Fermin Aldeguer won the FIM MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his BK8 Gresini Ducati Desmosedici GP24 on Michelin control tires, the rookie won the 27-lap race by 6.987 seconds.
Pedro Acosta was the runner-up on his Red Bull KTM Factory RC16.
Aldeguer’s teammate, Alex Marquez was third.
Acosta’s teammate, Brad Binder finished fourth.
Luca Marini, piloting his Honda HRC Castrol RC213V took fifth.
Sprint race winner, Marco Bezzecchi crashed his Aprilia Racing RS-GP25 on the first lap.
Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez crashed their Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP25s and didn’t finish the race.
Marc Marquez leads the championship with 545 points, 183 ahead of Alex Marquez who has 362 points. Francesco Bagnaia is third with 274 points.
Aldeguer takes stunning maiden Mandalika win as Marquez and Bezzecchi clash. The rookie becomes the second-youngest MotoGP winner as the #72 and #93 collide on Lap 1, with Acosta and Alex Marquez completing the podium.
How about that for a way to win your first MotoGP Grand Prix? Take a bow, Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP). The rookie becomes the second-youngest MotoGP winner after clinching an utterly dominant victory in a dramatic Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia that saw Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) collide and crash on Lap 1. In a fascinating fight for second and third, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) collected P2 ahead of Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) in an unmissable MotoGP encounter in Mandalika.
Immediate drama as Bezzecchi and Marc Marquez crash
Just like he did in the Sprint, and once again, it wasn’t a good start from Bezzecchi from pole as Acosta earned the holeshot. Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) made a cracking start from P6 and was an early second as huge drama unfolded at Turn 6.
Bezzecchi was behind Marc Marquez and went for a gap that didn’t really exist at the furiously fast right-hander. Contact was made, Bezzecchi hitting Marc Marquez’s Ducati, and both went down in a big way. The pre-race favourite and the World Champion were out of the Grand Prix after six corners, with both thankfully able to walk away.
However, Marc Marquez did suffer an injury to his right collarbone in the crash, meaning the #93 will fly back to Europe for further checks to see if surgery will be needed. In addition, post-race, Aprilia Racing confirmed that Bezzecchi was taken to the local hospital for further examinations.
Acosta leads before Aldeguer pulls the pin
Back on track, another podium contender then crashed on Lap 2, as Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) went down at Turn 16 to end his positive weekend prematurely. So, where did that leave us? Acosta led from Aldeguer and Marini, with Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) a close P4. Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was in P5 ahead of his teammate Fabio Quartararo.
On Lap 7, Aldeguer hit the front for the first time. Turn 10 was the passing place; a classic up the inside move was done, but Acosta retaliated at Turn 1 on the next lap. But the #37 was wide, allowing Aldeguer back through, and a fastest lap of the Grand Prix was landed by the rookie to stretch his lead to 0.509s over the line.
While lapping in P16, Francesco Bagnaia’s (Ducati Lenovo Team) disappointing weekend ended with a Turn 17 crash, in what quickly turned into a Grand Prix to forget for the newly crowned Teams’ World Champions.
At the front, Aldeguer had checked out. On Lap 11, the rookie’s lead was 2.5s, as Marini began to climb all over the tailpipes of Acosta. Fernandez was right there too, and if anyone had hopes of winning this contest, getting past Acosta as soon as possible was key.
An incredible podium fight unfolds
But we were witnessing superiority from Aldeguer here. The #54 was lapping a good half a second and the rest faster than anyone else on track, and with Marini and Acosta engaging in battle, that lead grew to 4.3s at the start of Lap 13. And all this was bringing Rins, Alex Marquez, Quartararo, and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) into the podium picture.
Lap 14 saw Fernandez and Marini scrap it out through Turn 16 and Turn 17, and as contact was made going into the final corner, Rins said, ‘Thank you very much’, and moved into P3. Alex Marquez cruised through as well and suddenly, Fernandez and Marini were P5 and P8.
At this stage, Aldeguer was 6.5s up the road. The win, if no mistakes were made and his tyres didn’t fall off a cliff, was his. But this fight for the final two rostrum spots was superb. P2 down to Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in P12 was just over three seconds.
Acosta was digging deep in P2. His personal best lap of the Grand Prix came on Lap 17, a 1:31.107, and it was enough at this stage to keep Rins and the rest at arm’s length. That safety net didn’t last though. Rins was through on Lap 20, and now it was Alex Marquez who began to hound the KTM.
And a move from the #73 arrived on Lap 22 at Turn 10 to shove Acosta out of the podium places for the first time. Then, Marquez powered past Rins into Turn 1 to make it a Gresini 1-2 in Indonesia as Rins began to really struggle on that soft rear tyre. Fernandez and Binder were through, Acosta was back into P3, with Binder – from P15 on the grid – fending off Fernandez to see the South African sit in P4 behind teammate Acosta.
With three laps to go, Acosta was back into P2 at Turn 10 to return the favour on Alex Marquez, as a 0.9s gap opened up behind the battle for P2 and P3 to Binder.
Starting the final lap in a different postcode to the field, Aldeguer just had to cruise home to a dream debut MotoGP victory. 8.6s was the gap, and it looked like Acosta had P2 in the bag too as Alex Marquez dropped to 0.9s back.
And of course, Aldeguer made no mistakes. What a ride. What a win. Aldeguer adds his name to that illustrious MotoGP winners’ list, and he’s also the second youngest to ever do it after the famous #93. Acosta did hold onto a very, very hard-fought P2, with Alex Marquez strengthening his grip on second in the championship with a P3 in Indonesia.
Your Indonesian GP points scorers
Fair play to Binder. That was some effort to bring his RC16 home in a season-best P4, with Marini battling his way back to P5. Fernandez backed up his Sprint podium with a solid P6 in the Grand Prix, with Quartararo the lead Yamaha rider in seventh. Eighth went to Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), P9 was his teammate Di Giannantonio, with Rins’ charge ending with a P10 – but how good was it to see the #42 back in the rostrum scrap?
Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) was 11th across the line ahead of Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR), Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR), and Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) – the Australian crossing the line in P14 after he crashed out of the top 10 group in the closing stages.
Next: Phillip Island
Well, that was breathless. We witnessed the great and the bad in that MotoGP encounter, as we wait to see if Marc Marquez and Bezzecchi will be fit enough to be back on track next time out at Phillip Island. Aldeguer will head to Australia as a MotoGP winner, as we look forward to getting going again at an all-time classic.
Diogo Moreira won the FIM Moto2 World Championship race Sunday at Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Italtrans Racing Kalex on Pirelli control tires, the Brazilian won the 22-lap race by 4.678 seconds.
Championship point leader Manuel Gonzalez was the runner-up on his LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt IntactGP Kalex.
Izan Guevara was third on his BluCru Pramac Yamaha Boscoscuro.
Veteran Aron Canet finished fourth on his Fantic Racing Kalex.
His teammate, Barry Baltus took fifth.
American Joe Roberts finished the race 7th on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Manuel Gonzalez leads the championship with 258 points, 29 ahead of Diogo Moreira who has 229 points. Aron Canet is third with 202 points.
Moreira wins, Gonzalez disqualified in shock title twist. The Brazilian reigned supreme in Indonesia as a post-race DSQ for the championship leader sees the Moto2 title race close right up.
It was a stellar display from Brazilian star Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) as he took more points out of Manuel Gonzalez’s (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) points lead before post-race drama unravelled. The championship leader crossed the line in P2, but the #18 was handed a DSQ for a technical infringement, resulting in his removal from P2 on the results. Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) celebrated a second Moto2 podium, initially in P3 but that turns to P2 now, with Aron Canet’s (Fantic Racing) classy comeback to P4 from outside the top 20 now earning him a P3 – and with it, a lifeline in the title chase.
Snatching the lead on Lap 1, Guevara hit the front ahead of polesitter Moreira but it didn’t last long as the Brazilian was able to take over at the helm on Lap 2. Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) soon got himself into contention too, moving past Guevara to hit P2, a fast start from the middle of the second row. Having had exceptional pace on Friday, Gonzalez was sitting in fourth ahead of David Alonso (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) but the Colombian suffered a huge crash at the penultimate corner, thankfully able to walk away.
Lap 6 brought with it the start of the battle between ‘Manugas’ and Guevara with the Championship leader getting the better of the 2022 Moto3™ World Champion but there was drama ahead as the second of the Aspar machines fell; Holgado tucked the front at Turn 17 but was all OK. Meanwhile, Canet had charged through the field and having started from 21st, he had climbed to fourth and was one of the fastest riders on the track, just ahead of 2020 Moto3 Champion Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2).
Into the second half of the race and the gap was stable at around one second between title contenders Moreira and Gonzalez, nothing able to split their lap times. Elsewhere, Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing) had moved into P6 ahead of Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – FRINSA – MSI), Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team), Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) who completed the top ten with six to go. Baltus’ charge continued on Lap 16, getting ahead of Arenas for fifth at Turn 16.
Nobody could land a blow on Moreira though, who cut into Gonzalez’s points advantage for a second consecutive weekend. Taking victory at the same circuit as his maiden Moto3 win, Moreira was flawless throughout the 22 laps. Gonzalez remains the Championship leader but now, the gap is just nine points going to Australia following the DSQ.
Guevara takes P2, that’s his first of the year and second in the class, whilst Canet’s climb to fourth (now third) keeps him in contention. Teammate Baltus rounded out the top four on a positive Sunday for Fantic.
Arenas was back in the top five for the first time since the Austrian GP in August, ahead of Roberts who was back in the top ten for the first time since his victory at Brno. Rookie Ortola made it P7 whilst Veijer, Dixon and Adrian Huertas (Italtrans Racing Team) rounded out the top 10.
Game on as we head to Australia in the title race: Moreira has the momentum, Gonzalez sees his lead slashed and Canet is now a real threat again… we’ll have a battle on The Island.
Gonzalez gets shock DSQ, Moreira closes to within nine points. The Moto2™ Championship leader is disqualified from the Indonesian GP after using non-homologated software.
Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) has been disqualified from the Indonesian GP. The FIM MotoGP Stewards confirmed the penalty after the race, with Gonzalez having been found to have used non-homologated software, in this case a previous version. The penalty is an automatic DSQ.
With Gonzalez’s closest title rival Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) having won the Moto2 showdown in Mandalika, the Brazilian now moves to within nine points of the Championship lead as Gonzalez loses the 20 points for second.
Four races now remain, with 100 points still in play in 2025. Can Gonzalez extend the gap again? We’ll start to find out next time out in Australia.
A week after competing in MotoAmerica Talent Cup at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Jake Paige was back home in Australia and won 2 of 3 ASBK Supersport 300 races at One Raceway. The event in New Jersey was the 14-year-old’s first time racing in the U.S. and his first time riding a MotoAmerica Talent Cup Kramer.
Paige qualified 4th and finished second in the one race he didn’t win at One Raceway.
Winner Jake Paige (center) on the ASBK Supersport 300 Race 2 podium, with second-place Riley Nauta (left) and third-place Valentino Knezovic (right). Photo by RbMotoLens/ASBK.
Meanwhile, his brother Bodie Page (who raced in the 2025 MotoAmerica Talent Cup all season) was competing in Asia Talent Cup, as part of a MotoGP weekend in Indonesia.
Jose Antonio Rueda won the FIM Moto3 World Championship race Sunday at Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, in Indonesia. Using his Pirelli-shod Red Bull KTM Ajo, the Championship point leader won the 18-lap race by 0.305 second, and become the 2025 Moto3 World Champion.
Luca Lunetta was the runner-up on his SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda.
Guido Pini was third on his LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt IntactGP KTM.
Rookie, Maximo Quiles crossed the finish line fourth on his CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team KTM.
