the step up to the Moto3 Junior World Championship. Quiles impressed instantly, winning at the season finale and clinching third in the standings. Alongside his efforts in the MotoJunior paddock, he raced in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup for three seasons. Finishing third in the Championship on two occasions and picking up seven wins from his time in the class, Quiles’ name wasn’t far from the headlines. Aspar had seen enough, signing the #28 for the 2025 season – Quiles was Moto3 World Championship bound.
ROOKIE SENSATION
His rookie campaign was nothing short of incredible. His season didn’t get underway until COTA, with Quiles initially being too young to race in the opening two rounds. P5 on debut before a training crash forced the rookie to miss two rounds, returning in France. It didn’t take long for the ball to get rolling either, with Quiles earning podiums at Silverstone and Aragon before a maiden win at Mugello. Ending 2025 with three wins, nine podiums and two pole positions was an impressive addition to his CV, and set up a title attack…
QUILES’ CROWNING MOMENT
2026 couldn’t have started much better for Quiles, winning four of the opening six races and standing on the podium a further two times. Further wins in Hungary and Assen only upped his Championship momentum – bringing his lead to 104 points – as we reached the summer break in Germany. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the title leader, crashing in Q2 at Silverstone and sitting out the remainder of the weekend after a collarbone break.
His comeback and response? Winning the next round at MotorLand Aragon to make his intentions clear – the title attack wasn’t over. Quiles carried his incredible form to Misano and Austria, making it three consecutive race wins, extending his lead to 131 points and setting up his first match point in Japan. His future might already be decided, with the Spanish sensation confirming the move to Moto2 next season, but his mission in Moto3 wasn’t over yet.
The deal wasn’t sealed just yet though. A second place in Motegi, under the pressure of his first match point, was impressive – but closest title rival David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) made a stunning last stand to make Quiles wait for it.
The #28’s moment in the spotlight then finally arrived at the Indonesian GP. Quiles was right at the front from the off, escaped a huge group scuffle for the podium and kept it calm to the line for his 10th win of the season, crowning himself 2026 Moto3 World Champion.
Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Lombok, Indonesia. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Maximo Quiles won the FIM Moto3 World Championship race Sunday morning at Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, in Indonesia. Using his Pirelli-shod CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team KTM, the Spaniard won the 20-lap race by 2.994 seconds.
David Almansa was the runner-up on his Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Brian Uriarte was third, 5.156 seconds behind race winner Quiles.
Matteo Bertelle crossed the finish line fourth on his LEVEL UP – MTA KTM.
Rico Salmela got fifth on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 machine.
Maximo Quiles leads the championship with 351 points, 132 ahead of David Almansa who has 219 points. Brian Uriarte is third with 203 points.
Quiles crowned Moto3 World Champion with Mandalika victory. The sensational 18-year-old is the latest young talent to life the World Championship with a stunning five rounds to spare.
The Championship race is over as victory for Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) secured the World Champion for the Spaniard. A glittering campaign of ten wins so far, he led from Lap 2 onwards, pulled out an advantage and never looked back for one of his most dominant wins of the season ahead of nearest challenger David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) and Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo).
From P2 on the grid it was a perfect launch to grab the holeshot for Almansa whilst Quiles was already into P2 on Lap 1. However, it was a barnstorming second lap that saw the gloves really come off, with Quiles in the lead as Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) battled his way into the podium places. The rough and tumble was starting to fragment the group and Almansa was the rider who was paying the price; with title rival Quiles leading, Almansa was down to P8.
On Lap 3, it was Grand Prix done for Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse) who crashed at Turn 5, whilst teammate Leo Rammerstorfer joined him in a separate incident. Further round the lap, Ryota Ogiwara (CODE Motorsports) came to grief whilst back in the lead pack, Almansa was back into P2 by Lap 5. A mistake by Quiles at Turn 16 gave the chasing pack hope, the gap to chief title rival Almansa down to 1.6s.
Half GP distance complete and things had started to spread out with Quiles 1.5s clear of Almansa, Fernandez and Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) who in-turn were 1.6s clear of Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3). On Lap 11, disaster for Carpe who tagged the back of Fernandez and crashed at Turn 10 and although the #31 could continue, he was back in the group behind and then made a mistake at Turn 2 a lap later. More drama at the end of the lap, this time for Adrian Cruces (CIP GreenPower) who crashed at Turn 16 but was able to rejoin.
Lap 14 and two seconds out front, Champion-designate Quiles picked up a track limits warning, the #28 had no room for error. With a 2.8s advantage with two laps to go though, he had the margin to relax and keep it wheels in line, despite Almansa’s efforts.
Across the line and doing it in the most Quiles style possible, the Championship leader became the World Champion with a tenth victory of the season and with five rounds remaining. A magnificent campaign going to a deserving World Champion whilst Almansa was a solid second and strengthens his grasp on P2 overall. Third went the way of Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) after the Spaniard pounced to pass Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP-MTA) on the final lap.
Salmela matched his career-best result in fifth ahead of home-hero Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia), whereas Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) resisted teammate Fernandez for P7 at the line but due to a shortcut at Turn 9, was given a Long Lap Penalty equivalent so was P8 in the end. Joel Esteban (LEVELUP-MTA) was ninth whilst Scott Ogden (CIP GreenPower) completed the top ten.
Quiles taking the title with five rounds remaining puts him in an exclusive club of riders who have done that across all classes. Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini and Marc Marquez were the only three that had managed it but now, Maximo Quiles’ name is part of a unique club of riders.
The title race is done but with five rounds still to go, plenty of battles remain in 2026!
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