Jacob Roulstone, piloting his Red Bull KTM Tech3, got fifth.
Jose Antonio Rueda leads the championship with 340 points, 109 ahead of Angel Piqueras who has 231 points. Maximo Quiles is third with 217 points.
Rueda wins dramatic Mandalika showdown to secure 2025 Moto3™ crown. The #99 takes another win to seal the deal after late-race drama, a red flag stoppage and some post-race penalties in Lombok.
Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) sealed the 2025 Moto3 World Championship in style with a win at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia. A dramatic race ended early in a Red Flag, causing a parc ferme shuffle before the podium was confirmed as Rueda, Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) following post-race penalties for Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) and Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team).
Plenty of riders got a brilliant launch but it was Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA) who emerged from Turn 1 in the lead, with David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) and Fernandez and early P2 and P3. Rueda dropped to P13 by the end of Lap 1, while title rival Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) had made great progress – the #36 was up to P6. That turned to P4 on Lap 2 as the Spaniard got his elbows out, with Fernandez and Quiles now ahead of Kelso at the front of the freight train.
At the start of Lap 5, Piqueras was forced to run wide after being sandwiched by Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Muñoz, which saw Piqueras drop to P10, one place behind Rueda. Then, one of the frontrunners was on the floor as Kelso tumbled out of contention at Turn 10 to end his podium hopes in Indonesia.
Lap 7 saw Quiles lead for the first time as Rueda climbed to P6. It was a front group of twelve and at this stage, Piqueras was eighth – but with Quiles leading, Rueda wasn’t yet in a title-winning position. However, later around the lap, he was. Rueda was up to P3 at the halfway stage and as things stood, the Moto3 crown would be his.
On Lap 12 of 20, Rueda remained in a title-winning place. He was P2, Quiles was nipping at his heels in P3, while Piqueras was struggling to make progress in P9. Fernandez was leading the way until the #99 slid through into the lead at Turn 10 on Lap 13. Did the chasers have a response, or was Rueda about to clinch his first World Championship title in the perfect way possible?
It was getting better for Rueda too because Quiles dropped to P8, one place behind Piqueras, before three riders crashed at Turn 16 on Lap 14. Carpe, David Almansa (Leopard Racing) and Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) were down and out of contention and then, Quiles and Piqueras were handed Long Lap penalties for short cutting Turn 9 as the drama amped up.
Barring a mistake from Rueda, something he’s barely made all season, the 2025 title was about to be his. Piqueras took his Long Lap on Lap 17 and the #36 was then P8, but Quiles continued on his way in P4.
With three laps to go, Rueda was leading until Turn 10. Muñoz then slipped up the inside to take the lead before huge drama for the #64 as Fernandez attacked him and made contact, with Muñoz left skittled out into the run off and the #31 in the lead.
Rueda then hit the front but just after he’d taken over, the red flag came out. With the countback, not only was Rueda was officially the 2025 Moto3 World Champion – after a double Long Lap penalty was handed to Fernandez, Rueda was also the winner in Indonesia. Quiles completed his Long Lap penalty just before the red flag but it wasn’t soon enough to count, and the #28 was handed a three-second post-race penalty. That promoted Lunetta to P2 and Pini to P3, the latter celebrating his first Moto3 podium.
Quiles dropped to P4 after his penalty, as Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) collected his best result of the season – and his Moto3 career. Fernandez ended the race in P6, with Piqueras seventh as he sees his title chances officially disappear. Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), Stefano Nepa (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Kelso, despite his crash, completed the top 10 in Indonesia.
Now it’s next stop Australia, with the crown secured but plenty still on the line as a spectacular season of Moto3 competition rolls on! See you Down Under!
More from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing:
Marco Bezzecchi and Aprilia Racing unstoppable at Mandalika.
An outstanding Saturday for Aprilia Racing at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit. Marco Bezzecchi delivered a flawless performance, dominating every session on Saturday. He was fastest in FP2 and then took pole position with a new all-time lap record of 1:28.832. No one had ever been that quick at Mandalika. It was the Italian rider’s third pole position of the season, following those at Austria and Misano. For Aprilia Racing, it was the team’s first pole at the Indonesian circuit and the twelfth in its top-class history. In the sprint, despite a less-than-perfect start that saw him drop to sixth at the end of the opening lap, Bezzecchi mounted a remarkable comeback, sealing victory with a decisive last-lap overtake, his second sprint win after Misano.
Raúl Fernández also delivered a Saturday to remember for the Trackhouse MotoGP Team – third in qualifying, earning his first front row of the season, and third at the finish in the sprint, securing his first MotoGP podium.
Marco Bezzecchi won the Tissot Sprint Race. Photo courtesy Aprilia Racing.
Marco Bezzecchi: “It was a fantastic sprint, and I’m delighted. The start wasn’t ideal; I dropped several positions, but I knew I was quick. I lost a bit of time during my comeback and thought it wouldn’t be possible to compete for the win. Honestly, when I passed Fernández, I didn’t think I could catch Aldeguer, but after a couple of laps, I saw I was closing in and kept on pushing until the finish.”
Fabiano Sterlacchini – technical director: “It was a very positive Saturday. The aim was definitely to give our best, as both the RS-GP25 and Marco demonstrated incredible speed, and in qualifying, Marco was truly exceptional. The race performance was initially affected by a less-than-ideal start and some traffic, but even then, Marco gave his all and maximised our bike’s potential. The outstanding performance by Raúl and the Trackhouse MotoGP Team proved this. They did a fantastic job, securing a front-row start in qualifying and a podium in the sprint. We’re thrilled – both riders were excellent – but the weekend isn’t over yet. On Sunday, we aim to finish the job with another strong race.”
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More from a press release issued by BK8 Gresini Team:
Fermin on the Sprint podium, Alexi 4th at Madalika.
Sprint – IndonesianGP
2nd – FERMIN ALDEGUER #54
4th – ALEX MARQUEZ #73
World Championship Standings
2nd – ALEX MARQUEZ #73 (346 points)
8th – FERMIN ALDEGUER #54 (156 points)
Fermin Aldeguer on the Sprint podium at Mandalika. Photo courtesy BK8 Gresini Team.
FERMIN ALDEGUER #54:
“I must say that missing out on a win on the last lap hurts, but we must be happy with this result. Honestly, we knew Marco Bezzecchi was quicker than us, but with his mistake at the start we found ourselves in the right place at the right time. I could almost taste victory, but I’m happy: we’ll try to score another good result tomorrow.”
Alex Marquez (73) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy BK8 Gresini Team.
ALEX MARQUEZ #73:
“It was a positive day, despite the mistake towards the end of Q2. We didn’t change the bike for the Sprint, even though I’m struggling quite a bit at the front-end: having said that, fourth place is a good result. We need to remain calm and make a good tyre choice for tomorrow’s race.” *Crashed in Q2 at turn 13
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More from a press release issued by Honda HRC Castrol:
On the charge! Mir cuts through the field as Marini equals best Honda Qualifying.
Another day of intrigue at the Indonesian GP as the Honda HRC Castrol team once again featured prominently throughout, Joan Mir with an incredible recovery to fifth and Luca Marini leading the Sprint from the line after qualifying on the second row.
Picking up where they left off on Friday, the Honda HRC Castrol team were straight to work as both Joan Mir and Luca Marini assessed the adjustments their team had done overnight. With little change in the conditions at the Mandalika Circuit, it was another physically demanding day not just for the riders but also the mechanics working away in the garage.
Yellow flags restricted Joan Mir’s performance during Q2, only able to manage 12th on the grid when the 15-minute session came to a close. Turning his frustrations into motivations, the #36 authored a memorable comeback as he marched his way through the field. Quickly into the top ten, Mir was able to match the pace of the podium finishers and catch his fast-starting teammate in the closing stages of the Sprint. Taking fifth place echoed his Japanese GP performance despite his complicated grid slot.
Matching his best grid position as a Honda rider, first achieved at the San Marino GP a few weeks ago, Luca Marini secured a solid sixth to start from the second row. Victim to a yellow flag incident late in Q2, the Italian had the potential to challenge for more. All of this was forgotten as the lights went on the Sprint and the #10 shot forward with his best start of the year, leading into the opening corner. An intense brawl with first Raul Fernandez and then eventual Sprint winner Marco Bezzecchi erupted, Marini fending off countless attacks from the Aprilia rider and crossing the line in sixth, just behind his teammate. A post-race penalty due to tyre pressure would drop Marini to 13th.
Today’s results have both sides of the Honda HRC Castrol prepared for what is sure to be an interesting Indonesian GP on Sunday. Especially if weather forecasts are to be believed, rain or shine – both Mir and Marini have shown they have the speed the challenge at the front again.
Joan Mir (36) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Honda HRC Castrol
Joan Mir – 5th: “Our bike is getting better and today I was able to have a really good race. We couldn’t show our true selves in Qualifying, so it was a bit of an uphill battle, but we did it in a great way. My pace was really good all weekend, so we put our heads down and went for it. Tomorrow, I think we have a package to enjoy the race, to move forward and do another comeback. Usually this isn’t a track I have a great feeling at, it is a nice surprise to arrive here with the pace for the podium, and I have to say thanks to everyone for their work to arrive in this situation. Another top five would be amazing considering where we are starting but we can certainly aim for it. Weekends like this give us a boost not just for the next weekend, but also for next year.”
Luca Marini (10) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Honda HRC Castrol
Luca Marini – 13th : “A day with some positive points to take, but certainly I was hoping for more with the speed we have shown during the whole weekend. Our qualifying was acceptable but there is still something to improve with the bike to really make that step with the soft. The start to the race was really good, we were able to make another good launch. I fought a lot with Bezzecchi because the Sprint podium was very close for us. Some things to improve and to fix from how that race went for tomorrow. The tyre pressure dropped a lot at the start, and I couldn’t ride how I wanted to, even when I let some riders past to try and get some heat in.”
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More from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3:
Our adventure in Lombok island has not been as dreamy as we would have hoped so far, and yet the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team had two face another letdown on Saturday. Maverick Viñales decided to withdraw from the remainder of the Indonesian Grand Prix to fully focus on his recovery, while Enea Bastianini crashed early into the Tissot Sprint, after starting from 17th.
Qualifying
Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales were back in action on Saturday morning, ready to face the extreme heat once again of Lombok island, with yet another busy day awaiting them. Things continued to get tricky for Bastianini after a feeling-less Friday, and the Italian could not find a way to get things right as he returned for FP2. In a spicy Q1 welcoming Marc Marquez for the first time this season, the fight for the top 2 was going to be a difficult one. Enea managed a 1’30.242 in the first flying lap of run 2 to sit in a provisional P5, but as he continued to push, he unfortunately crashed at T1, with 3 minutes left. That was it for Enea in qualifying, who was going to start the Indonesian Grand Prix from 17th. Maverick continued to fight his lack of strength on Saturday, with the Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider riding a best lap in 1’30.956, one which was going to see him close the grid of both Sprint and main event. Shortly after qualifying, Maverick and his team decided together to withdraw from the Indonesian Grand Prix, for the Spaniard to fully focus on his left-shoulder recovery.
Tissot Sprint
Enea Bastianini was therefore the only Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider to line up on the Sprint grid in Mandalika just before 15:00 LT. At lights out, Bastianini earned two positions from 17th to 15th to sit behind Fabio Di Giannantonio, and one more position was grabbed in the next sector. The first lap’s battle was tense as always, and eventually Enea dropped back to his initial grid position at lap 1 exit, behind Fabio Quartararo who had dropped 8 positions. At the front, rookie Fermin Aldeguer led lap 2 ahead of Pedro Acosta, and Raul Fernandez. The battle for 16th against Alex Rins was on, entering lap 3, but unfortunately a contact with the Yamaha Factory rider saw Enea crash at T16, calling it an early end for the day. Marco Bezzecchi took the win, with rookie Fermin Aldeguer grabbing the silver from first MotoGP™ front row start, and Raul Fernandez taking his career-first sprint podium with the third place.
That’s almost it for the Grand Prix of Indonesia, with now just the main event awaiting Enea Bastianini on Sunday at 15:00 LT (UTC+8) for 27 laps, as he will want to turn his Indonesian campaign around.
Enea Bastianini (23) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Tech3.
Enea Bastianini: “Tough one for us. Qualifying is always complicated for us, if I push, it’s easy for me to crash, which happened today. We usually have a better pace in the races, but I crashed after 3 laps in a fast corner following a contact with Alex Rins. I feel quite lucky, because it was really dangerous, but I am feeling good, although I have some pain everywhere, but nothing important. I think we can have a good pace in tomorrow’s race, we will try to do a good job. The grip is quite low for me, I think that the race will be tricky with the mediums, but let’s see!”
Maverick Viñales(12) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Tech3.
Maverick Viñales: “Sometimes the hardest decision is the smartest one. Together with the team we decided to stop and focus fully on recovery as my shoulder still needs more time. Thanks to everyone for the support and understanding!”
Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager: “Difficult weekend so far for the whole team here in Indonesia. Somehow, Enea Bastianini is facing issues with the bike, and he cannot go fast. It feels like we are back to a similar situation as we were in at the start of the season… Race pace seems to be ok, but it is impossible to make a fast lap, which makes things more difficult. The goal was to use the sprint as an extra session, but unfortunately, he had a contact with Alex Rins that led to a crash. I really hope that we can find some solutions for tomorrow, and see a bit of light. On Maverick Viñales’ side, we have decided all together to withdraw from the Indonesian Grand Prix. Since his return on the bike, we have tried to speed up the shoulder recovery, but the last two races have been super difficult for him. Mandalika layout and its high-speed changes of directions are making everything tougher, he is unable to go fast and it affects his confidence on the bike, so we think stopping here is the smartest choice for Maverick to fully focus on recovery.”
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More from a press release issued by IDEMITSU Honda LCR:
IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Somkiat Chantra crashed during Saturday’s Sprint in Mandalika.
After a tough qualifying, Chantra made a solid start and was working to recover positions.
Unfortunately, on the first lap at turn 13, he crashed (without consequences), which prevented him from continuing his effort.
The team is analyzing the data to determine exactly what happened, aiming to make progress ahead of tomorrow’s main race.
Somkiat Chantra (35) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy IDEMITSU Honda LCR.
Somkiat Chantra DNF: “Today, I crashed on the first lap. I felt something wasn’t right with the rear side of the bike, and I immediately lost the front. The team will analyze the data to understand what happened. Looking ahead to tomorrow, we’ll push to recover positions and see what the outcome will be. The weather conditions are easier for me to manage, as they’re similar to what I’m used to in Thailand, so we’re ready for the main race.”
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More from a press release issued by Castrol Honda LCR:
CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco experienced a setback in Saturday’s Sprint at Mandalika.
Following a challenging qualifying session, the French rider embarked on a determined comeback effort on Indonesian soil.
Zarco delivered a strong start and swiftly gained positions, battling hard to secure points.
Unfortunately, while pushing in the final laps, he crashed, ending his fight prematurely.
The team remains fully committed to analyzing the data and refining the setup, aiming to deliver a stronger performance in tomorrow’s main race.
Johann Zarco (5) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Castrol Honda LCR.
Johann Zarco DNF: “The start was pretty good, I was recovering positions lap by lap and noticed many riders were struggling due to the demanding conditions, so I focused on staying calm and doing my job. After that, I wasn’t able to ride the way I wanted, and I crashed in the last corner a few laps from the end while trying to push. I’m still missing confidence, but I’m working closely with the team to find the right solution. I’m happy with Honda’s improvements, and having the official riders up front is a positive sign. We just need to keep working to find the right feeling.”
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More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:
Oliveira Scores One Point in Indonesian GP Sprint Race, Miller Battles to 11th for Prima Pramac Yamaha.
At the conclusion of the Sprint Race, which awarded the first points of the Indonesian GP — the 18th round of the MotoGP World Championship — Miguel Oliveira finished in 9th place, earning one point, while his Prima Pramac Yamaha teammate Jack Miller crossed the line 11th, hampered by a difficult start caused by the front device failing to disengage. Tomorrow‘s GP is scheduled at 15:00 local time (09:00 CET) over a distance of 24 laps.
After securing, for the first time this season, direct access to Q2 in yesterday‘s qualifying — which allowed him to start 10th on the grid for today‘s Sprint — Miguel Oliveira converted the effort into his first Saturday points of the year. Thanks to Luca Marini‘s post-race penalty for irregular front tire pressure, Oliveira was classified 9th at the end of the 13-lap dash, extending his streak to five consecutive weekends in the points.
The Portuguese rider also finished as the top Yamaha rider, two places ahead of his teammate Jack Miller. Starting 14th, the Australian made up three positions, despite a troubled opening lap where his YZR-M1‘s front device failed to disengage, costing him valuable ground.
In the overall standings, Miller sits 18th with 58 points, Oliveira is 20th with 34, while Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP is 10th in the teams‘ standings with 88 points.
Indonesian GP schedule:
Sunday: 10:40 (4:40 CET) Warm-up; 15:00 (8:00 CET) Race (24 laps – 116,13 km)
GINO BORSOI – Team Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP
“It has been a very interesting and positive weekend so far for Oliveira, who once again confirms himself among the strongest performers in recent races. We‘re very happy to finish once more inside the top 10, which for us is a great result. Tomorrow, with his riding style, I believe Miguel can repeat this performance. As for Miller, starting from the back never makes it easy to recover positions. We‘re preparing for a tough race, one that will come down to managing the front tire. Let‘s see if we can make the difference. We‘re still missing a bit of straight-line speed, which makes overtaking difficult, but on corner speed and handling I think we‘re on par with the others.”
Miguel Oliveira (88) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Yamaha.
Miguel Oliveira: “I got off the line quite well, but in the early laps you realize you can‘t stay too close behind the other bikes, because you‘re riding different lines and racing in a different way. The front tire was moving too much, so overtaking was very difficult — basically impossible. We just don‘t have enough speed to make passes, which makes the race pretty tough. Tomorrow will be even harder, with a heavier bike that won‘t make things easier on the front. I think we‘ll gamble on the soft and try to manage it as best as we can.”
Jack Miller (43) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Yamaha.
Jack Miller: “It was a decent race. I had a really good start, but then I couldn‘t get the front device disengaged in the first corner. I tried between Turns 2 and 3, and again on the exit from 4 to 5, but it didn‘t release, and each time I lost a position. I finally managed to get it off at Turn 10, which was far from ideal. After that, I found my rhythm but got stuck behind Mir for a long time. When Márquez did his long lap and came out in front of me, he also struggled to pass Joan, and following him we started to close in on the group ahead. Tomorrow I need to repeat today‘s good start, but this time focus on braking harder into Turn 1 to make sure we get that first device off right away.”
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More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Luckless Mandalika Sprint for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP.
Luck was not on Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team’s side today during the Grand Prix of Indonesia Sprint. Álex Rins was pushed wide on the opening lap, resulting in the Spaniard spending the remainder of the 13-lap dash riding from P19 to P13. Following a post-Sprint 8-second penalty for Luca Marini, Rins ranked 12th in the revised classifications. Fabio Quartararo also had a tough outing. He was relegated to last place right after the start and fought his way back to P13, only to crash out on the final lap.
The 13-lap Sprint at the Mandalika International Circuit was a rough battlefield in the opening laps. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Álex Rins and Fabio Quartararo both fell back early on. But with the Indonesian fans having travelled to the Mandalika track in full force to support them, the teammates were determined to at least put on a good show. Rins went on to salvage 13th place while Quartararo’s hard work was left unrewarded due to an unlucky crash on the last lap. Following a post-Sprint 8-second penalty for Luca Marini, Rins moved up to 12th in the revised classifications.
Rins had a good start from P4 on the grid and settled into fifth place in the early stages of the first lap, but contact with Marc Márquez amidst the bustle forced Rins to run wide. The incident effectively ended the number 42’s chances of scoring points in the Sprint, but he still put his head down. Shadowing his teammate, the Spaniard gradually moved up the order, riding from P19 to P15. While behind Jack Miller, Rins and Quartararo had a brief battle. The friendly scrap ended in Rins losing time. As Johann Zarco crashed out, Rins was in 14th chasing the other Yamaha riders. When also Quartararo fell victim to the Mandalika track on the final lap, Rins was riding closely behind Miller again but wrapped up the Sprint in 13th position, 16.226s from first.
Quartararo had a less than desirable start from P8 and found himself at the end of the pack halfway through the first lap. But the Frenchman was still keen to put up a fight and quickly wrestled his way past Enea Bastianini and Francesco Bagnaia. With Pedro Acosta crashing on lap 5, the Yamaha man was up in 14th by the time he had closed the gap to Miller. A brief battle with his chasing teammate further spurred Quartararo on to overtake Miller on lap 7 and Zarco on lap 9. Hunting down the group ahead of him, consisting of five riders fighting for seventh place, Quartararo was closing in and keen to challenge Miguel Oliveira for a last-lap battle when a crash in Turn 2 ended his run.
After today’s results, Quartararo is now in 9th place in the overall standings with 149 points, and Rins holds 19th position with 45 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are 6th in the team championship with 194 points, and Yamaha remain in 5th position in the constructor championship with 181 points.
The team will be back in action tomorrow for Warm Up, held from 10:40-10:50 GMT +8, and the 27-lap Race, which starts at 15:00.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI – Team Director, Monster Energy Yamaha
“We had higher hopes for this Sprint. So far, Álex especially had a very positive weekend. He did a good job qualifying in P4, his best starting position of the season. However, in the Sprint, he was unlucky to be pushed wide by another rider on the opening lap from a positive fifth place. It ended his hopes of battling at the front, but he still showed good fighting spirit today. Fabio similarly found himself at the end of the pack. He was catching up fast though. It’s a shame that he crashed on the final lap, but the main thing is that he is okay and that tomorrow we can have another go – hopefully with a bit more luck on our side. Completing 27 laps in this heat tomorrow will be a real test of endurance for the riders. The team will work hard to help the riders prepare for it and make them feel as comfortable as possible during this survival-of-the-fittest challenge.”
Alex Rins (42) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
Alex Rins: “It was unbelievable in qualifying. I’m honestly super happy, because it’s been a long time since I felt like this on the bike. I’m feeling quite good. Already in Motegi we made a step forward, and at this track we have a mix of fast and slow corners. It’s quite technical as a rider. I was able to be strong, and I really enjoyed riding. We did a really great lap time.
“My start in the Sprint was great. I was there at the front. At first, I was angry with Marc because he destroyed my race, but looking at the footage, I think he just may not have been able to stop the bike because Marini was ahead of him. This time it happened to me, tomorrow it could happen to him, that’s part of racing. Tomorrow, we have another opportunity. It’s going to be more challenging than today, though, because we need more time to warm the medium rear tyre, but our pace is not bad. Still, I am happy about today and the work we are doing.”
Fabio Quartararo (20) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
Fabio Quartararo: “The start was pretty strange: I had a slip of the clutch, then I touched with Bastianini, and I was completely last. I just tried to recover and tried to do my best, but I’m not having the best feeling on the bike all weekend. I can’t ride like I usually do. The bike is still quite unpredictable with any of these tyres. But we will try to make it work for tomorrow, try to set a good pace, and do a better Race.”
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More from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo Team:
The Ducati Lenovo Team clinches the Team Title, Ducati takes the Triple Crown. Márquez is sixth after a comeback, while Bagnaia finishes fourteenth
Third Triple Crown for Ducati, after the ones secured in 2007 and 2022
Podium for Fermín Aldeguer, second with the Desmosedici GP of the Gresini Racing Team
The Ducati Lenovo Team has clinched the Teams’ World Championship title at the end of the eighteenth Sprint of the season at the Mandalika Circuit, giving Ducati their third Triple Crown. Marc Márquez finished the race in sixth place, while Francesco Bagnaia was fourteenth at the flag.
Ninth on the starting grid, Márquez was given a long-lap penalty after a coming together with Rins on the opening lap. From thirteenth place, Marc put together a good comeback as he made his way up to sixth. Bagnaia, sixteenth in qualifying, had a challenging time in the 13-lap encounter to finish fourteenth.
The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action tomorrow morning at 10:40 local time (GMT +8) for the warm-up, followed by the Grand Prix of Indonesia, which will be contested over a 27-lap distance from 15:00.
Marc Marquez (93) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Ducati Lenovo Team.
Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 6th:
“The situation is surely a combination of factors that at the moment is not allowing us to be as quick as we’d like. The circuit layout doesn’t have hard braking points, which is one of our strongest aspects, and the unusual grip is preventing us from fully exploiting the power of the Ducati on corner exit. We need to continue working both riding- and set-up-wise, while studying Fermín Aldeguer’s performance to try to make a step forward. I don’t expect miracles this weekend – I think we’re in for a top five to seven.”
Francesco Bagnaia (63) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Ducati Lenovo Team.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 14th:
“After yesterday, I knew it was going to be a difficult Saturday. Unfortunately, the feeling is not the same as Motegi, but closer to the one I experienced in Misano. I ended up struggling again with the bike, both on the straight and under braking, and the only thing I could do was bring it home. It’s quite a frustrating situation, but the bright side is that I showed my speed in Japan. Now we need to keep working and try to find that feeling again, otherwise it’s going to be another challenging race.
Yamaha star Mike Jones has soared to pole position at round seven of the 2025 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at One Raceway in Goulburn.
Still clinging to a feint hope of clinching the SW-Motech Superbike title from runaway leader Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati), the Queenslander displayed his customary dash – and even more – on the Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1, obliterating his previous One Raceway qualifying mark to bank his 18th premier class pole position ahead of teen star Cameron Dunker (MotoGo Yamaha Racing Team). Waters will start from third on the grid for Sunday’s two 20-lap races.
Under clear skies and with Friday’s fierce cross winds gone, qualifying and race records tumbled at One Raceway across all the classes, including Kawasaki Supersport where Archie McDonald (Stop and Seal Yamaha) reigned supreme as he makes a late lunge at championship success over the last two rounds.
The opening races were also held in the Race and Road Supersport 300 and BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup classes on Saturday, complete with their usual level of jaw-dropping unpredictability and first-time winners in Riley Nauta and Ghage Plowman.
There will be nine races on Sunday to complete the penultimate ASBK round.
Jones and Dunker owned SW-Motech Superbike qualifying, with Dunker setting the early pace before Jones hit the front with a brilliant 58.420.
He’s now trimmed Waters’ championship lead to 66pts (306 to 238) courtesy of his bonus point for pole position.
“I treat every weekend the same, and that’s doing the best I can,” said Jones.
“I’m feeling really comfortable on my bike, which is always great when that happens. I know the racing is going to be really close and tough on a track like this, but I’m ready for it.”
Dunker’s second place on the grid (58.707) is his best qualifying performance in two years of Superbike competition, while Waters (58.768) is lurking in third after inching his way up the order during the last five minutes.
As expected, Goulburn hometown hero Troy Herfoss (Yamaha Racing Team, 58.772) started to make his move after methodically chipping away on setup, and he’ll lead the second row from 2024 race one winner Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati, 58.799) and Anthony West (Addicted to Track Yamaha, 58.921) who’s locked in combat with Jones for second in the championship.
The top eight was completed by Cru Halliday (Stop and Seal Ducati, 58.986) and Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha, 59.040).
Sunday’s two races will be held at 11:15am and 2:40pm.
Cameron Dunker’s in the SW-Motech Superbike groove on his MotoGo Yamaha. Photo credit: RbMotoLens
KAWASAKI SUPERSPORT AND SUPERSPORT NEXT GEN
Archie McDonald continued from where he left of on Friday, transferring his impeccable Kawasaki Supersport practice form into the qualifying arena on his Stop and Seal Yamaha YZF-R6.
After producing a masterful 1:00.138 in the first qualifying session – eclipsing his previous best lap by over 0.2 seconds – he used the second outing more for race simulation purposes in preparation for Sunday’s two 16-lappers.
McDonald’s pole position, which included a $500 bonus cheque from Michelin, was his second in 2025 and his fifth in the last two seasons.
McDonald completed qualifying ahead of teammates Jack Mahaffy (Yamaha) and Tom Toparis (Ducati) aboard his Supersport Next Gen machine.
Then it was the BCperformance Kawasakis of Hayden Nelson and Olly Simpson – the latter set to come under attack from McDonald for second in the championship, while Nelson will be looking to replicate his double podium from 2024.
Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha) will start from the final spot on row two, with Tommy Edwards (Team BWR Yamaha), Marcus Hamod (Motocity Honda) and Will Nassif (Omega Racing Team Yamaha) on row three.
Mahaffy leads the championship by 21pts (220 to 199) over Simpson, followed by McDonald (196) and Nelson (165).
Archie McDonald’s looking the goods in Kawasaki Supersport. Photo credit RbMotoLens
RACE AND ROAD SUPERSPORT 300
A Champions Ride Days Kawasaki quinella in Race and Supersport 300 race one, as a spritely Riley Nauta broke away from the main pack to score a runaway three-second victory over teammate – and fellow junior dirt track gun – Jake Paige. It was Nauta’s first victory in the category.
Valentino Knezovic (Yamaha) was third, while Scott Nicholson (Kawasaki) inched closer to winning the championship at One Raceway with his seventh place.
He’s now 81pts in front of Tara Morrison (Kawasaki), which means that if he keeps his power dry in the next two races – sometimes easier said than done in such a fiercely contested class! – he’ll be the new No. 1.
Polesitter Jai Russo (Yamaha) was fourth from Nikolas Lazos (Yamaha), Tyler King (Kawasaki), Nicholson and Mitch Simpson (Yamaha), with Nicholson also setting a new lap record of 1:05.710.
Riley Nauta (#42) leads Jai Russo (#132), Hudson Thompson (#41) and Valentino Knezovic (#48). Photo credit: RbMotoLens
BLU CRU OCEANIA JUNIOR CUP
Another crackerjack contest between the Yamaha YZF-R15 brigade, as Ghage Plowman scored his first win in the BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup, followed in quick succession by Rossi McAdam and championship leader Connor Lewis.
The top 11 riders were separated by 1.8 seconds, with Thomas Cameron, Hunter Charlett and Xavier Curmi filling positions 3-6.
Chaz Williams, who started from pole, was eighth, allowing Lewis to extend his championship lead to 14pts.
Plowman (#27), McAdam (#61) and Rossi (#77) flash across the finish line in the OJC opener. Photo credit: Russell Colvin
For more information on the 2025 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul:
Super Fan Ryan Rawls is on site for the Barber Vintage Festival at Barber Motorsports Park. Here are some of his photos.
From Left, 3-time 500cc GP World Champion Kenny Roberts, 1993 500cc GP World Champion Kevin Schwantz, and 1993 Superbike World Champion Scott Russell signing autographs.
Ryan Rawls with 2000 500cc GP World Champion Kenny Lee Roberts, a.k.a. Junior.
Ryan Rawls with 1989 AMA Pro Superbike Champion Jamie James.
Jamie James was able to fit into his circa 1990 leathers before riding one of Barber Vintage Festival Grand Marshall Eraldo Ferracci’s Ducati Superbikes. Here, Eraldo tends to the bike; his son Larry is seen at right.
(Editorial Note: MotoAmerica Talent Cup Race Winner Bodie Paige Finishes 7th In Asia Talent Cup Race 1 Held On Saturday Of The MotoGP Event Weekend In Indonesia. Paige Qualifies For The Asia Talent Cup Because He Is Australian.)
Daquigan snatches career-first victory as Ogiwara and Ikegami clash
It’s a first win for the Philippines whilst the two title heavyweights come together on the last lap at the last corner
Saturday, 04 October 2025
A dramatic opening race for the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup at Mandalika saw a new race winner in the class as Alfonsi Daquigan profited from a final corner showdown between title contenders Ryota Ogiwara and Seiryu Ikegami. The title gap remains the same as both failed to finish after the last corner collision which ended in the gravel whilst Daquigan headed home a rostrum consisting of polesitter Haruki Matsuyama and Shingo Iidaka.
Daquigan was the early race leader but with two Long Lap Penalties to serve, he dropped down to P13. The race lead swapped numerous times between Teerin Fleming, Matsuyama, Iidaka, Ogiwara and Ikegami before Daquigan took over going into the final three laps. It all came down to the final lap, where the gloves really came off. A bold move from P2 to the lead at Turn 16, Ogiwara made it through but ran wide and whilst Ikegami took back over at the front into Turn 17, Ogiwara went for an ambitious overtake at the final corner, clattered into his fellow countryman, resulting in them both failing to finish. Daquigan picked up the pieces to deliver a first victory for the Philippines in the Asia Talent Cup.
There remains a match-point for Ogiwara tomorrow in Race 2, with action commencing at 09:35 local time (UTC + 8) !
(Editorial Note: Luca Marini received an eight-second penalty for a tire pressure violation, dropping him down to 13th place in the Indonesian GP Sprint race.)
Marco Bezzecchi won the MotoGP Tissot Sprint race Saturday afternoon at Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Aprilia Racing RS-GP25 on Michelin control tires, the Italian won the 13-lap race by 0.157 second.
Rookie, Fermin Aldeguer was the runner-up on his BK8 Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP24.
Raul Fernandez finished third on his Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP25.
Aldeguer’s teammate, Alex Marquez was fourth.
Joan Mir got fifth on his Honda HRC Castrol RC213V.
Marc Marquez finished the sprint race 7th and Francesco Bagnaia 14th on their Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP25.
Marc Marquez leads the championship with 544 points, 198 ahead of Alex Marquez who has 346 points. Francesco Bagnaia is third with 274 points.
Bezzecchi beats Aldeguer on final lap in a Mandalika Sprint stunner. The Italian comes back from a poor start to overtake the rookie in the closing stages as Fernandez earns debut MotoGP podium.
Marco Bezzecchi vs Fermin Aldeguer. Aprilia Racing’s Italian vs BK8 Gresini Racing’s rookie, and boy was it a Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia Tissot Sprint treat that we’ll remember for a long time. It was Bezzecchi who completed an incredible comeback after a poor start to overtake the Ducati rider on the final lap for the gold medal, as Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) took P3 from the front row to earn his first rostrum in MotoGP.
Poor start from Bez, Marc Marquez handed Long Lap penalty
From the off, Bezzecchi didn’t get a good launch from pole as Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) briefly led from P6, but the Italian was wide to allow Aldeguer and Fernandez through, as well as Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Turn 10 on the opening lap saw Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) make contact, which saw both run wide, with the Yamaha star coming out the worse of the two. It was an incident that saw the World Champion handed a Long Lap penalty, which he took on Lap 3, and that dropped him to P13.
Aldeguer leads, Acosta crashes from P2
At the front, Aldeguer was leading by half a second from Acosta, with Fernandez still third ahead of Marini and Bezzecchi. As we watched Bezzecchi attempt a pass at Turn 1 on Marini, we then cut to Acosta in the gravel at the same corner. The KTM star was down and out of P2 which handed Aldeguer a 1.8s lead, with Bezzecchi now chasing Fernandez for P2.
Aldeguer vs Bezzecchi unfolds
As soon as he got a bit of clean air, Bezzecchi set the fastest lap of the Sprint. With eight laps left, the Italian was just over two seconds away from the leader. Aldeguer’s best friend in this Sprint was second place Fernandez and on Lap 8 of 13, Bezzecchi was swarming all over the rear tyre of the Trackhouse rider.
A pass for P2 came at Turn 10 on Lap 8 and at this stage, the gap between Aldeguer and Bezzecchi sat at 1.9s. A lap later it was 1.2s because Bezzecchi slammed in a 1:29.638 – a new fastest lap of the Sprint, and that compared to Aldeguer’s 1:30.379. This was some sensational pace from the polesitter and after a very sluggish start that saw him drop to P8, the #72 was well in the victory hunt.
With two laps to go, the gap was down to 0.5s as Bezzecchi took another four tenths off of Aldeguer’s lead and at the start of the last lap, it was 0.3s. Then, it was nothing.
Turn 10 was the place again for Bezzecchi and he got the job done despite being slightly wide. He picked up Aldeguer but the rookie wasn’t giving this up without a fight. It was close through Turn 12, but Bezzecchi had the advantage and he managed to hold it to the line. A stunning comeback from Bezzecchi to catch and pass Aldeguer on the last lap as the pair treat us to a brilliant Saturday Sprint in Mandalika, as Fernandez held onto his first Sprint podium in P3.
Your Saturday points scorers
Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) crossed the line in a fairly lonely P4 to strengthen his grip on P2 in the overall championship, with Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) completing the top five. Marini dropped to P6 in the end, with Marc Marquez cutting his way back through the field after his Long Lap to finish in P7. The final two points of the Sprint went to Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team duo Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio, as Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), last weekend’s Sprint and Grand Prix winner, finished 29s off the win in P14 to see Bezzecchi close in on P3 overall.
Ducati Lenovo Team’s disappointing Saturday didn’t stop them from clinching the Teams’ Championship though. Congratulations to all in red for another fantastic season, but they’ll be searching for a better day at the office tomorrow.
Coming up: Grand Prix Sunday
Well, Saturday has set us up very nicely indeed for Sunday in Indonesia. Can Bezzecchi complete the perfect weekend? Or can Aldeguer and co take it to the Italian and Aprilia? We’re keen to find out.
Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Lombok, Indonesia. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Fermin Aldeguer won the FIM MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his BK8 Gresini Ducati Desmosedici GP24 on Michelin control tires, the rookie won the 27-lap race by 6.987 seconds.
Pedro Acosta was the runner-up on his Red Bull KTM Factory RC16.
Aldeguer’s teammate, Alex Marquez was third.
Acosta’s teammate, Brad Binder finished fourth.
Luca Marini, piloting his Honda HRC Castrol RC213V took fifth.
Sprint race winner, Marco Bezzecchi crashed his Aprilia Racing RS-GP25 on the first lap.
Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez crashed their Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP25s and didn’t finish the race.
Marc Marquez leads the championship with 545 points, 183 ahead of Alex Marquez who has 362 points. Francesco Bagnaia is third with 274 points.
Aldeguer takes stunning maiden Mandalika win as Marquez and Bezzecchi clash. The rookie becomes the second-youngest MotoGP winner as the #72 and #93 collide on Lap 1, with Acosta and Alex Marquez completing the podium.
How about that for a way to win your first MotoGP Grand Prix? Take a bow, Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP). The rookie becomes the second-youngest MotoGP winner after clinching an utterly dominant victory in a dramatic Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia that saw Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) collide and crash on Lap 1. In a fascinating fight for second and third, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) collected P2 ahead of Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) in an unmissable MotoGP encounter in Mandalika.
Immediate drama as Bezzecchi and Marc Marquez crash
Just like he did in the Sprint, and once again, it wasn’t a good start from Bezzecchi from pole as Acosta earned the holeshot. Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) made a cracking start from P6 and was an early second as huge drama unfolded at Turn 6.
Bezzecchi was behind Marc Marquez and went for a gap that didn’t really exist at the furiously fast right-hander. Contact was made, Bezzecchi hitting Marc Marquez’s Ducati, and both went down in a big way. The pre-race favourite and the World Champion were out of the Grand Prix after six corners, with both thankfully able to walk away.
However, Marc Marquez did suffer an injury to his right collarbone in the crash, meaning the #93 will fly back to Europe for further checks to see if surgery will be needed. In addition, post-race, Aprilia Racing confirmed that Bezzecchi was taken to the local hospital for further examinations.
Acosta leads before Aldeguer pulls the pin
Back on track, another podium contender then crashed on Lap 2, as Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) went down at Turn 16 to end his positive weekend prematurely. So, where did that leave us? Acosta led from Aldeguer and Marini, with Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) a close P4. Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was in P5 ahead of his teammate Fabio Quartararo.
On Lap 7, Aldeguer hit the front for the first time. Turn 10 was the passing place; a classic up the inside move was done, but Acosta retaliated at Turn 1 on the next lap. But the #37 was wide, allowing Aldeguer back through, and a fastest lap of the Grand Prix was landed by the rookie to stretch his lead to 0.509s over the line.
While lapping in P16, Francesco Bagnaia’s (Ducati Lenovo Team) disappointing weekend ended with a Turn 17 crash, in what quickly turned into a Grand Prix to forget for the newly crowned Teams’ World Champions.
At the front, Aldeguer had checked out. On Lap 11, the rookie’s lead was 2.5s, as Marini began to climb all over the tailpipes of Acosta. Fernandez was right there too, and if anyone had hopes of winning this contest, getting past Acosta as soon as possible was key.
An incredible podium fight unfolds
But we were witnessing superiority from Aldeguer here. The #54 was lapping a good half a second and the rest faster than anyone else on track, and with Marini and Acosta engaging in battle, that lead grew to 4.3s at the start of Lap 13. And all this was bringing Rins, Alex Marquez, Quartararo, and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) into the podium picture.
Lap 14 saw Fernandez and Marini scrap it out through Turn 16 and Turn 17, and as contact was made going into the final corner, Rins said, ‘Thank you very much’, and moved into P3. Alex Marquez cruised through as well and suddenly, Fernandez and Marini were P5 and P8.
At this stage, Aldeguer was 6.5s up the road. The win, if no mistakes were made and his tyres didn’t fall off a cliff, was his. But this fight for the final two rostrum spots was superb. P2 down to Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in P12 was just over three seconds.
Acosta was digging deep in P2. His personal best lap of the Grand Prix came on Lap 17, a 1:31.107, and it was enough at this stage to keep Rins and the rest at arm’s length. That safety net didn’t last though. Rins was through on Lap 20, and now it was Alex Marquez who began to hound the KTM.
And a move from the #73 arrived on Lap 22 at Turn 10 to shove Acosta out of the podium places for the first time. Then, Marquez powered past Rins into Turn 1 to make it a Gresini 1-2 in Indonesia as Rins began to really struggle on that soft rear tyre. Fernandez and Binder were through, Acosta was back into P3, with Binder – from P15 on the grid – fending off Fernandez to see the South African sit in P4 behind teammate Acosta.
With three laps to go, Acosta was back into P2 at Turn 10 to return the favour on Alex Marquez, as a 0.9s gap opened up behind the battle for P2 and P3 to Binder.
Starting the final lap in a different postcode to the field, Aldeguer just had to cruise home to a dream debut MotoGP victory. 8.6s was the gap, and it looked like Acosta had P2 in the bag too as Alex Marquez dropped to 0.9s back.
And of course, Aldeguer made no mistakes. What a ride. What a win. Aldeguer adds his name to that illustrious MotoGP winners’ list, and he’s also the second youngest to ever do it after the famous #93. Acosta did hold onto a very, very hard-fought P2, with Alex Marquez strengthening his grip on second in the championship with a P3 in Indonesia.
Your Indonesian GP points scorers
Fair play to Binder. That was some effort to bring his RC16 home in a season-best P4, with Marini battling his way back to P5. Fernandez backed up his Sprint podium with a solid P6 in the Grand Prix, with Quartararo the lead Yamaha rider in seventh. Eighth went to Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), P9 was his teammate Di Giannantonio, with Rins’ charge ending with a P10 – but how good was it to see the #42 back in the rostrum scrap?
Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) was 11th across the line ahead of Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR), Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR), and Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) – the Australian crossing the line in P14 after he crashed out of the top 10 group in the closing stages.
Next: Phillip Island
Well, that was breathless. We witnessed the great and the bad in that MotoGP encounter, as we wait to see if Marc Marquez and Bezzecchi will be fit enough to be back on track next time out at Phillip Island. Aldeguer will head to Australia as a MotoGP winner, as we look forward to getting going again at an all-time classic.
Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Lombok, Indonesia. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Diogo Moreira won the FIM Moto2 World Championship race Sunday at Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Italtrans Racing Kalex on Pirelli control tires, the Brazilian won the 22-lap race by 4.678 seconds.
Championship point leader Manuel Gonzalez was the runner-up on his LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt IntactGP Kalex.
Izan Guevara was third on his BluCru Pramac Yamaha Boscoscuro.
Veteran Aron Canet finished fourth on his Fantic Racing Kalex.
His teammate, Barry Baltus took fifth.
American Joe Roberts finished the race 7th on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Manuel Gonzalez leads the championship with 258 points, 29 ahead of Diogo Moreira who has 229 points. Aron Canet is third with 202 points.
Moreira wins, Gonzalez disqualified in shock title twist. The Brazilian reigned supreme in Indonesia as a post-race DSQ for the championship leader sees the Moto2 title race close right up.
It was a stellar display from Brazilian star Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) as he took more points out of Manuel Gonzalez’s (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) points lead before post-race drama unravelled. The championship leader crossed the line in P2, but the #18 was handed a DSQ for a technical infringement, resulting in his removal from P2 on the results. Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) celebrated a second Moto2 podium, initially in P3 but that turns to P2 now, with Aron Canet’s (Fantic Racing) classy comeback to P4 from outside the top 20 now earning him a P3 – and with it, a lifeline in the title chase.
Snatching the lead on Lap 1, Guevara hit the front ahead of polesitter Moreira but it didn’t last long as the Brazilian was able to take over at the helm on Lap 2. Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) soon got himself into contention too, moving past Guevara to hit P2, a fast start from the middle of the second row. Having had exceptional pace on Friday, Gonzalez was sitting in fourth ahead of David Alonso (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) but the Colombian suffered a huge crash at the penultimate corner, thankfully able to walk away.
Lap 6 brought with it the start of the battle between ‘Manugas’ and Guevara with the Championship leader getting the better of the 2022 Moto3™ World Champion but there was drama ahead as the second of the Aspar machines fell; Holgado tucked the front at Turn 17 but was all OK. Meanwhile, Canet had charged through the field and having started from 21st, he had climbed to fourth and was one of the fastest riders on the track, just ahead of 2020 Moto3 Champion Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2).
Into the second half of the race and the gap was stable at around one second between title contenders Moreira and Gonzalez, nothing able to split their lap times. Elsewhere, Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing) had moved into P6 ahead of Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – FRINSA – MSI), Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team), Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) who completed the top ten with six to go. Baltus’ charge continued on Lap 16, getting ahead of Arenas for fifth at Turn 16.
Nobody could land a blow on Moreira though, who cut into Gonzalez’s points advantage for a second consecutive weekend. Taking victory at the same circuit as his maiden Moto3 win, Moreira was flawless throughout the 22 laps. Gonzalez remains the Championship leader but now, the gap is just nine points going to Australia following the DSQ.
Guevara takes P2, that’s his first of the year and second in the class, whilst Canet’s climb to fourth (now third) keeps him in contention. Teammate Baltus rounded out the top four on a positive Sunday for Fantic.
Arenas was back in the top five for the first time since the Austrian GP in August, ahead of Roberts who was back in the top ten for the first time since his victory at Brno. Rookie Ortola made it P7 whilst Veijer, Dixon and Adrian Huertas (Italtrans Racing Team) rounded out the top 10.
Game on as we head to Australia in the title race: Moreira has the momentum, Gonzalez sees his lead slashed and Canet is now a real threat again… we’ll have a battle on The Island.
Gonzalez gets shock DSQ, Moreira closes to within nine points. The Moto2™ Championship leader is disqualified from the Indonesian GP after using non-homologated software.
Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) has been disqualified from the Indonesian GP. The FIM MotoGP Stewards confirmed the penalty after the race, with Gonzalez having been found to have used non-homologated software, in this case a previous version. The penalty is an automatic DSQ.
With Gonzalez’s closest title rival Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) having won the Moto2 showdown in Mandalika, the Brazilian now moves to within nine points of the Championship lead as Gonzalez loses the 20 points for second.
Four races now remain, with 100 points still in play in 2025. Can Gonzalez extend the gap again? We’ll start to find out next time out in Australia.
Jake Paige (55) leads ASBK Supersport 300 Race 2 at One Raceway, on his way to winning 2 out of 3 races on the weekend. Photo by RbMotoLens/ASBK.
A week after competing in MotoAmerica Talent Cup at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Jake Paige was back home in Australia and won 2 of 3 ASBK Supersport 300 races at One Raceway. The event in New Jersey was the 14-year-old’s first time racing in the U.S. and his first time riding a MotoAmerica Talent Cup Kramer.
Paige qualified 4th and finished second in the one race he didn’t win at One Raceway.
Winner Jake Paige (center) on the ASBK Supersport 300 Race 2 podium, with second-place Riley Nauta (left) and third-place Valentino Knezovic (right). Photo by RbMotoLens/ASBK.
Meanwhile, his brother Bodie Page (who raced in the 2025 MotoAmerica Talent Cup all season) was competing in Asia Talent Cup, as part of a MotoGP weekend in Indonesia.
Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Lombok, Indonesia. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Jose Antonio Rueda won the FIM Moto3 World Championship race Sunday at Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, in Indonesia. Using his Pirelli-shod Red Bull KTM Ajo, the Championship point leader won the 18-lap race by 0.305 second, and become the 2025 Moto3 World Champion.
Luca Lunetta was the runner-up on his SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda.
Guido Pini was third on his LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt IntactGP KTM.
Rookie, Maximo Quiles crossed the finish line fourth on his CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team KTM.
Jacob Roulstone, piloting his Red Bull KTM Tech3, got fifth.
Jose Antonio Rueda leads the championship with 340 points, 109 ahead of Angel Piqueras who has 231 points. Maximo Quiles is third with 217 points.
Rueda wins dramatic Mandalika showdown to secure 2025 Moto3™ crown. The #99 takes another win to seal the deal after late-race drama, a red flag stoppage and some post-race penalties in Lombok.
Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) sealed the 2025 Moto3 World Championship in style with a win at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia. A dramatic race ended early in a Red Flag, causing a parc ferme shuffle before the podium was confirmed as Rueda, Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) following post-race penalties for Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) and Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team).
Plenty of riders got a brilliant launch but it was Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA) who emerged from Turn 1 in the lead, with David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) and Fernandez and early P2 and P3. Rueda dropped to P13 by the end of Lap 1, while title rival Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) had made great progress – the #36 was up to P6. That turned to P4 on Lap 2 as the Spaniard got his elbows out, with Fernandez and Quiles now ahead of Kelso at the front of the freight train.
At the start of Lap 5, Piqueras was forced to run wide after being sandwiched by Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Muñoz, which saw Piqueras drop to P10, one place behind Rueda. Then, one of the frontrunners was on the floor as Kelso tumbled out of contention at Turn 10 to end his podium hopes in Indonesia.
Lap 7 saw Quiles lead for the first time as Rueda climbed to P6. It was a front group of twelve and at this stage, Piqueras was eighth – but with Quiles leading, Rueda wasn’t yet in a title-winning position. However, later around the lap, he was. Rueda was up to P3 at the halfway stage and as things stood, the Moto3 crown would be his.
On Lap 12 of 20, Rueda remained in a title-winning place. He was P2, Quiles was nipping at his heels in P3, while Piqueras was struggling to make progress in P9. Fernandez was leading the way until the #99 slid through into the lead at Turn 10 on Lap 13. Did the chasers have a response, or was Rueda about to clinch his first World Championship title in the perfect way possible?
It was getting better for Rueda too because Quiles dropped to P8, one place behind Piqueras, before three riders crashed at Turn 16 on Lap 14. Carpe, David Almansa (Leopard Racing) and Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) were down and out of contention and then, Quiles and Piqueras were handed Long Lap penalties for short cutting Turn 9 as the drama amped up.
Barring a mistake from Rueda, something he’s barely made all season, the 2025 title was about to be his. Piqueras took his Long Lap on Lap 17 and the #36 was then P8, but Quiles continued on his way in P4.
With three laps to go, Rueda was leading until Turn 10. Muñoz then slipped up the inside to take the lead before huge drama for the #64 as Fernandez attacked him and made contact, with Muñoz left skittled out into the run off and the #31 in the lead.
Rueda then hit the front but just after he’d taken over, the red flag came out. With the countback, not only was Rueda was officially the 2025 Moto3 World Champion – after a double Long Lap penalty was handed to Fernandez, Rueda was also the winner in Indonesia. Quiles completed his Long Lap penalty just before the red flag but it wasn’t soon enough to count, and the #28 was handed a three-second post-race penalty. That promoted Lunetta to P2 and Pini to P3, the latter celebrating his first Moto3 podium.
Quiles dropped to P4 after his penalty, as Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) collected his best result of the season – and his Moto3 career. Fernandez ended the race in P6, with Piqueras seventh as he sees his title chances officially disappear. Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), Stefano Nepa (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Kelso, despite his crash, completed the top 10 in Indonesia.
Now it’s next stop Australia, with the crown secured but plenty still on the line as a spectacular season of Moto3 competition rolls on! See you Down Under!
Marco Bezzecchi (72) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Aprilia Racing.
More from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing:
Marco Bezzecchi and Aprilia Racing unstoppable at Mandalika.
An outstanding Saturday for Aprilia Racing at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit. Marco Bezzecchi delivered a flawless performance, dominating every session on Saturday. He was fastest in FP2 and then took pole position with a new all-time lap record of 1:28.832. No one had ever been that quick at Mandalika. It was the Italian rider’s third pole position of the season, following those at Austria and Misano. For Aprilia Racing, it was the team’s first pole at the Indonesian circuit and the twelfth in its top-class history. In the sprint, despite a less-than-perfect start that saw him drop to sixth at the end of the opening lap, Bezzecchi mounted a remarkable comeback, sealing victory with a decisive last-lap overtake, his second sprint win after Misano.
Raúl Fernández also delivered a Saturday to remember for the Trackhouse MotoGP Team – third in qualifying, earning his first front row of the season, and third at the finish in the sprint, securing his first MotoGP podium.
Marco Bezzecchi won the Tissot Sprint Race. Photo courtesy Aprilia Racing.
Marco Bezzecchi: “It was a fantastic sprint, and I’m delighted. The start wasn’t ideal; I dropped several positions, but I knew I was quick. I lost a bit of time during my comeback and thought it wouldn’t be possible to compete for the win. Honestly, when I passed Fernández, I didn’t think I could catch Aldeguer, but after a couple of laps, I saw I was closing in and kept on pushing until the finish.”
Fabiano Sterlacchini – technical director: “It was a very positive Saturday. The aim was definitely to give our best, as both the RS-GP25 and Marco demonstrated incredible speed, and in qualifying, Marco was truly exceptional. The race performance was initially affected by a less-than-ideal start and some traffic, but even then, Marco gave his all and maximised our bike’s potential. The outstanding performance by Raúl and the Trackhouse MotoGP Team proved this. They did a fantastic job, securing a front-row start in qualifying and a podium in the sprint. We’re thrilled – both riders were excellent – but the weekend isn’t over yet. On Sunday, we aim to finish the job with another strong race.”
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More from a press release issued by BK8 Gresini Team:
Fermin on the Sprint podium, Alexi 4th at Madalika.
Sprint – IndonesianGP
2nd – FERMIN ALDEGUER #54
4th – ALEX MARQUEZ #73
World Championship Standings
2nd – ALEX MARQUEZ #73 (346 points)
8th – FERMIN ALDEGUER #54 (156 points)
Fermin Aldeguer on the Sprint podium at Mandalika. Photo courtesy BK8 Gresini Team.
FERMIN ALDEGUER #54:
“I must say that missing out on a win on the last lap hurts, but we must be happy with this result. Honestly, we knew Marco Bezzecchi was quicker than us, but with his mistake at the start we found ourselves in the right place at the right time. I could almost taste victory, but I’m happy: we’ll try to score another good result tomorrow.”
Alex Marquez (73) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy BK8 Gresini Team.
ALEX MARQUEZ #73:
“It was a positive day, despite the mistake towards the end of Q2. We didn’t change the bike for the Sprint, even though I’m struggling quite a bit at the front-end: having said that, fourth place is a good result. We need to remain calm and make a good tyre choice for tomorrow’s race.” *Crashed in Q2 at turn 13
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More from a press release issued by Honda HRC Castrol:
On the charge! Mir cuts through the field as Marini equals best Honda Qualifying.
Another day of intrigue at the Indonesian GP as the Honda HRC Castrol team once again featured prominently throughout, Joan Mir with an incredible recovery to fifth and Luca Marini leading the Sprint from the line after qualifying on the second row.
Picking up where they left off on Friday, the Honda HRC Castrol team were straight to work as both Joan Mir and Luca Marini assessed the adjustments their team had done overnight. With little change in the conditions at the Mandalika Circuit, it was another physically demanding day not just for the riders but also the mechanics working away in the garage.
Yellow flags restricted Joan Mir’s performance during Q2, only able to manage 12th on the grid when the 15-minute session came to a close. Turning his frustrations into motivations, the #36 authored a memorable comeback as he marched his way through the field. Quickly into the top ten, Mir was able to match the pace of the podium finishers and catch his fast-starting teammate in the closing stages of the Sprint. Taking fifth place echoed his Japanese GP performance despite his complicated grid slot.
Matching his best grid position as a Honda rider, first achieved at the San Marino GP a few weeks ago, Luca Marini secured a solid sixth to start from the second row. Victim to a yellow flag incident late in Q2, the Italian had the potential to challenge for more. All of this was forgotten as the lights went on the Sprint and the #10 shot forward with his best start of the year, leading into the opening corner. An intense brawl with first Raul Fernandez and then eventual Sprint winner Marco Bezzecchi erupted, Marini fending off countless attacks from the Aprilia rider and crossing the line in sixth, just behind his teammate. A post-race penalty due to tyre pressure would drop Marini to 13th.
Today’s results have both sides of the Honda HRC Castrol prepared for what is sure to be an interesting Indonesian GP on Sunday. Especially if weather forecasts are to be believed, rain or shine – both Mir and Marini have shown they have the speed the challenge at the front again.
Joan Mir (36) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Honda HRC Castrol
Joan Mir – 5th: “Our bike is getting better and today I was able to have a really good race. We couldn’t show our true selves in Qualifying, so it was a bit of an uphill battle, but we did it in a great way. My pace was really good all weekend, so we put our heads down and went for it. Tomorrow, I think we have a package to enjoy the race, to move forward and do another comeback. Usually this isn’t a track I have a great feeling at, it is a nice surprise to arrive here with the pace for the podium, and I have to say thanks to everyone for their work to arrive in this situation. Another top five would be amazing considering where we are starting but we can certainly aim for it. Weekends like this give us a boost not just for the next weekend, but also for next year.”
Luca Marini (10) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Honda HRC Castrol
Luca Marini – 13th : “A day with some positive points to take, but certainly I was hoping for more with the speed we have shown during the whole weekend. Our qualifying was acceptable but there is still something to improve with the bike to really make that step with the soft. The start to the race was really good, we were able to make another good launch. I fought a lot with Bezzecchi because the Sprint podium was very close for us. Some things to improve and to fix from how that race went for tomorrow. The tyre pressure dropped a lot at the start, and I couldn’t ride how I wanted to, even when I let some riders past to try and get some heat in.”
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More from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3:
Our adventure in Lombok island has not been as dreamy as we would have hoped so far, and yet the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team had two face another letdown on Saturday. Maverick Viñales decided to withdraw from the remainder of the Indonesian Grand Prix to fully focus on his recovery, while Enea Bastianini crashed early into the Tissot Sprint, after starting from 17th.
Qualifying
Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales were back in action on Saturday morning, ready to face the extreme heat once again of Lombok island, with yet another busy day awaiting them. Things continued to get tricky for Bastianini after a feeling-less Friday, and the Italian could not find a way to get things right as he returned for FP2. In a spicy Q1 welcoming Marc Marquez for the first time this season, the fight for the top 2 was going to be a difficult one. Enea managed a 1’30.242 in the first flying lap of run 2 to sit in a provisional P5, but as he continued to push, he unfortunately crashed at T1, with 3 minutes left. That was it for Enea in qualifying, who was going to start the Indonesian Grand Prix from 17th. Maverick continued to fight his lack of strength on Saturday, with the Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider riding a best lap in 1’30.956, one which was going to see him close the grid of both Sprint and main event. Shortly after qualifying, Maverick and his team decided together to withdraw from the Indonesian Grand Prix, for the Spaniard to fully focus on his left-shoulder recovery.
Tissot Sprint
Enea Bastianini was therefore the only Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider to line up on the Sprint grid in Mandalika just before 15:00 LT. At lights out, Bastianini earned two positions from 17th to 15th to sit behind Fabio Di Giannantonio, and one more position was grabbed in the next sector. The first lap’s battle was tense as always, and eventually Enea dropped back to his initial grid position at lap 1 exit, behind Fabio Quartararo who had dropped 8 positions. At the front, rookie Fermin Aldeguer led lap 2 ahead of Pedro Acosta, and Raul Fernandez. The battle for 16th against Alex Rins was on, entering lap 3, but unfortunately a contact with the Yamaha Factory rider saw Enea crash at T16, calling it an early end for the day. Marco Bezzecchi took the win, with rookie Fermin Aldeguer grabbing the silver from first MotoGP™ front row start, and Raul Fernandez taking his career-first sprint podium with the third place.
That’s almost it for the Grand Prix of Indonesia, with now just the main event awaiting Enea Bastianini on Sunday at 15:00 LT (UTC+8) for 27 laps, as he will want to turn his Indonesian campaign around.
Enea Bastianini (23) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Tech3.
Enea Bastianini: “Tough one for us. Qualifying is always complicated for us, if I push, it’s easy for me to crash, which happened today. We usually have a better pace in the races, but I crashed after 3 laps in a fast corner following a contact with Alex Rins. I feel quite lucky, because it was really dangerous, but I am feeling good, although I have some pain everywhere, but nothing important. I think we can have a good pace in tomorrow’s race, we will try to do a good job. The grip is quite low for me, I think that the race will be tricky with the mediums, but let’s see!”
Maverick Viñales(12) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Tech3.
Maverick Viñales: “Sometimes the hardest decision is the smartest one. Together with the team we decided to stop and focus fully on recovery as my shoulder still needs more time. Thanks to everyone for the support and understanding!”
Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager: “Difficult weekend so far for the whole team here in Indonesia. Somehow, Enea Bastianini is facing issues with the bike, and he cannot go fast. It feels like we are back to a similar situation as we were in at the start of the season… Race pace seems to be ok, but it is impossible to make a fast lap, which makes things more difficult. The goal was to use the sprint as an extra session, but unfortunately, he had a contact with Alex Rins that led to a crash. I really hope that we can find some solutions for tomorrow, and see a bit of light. On Maverick Viñales’ side, we have decided all together to withdraw from the Indonesian Grand Prix. Since his return on the bike, we have tried to speed up the shoulder recovery, but the last two races have been super difficult for him. Mandalika layout and its high-speed changes of directions are making everything tougher, he is unable to go fast and it affects his confidence on the bike, so we think stopping here is the smartest choice for Maverick to fully focus on recovery.”
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More from a press release issued by IDEMITSU Honda LCR:
IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Somkiat Chantra crashed during Saturday’s Sprint in Mandalika.
After a tough qualifying, Chantra made a solid start and was working to recover positions.
Unfortunately, on the first lap at turn 13, he crashed (without consequences), which prevented him from continuing his effort.
The team is analyzing the data to determine exactly what happened, aiming to make progress ahead of tomorrow’s main race.
Somkiat Chantra (35) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy IDEMITSU Honda LCR.
Somkiat Chantra DNF: “Today, I crashed on the first lap. I felt something wasn’t right with the rear side of the bike, and I immediately lost the front. The team will analyze the data to understand what happened. Looking ahead to tomorrow, we’ll push to recover positions and see what the outcome will be. The weather conditions are easier for me to manage, as they’re similar to what I’m used to in Thailand, so we’re ready for the main race.”
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More from a press release issued by Castrol Honda LCR:
CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco experienced a setback in Saturday’s Sprint at Mandalika.
Following a challenging qualifying session, the French rider embarked on a determined comeback effort on Indonesian soil.
Zarco delivered a strong start and swiftly gained positions, battling hard to secure points.
Unfortunately, while pushing in the final laps, he crashed, ending his fight prematurely.
The team remains fully committed to analyzing the data and refining the setup, aiming to deliver a stronger performance in tomorrow’s main race.
Johann Zarco (5) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Castrol Honda LCR.
Johann Zarco DNF: “The start was pretty good, I was recovering positions lap by lap and noticed many riders were struggling due to the demanding conditions, so I focused on staying calm and doing my job. After that, I wasn’t able to ride the way I wanted, and I crashed in the last corner a few laps from the end while trying to push. I’m still missing confidence, but I’m working closely with the team to find the right solution. I’m happy with Honda’s improvements, and having the official riders up front is a positive sign. We just need to keep working to find the right feeling.”
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More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:
Oliveira Scores One Point in Indonesian GP Sprint Race, Miller Battles to 11th for Prima Pramac Yamaha.
At the conclusion of the Sprint Race, which awarded the first points of the Indonesian GP — the 18th round of the MotoGP World Championship — Miguel Oliveira finished in 9th place, earning one point, while his Prima Pramac Yamaha teammate Jack Miller crossed the line 11th, hampered by a difficult start caused by the front device failing to disengage. Tomorrow‘s GP is scheduled at 15:00 local time (09:00 CET) over a distance of 24 laps.
After securing, for the first time this season, direct access to Q2 in yesterday‘s qualifying — which allowed him to start 10th on the grid for today‘s Sprint — Miguel Oliveira converted the effort into his first Saturday points of the year. Thanks to Luca Marini‘s post-race penalty for irregular front tire pressure, Oliveira was classified 9th at the end of the 13-lap dash, extending his streak to five consecutive weekends in the points.
The Portuguese rider also finished as the top Yamaha rider, two places ahead of his teammate Jack Miller. Starting 14th, the Australian made up three positions, despite a troubled opening lap where his YZR-M1‘s front device failed to disengage, costing him valuable ground.
In the overall standings, Miller sits 18th with 58 points, Oliveira is 20th with 34, while Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP is 10th in the teams‘ standings with 88 points.
Indonesian GP schedule:
Sunday: 10:40 (4:40 CET) Warm-up; 15:00 (8:00 CET) Race (24 laps – 116,13 km)
GINO BORSOI – Team Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP
“It has been a very interesting and positive weekend so far for Oliveira, who once again confirms himself among the strongest performers in recent races. We‘re very happy to finish once more inside the top 10, which for us is a great result. Tomorrow, with his riding style, I believe Miguel can repeat this performance. As for Miller, starting from the back never makes it easy to recover positions. We‘re preparing for a tough race, one that will come down to managing the front tire. Let‘s see if we can make the difference. We‘re still missing a bit of straight-line speed, which makes overtaking difficult, but on corner speed and handling I think we‘re on par with the others.”
Miguel Oliveira (88) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Yamaha.
Miguel Oliveira: “I got off the line quite well, but in the early laps you realize you can‘t stay too close behind the other bikes, because you‘re riding different lines and racing in a different way. The front tire was moving too much, so overtaking was very difficult — basically impossible. We just don‘t have enough speed to make passes, which makes the race pretty tough. Tomorrow will be even harder, with a heavier bike that won‘t make things easier on the front. I think we‘ll gamble on the soft and try to manage it as best as we can.”
Jack Miller (43) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Yamaha.
Jack Miller: “It was a decent race. I had a really good start, but then I couldn‘t get the front device disengaged in the first corner. I tried between Turns 2 and 3, and again on the exit from 4 to 5, but it didn‘t release, and each time I lost a position. I finally managed to get it off at Turn 10, which was far from ideal. After that, I found my rhythm but got stuck behind Mir for a long time. When Márquez did his long lap and came out in front of me, he also struggled to pass Joan, and following him we started to close in on the group ahead. Tomorrow I need to repeat today‘s good start, but this time focus on braking harder into Turn 1 to make sure we get that first device off right away.”
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More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Luckless Mandalika Sprint for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP.
Luck was not on Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team’s side today during the Grand Prix of Indonesia Sprint. Álex Rins was pushed wide on the opening lap, resulting in the Spaniard spending the remainder of the 13-lap dash riding from P19 to P13. Following a post-Sprint 8-second penalty for Luca Marini, Rins ranked 12th in the revised classifications. Fabio Quartararo also had a tough outing. He was relegated to last place right after the start and fought his way back to P13, only to crash out on the final lap.
The 13-lap Sprint at the Mandalika International Circuit was a rough battlefield in the opening laps. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Álex Rins and Fabio Quartararo both fell back early on. But with the Indonesian fans having travelled to the Mandalika track in full force to support them, the teammates were determined to at least put on a good show. Rins went on to salvage 13th place while Quartararo’s hard work was left unrewarded due to an unlucky crash on the last lap. Following a post-Sprint 8-second penalty for Luca Marini, Rins moved up to 12th in the revised classifications.
Rins had a good start from P4 on the grid and settled into fifth place in the early stages of the first lap, but contact with Marc Márquez amidst the bustle forced Rins to run wide. The incident effectively ended the number 42’s chances of scoring points in the Sprint, but he still put his head down. Shadowing his teammate, the Spaniard gradually moved up the order, riding from P19 to P15. While behind Jack Miller, Rins and Quartararo had a brief battle. The friendly scrap ended in Rins losing time. As Johann Zarco crashed out, Rins was in 14th chasing the other Yamaha riders. When also Quartararo fell victim to the Mandalika track on the final lap, Rins was riding closely behind Miller again but wrapped up the Sprint in 13th position, 16.226s from first.
Quartararo had a less than desirable start from P8 and found himself at the end of the pack halfway through the first lap. But the Frenchman was still keen to put up a fight and quickly wrestled his way past Enea Bastianini and Francesco Bagnaia. With Pedro Acosta crashing on lap 5, the Yamaha man was up in 14th by the time he had closed the gap to Miller. A brief battle with his chasing teammate further spurred Quartararo on to overtake Miller on lap 7 and Zarco on lap 9. Hunting down the group ahead of him, consisting of five riders fighting for seventh place, Quartararo was closing in and keen to challenge Miguel Oliveira for a last-lap battle when a crash in Turn 2 ended his run.
After today’s results, Quartararo is now in 9th place in the overall standings with 149 points, and Rins holds 19th position with 45 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are 6th in the team championship with 194 points, and Yamaha remain in 5th position in the constructor championship with 181 points.
The team will be back in action tomorrow for Warm Up, held from 10:40-10:50 GMT +8, and the 27-lap Race, which starts at 15:00.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI – Team Director, Monster Energy Yamaha
“We had higher hopes for this Sprint. So far, Álex especially had a very positive weekend. He did a good job qualifying in P4, his best starting position of the season. However, in the Sprint, he was unlucky to be pushed wide by another rider on the opening lap from a positive fifth place. It ended his hopes of battling at the front, but he still showed good fighting spirit today. Fabio similarly found himself at the end of the pack. He was catching up fast though. It’s a shame that he crashed on the final lap, but the main thing is that he is okay and that tomorrow we can have another go – hopefully with a bit more luck on our side. Completing 27 laps in this heat tomorrow will be a real test of endurance for the riders. The team will work hard to help the riders prepare for it and make them feel as comfortable as possible during this survival-of-the-fittest challenge.”
Alex Rins (42) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
Alex Rins: “It was unbelievable in qualifying. I’m honestly super happy, because it’s been a long time since I felt like this on the bike. I’m feeling quite good. Already in Motegi we made a step forward, and at this track we have a mix of fast and slow corners. It’s quite technical as a rider. I was able to be strong, and I really enjoyed riding. We did a really great lap time.
“My start in the Sprint was great. I was there at the front. At first, I was angry with Marc because he destroyed my race, but looking at the footage, I think he just may not have been able to stop the bike because Marini was ahead of him. This time it happened to me, tomorrow it could happen to him, that’s part of racing. Tomorrow, we have another opportunity. It’s going to be more challenging than today, though, because we need more time to warm the medium rear tyre, but our pace is not bad. Still, I am happy about today and the work we are doing.”
Fabio Quartararo (20) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
Fabio Quartararo: “The start was pretty strange: I had a slip of the clutch, then I touched with Bastianini, and I was completely last. I just tried to recover and tried to do my best, but I’m not having the best feeling on the bike all weekend. I can’t ride like I usually do. The bike is still quite unpredictable with any of these tyres. But we will try to make it work for tomorrow, try to set a good pace, and do a better Race.”
—–
More from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo Team:
The Ducati Lenovo Team clinches the Team Title, Ducati takes the Triple Crown. Márquez is sixth after a comeback, while Bagnaia finishes fourteenth
Third Triple Crown for Ducati, after the ones secured in 2007 and 2022
Podium for Fermín Aldeguer, second with the Desmosedici GP of the Gresini Racing Team
The Ducati Lenovo Team has clinched the Teams’ World Championship title at the end of the eighteenth Sprint of the season at the Mandalika Circuit, giving Ducati their third Triple Crown. Marc Márquez finished the race in sixth place, while Francesco Bagnaia was fourteenth at the flag.
Ninth on the starting grid, Márquez was given a long-lap penalty after a coming together with Rins on the opening lap. From thirteenth place, Marc put together a good comeback as he made his way up to sixth. Bagnaia, sixteenth in qualifying, had a challenging time in the 13-lap encounter to finish fourteenth.
The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action tomorrow morning at 10:40 local time (GMT +8) for the warm-up, followed by the Grand Prix of Indonesia, which will be contested over a 27-lap distance from 15:00.
Marc Marquez (93) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Ducati Lenovo Team.
Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 6th:
“The situation is surely a combination of factors that at the moment is not allowing us to be as quick as we’d like. The circuit layout doesn’t have hard braking points, which is one of our strongest aspects, and the unusual grip is preventing us from fully exploiting the power of the Ducati on corner exit. We need to continue working both riding- and set-up-wise, while studying Fermín Aldeguer’s performance to try to make a step forward. I don’t expect miracles this weekend – I think we’re in for a top five to seven.”
Francesco Bagnaia (63) at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Ducati Lenovo Team.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 14th:
“After yesterday, I knew it was going to be a difficult Saturday. Unfortunately, the feeling is not the same as Motegi, but closer to the one I experienced in Misano. I ended up struggling again with the bike, both on the straight and under braking, and the only thing I could do was bring it home. It’s quite a frustrating situation, but the bright side is that I showed my speed in Japan. Now we need to keep working and try to find that feeling again, otherwise it’s going to be another challenging race.
Mike Jones' second consecutive SW-Motech Superbike pole position at One Raceway.
Photo credit: RbMotoLens
Yamaha star Mike Jones has soared to pole position at round seven of the 2025 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at One Raceway in Goulburn.
Still clinging to a feint hope of clinching the SW-Motech Superbike title from runaway leader Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati), the Queenslander displayed his customary dash – and even more – on the Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1, obliterating his previous One Raceway qualifying mark to bank his 18th premier class pole position ahead of teen star Cameron Dunker (MotoGo Yamaha Racing Team). Waters will start from third on the grid for Sunday’s two 20-lap races.
Under clear skies and with Friday’s fierce cross winds gone, qualifying and race records tumbled at One Raceway across all the classes, including Kawasaki Supersport where Archie McDonald (Stop and Seal Yamaha) reigned supreme as he makes a late lunge at championship success over the last two rounds.
The opening races were also held in the Race and Road Supersport 300 and BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup classes on Saturday, complete with their usual level of jaw-dropping unpredictability and first-time winners in Riley Nauta and Ghage Plowman.
There will be nine races on Sunday to complete the penultimate ASBK round.
Jones and Dunker owned SW-Motech Superbike qualifying, with Dunker setting the early pace before Jones hit the front with a brilliant 58.420.
He’s now trimmed Waters’ championship lead to 66pts (306 to 238) courtesy of his bonus point for pole position.
“I treat every weekend the same, and that’s doing the best I can,” said Jones.
“I’m feeling really comfortable on my bike, which is always great when that happens. I know the racing is going to be really close and tough on a track like this, but I’m ready for it.”
Dunker’s second place on the grid (58.707) is his best qualifying performance in two years of Superbike competition, while Waters (58.768) is lurking in third after inching his way up the order during the last five minutes.
As expected, Goulburn hometown hero Troy Herfoss (Yamaha Racing Team, 58.772) started to make his move after methodically chipping away on setup, and he’ll lead the second row from 2024 race one winner Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati, 58.799) and Anthony West (Addicted to Track Yamaha, 58.921) who’s locked in combat with Jones for second in the championship.
The top eight was completed by Cru Halliday (Stop and Seal Ducati, 58.986) and Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha, 59.040).
Sunday’s two races will be held at 11:15am and 2:40pm.
Cameron Dunker’s in the SW-Motech Superbike groove on his MotoGo Yamaha. Photo credit: RbMotoLens
KAWASAKI SUPERSPORT AND SUPERSPORT NEXT GEN
Archie McDonald continued from where he left of on Friday, transferring his impeccable Kawasaki Supersport practice form into the qualifying arena on his Stop and Seal Yamaha YZF-R6.
After producing a masterful 1:00.138 in the first qualifying session – eclipsing his previous best lap by over 0.2 seconds – he used the second outing more for race simulation purposes in preparation for Sunday’s two 16-lappers.
McDonald’s pole position, which included a $500 bonus cheque from Michelin, was his second in 2025 and his fifth in the last two seasons.
McDonald completed qualifying ahead of teammates Jack Mahaffy (Yamaha) and Tom Toparis (Ducati) aboard his Supersport Next Gen machine.
Then it was the BCperformance Kawasakis of Hayden Nelson and Olly Simpson – the latter set to come under attack from McDonald for second in the championship, while Nelson will be looking to replicate his double podium from 2024.
Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha) will start from the final spot on row two, with Tommy Edwards (Team BWR Yamaha), Marcus Hamod (Motocity Honda) and Will Nassif (Omega Racing Team Yamaha) on row three.
Mahaffy leads the championship by 21pts (220 to 199) over Simpson, followed by McDonald (196) and Nelson (165).
Archie McDonald’s looking the goods in Kawasaki Supersport. Photo credit RbMotoLens
RACE AND ROAD SUPERSPORT 300
A Champions Ride Days Kawasaki quinella in Race and Supersport 300 race one, as a spritely Riley Nauta broke away from the main pack to score a runaway three-second victory over teammate – and fellow junior dirt track gun – Jake Paige. It was Nauta’s first victory in the category.
Valentino Knezovic (Yamaha) was third, while Scott Nicholson (Kawasaki) inched closer to winning the championship at One Raceway with his seventh place.
He’s now 81pts in front of Tara Morrison (Kawasaki), which means that if he keeps his power dry in the next two races – sometimes easier said than done in such a fiercely contested class! – he’ll be the new No. 1.
Polesitter Jai Russo (Yamaha) was fourth from Nikolas Lazos (Yamaha), Tyler King (Kawasaki), Nicholson and Mitch Simpson (Yamaha), with Nicholson also setting a new lap record of 1:05.710.
Riley Nauta (#42) leads Jai Russo (#132), Hudson Thompson (#41) and Valentino Knezovic (#48). Photo credit: RbMotoLens
BLU CRU OCEANIA JUNIOR CUP
Another crackerjack contest between the Yamaha YZF-R15 brigade, as Ghage Plowman scored his first win in the BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup, followed in quick succession by Rossi McAdam and championship leader Connor Lewis.
The top 11 riders were separated by 1.8 seconds, with Thomas Cameron, Hunter Charlett and Xavier Curmi filling positions 3-6.
Chaz Williams, who started from pole, was eighth, allowing Lewis to extend his championship lead to 14pts.
Plowman (#27), McAdam (#61) and Rossi (#77) flash across the finish line in the OJC opener. Photo credit: Russell Colvin
For more information on the 2025 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul:
Super Fan Ryan Rawls is on site for the Barber Vintage Festival at Barber Motorsports Park. Here are some of his photos.
From Left, 3-time 500cc GP World Champion Kenny Roberts, 1993 500cc GP World Champion Kevin Schwantz, and 1993 Superbike World Champion Scott Russell signing autographs.
Ryan Rawls with 2000 500cc GP World Champion Kenny Lee Roberts, a.k.a. Junior.
Ryan Rawls with 1989 AMA Pro Superbike Champion Jamie James.
Jamie James was able to fit into his circa 1990 leathers before riding one of Barber Vintage Festival Grand Marshall Eraldo Ferracci’s Ducati Superbikes. Here, Eraldo tends to the bike; his son Larry is seen at right.
Start of the Saturday Asia Talent Cup race held with MotoGP in Indonesia, with MotoAmerica racer Bodie Paige (26) starting his charge up into 7th place. Asia Talent Cup photo.
(Editorial Note: MotoAmerica Talent Cup Race Winner Bodie Paige Finishes 7th In Asia Talent Cup Race 1 Held On Saturday Of The MotoGP Event Weekend In Indonesia. Paige Qualifies For The Asia Talent Cup Because He Is Australian.)
Daquigan snatches career-first victory as Ogiwara and Ikegami clash
It’s a first win for the Philippines whilst the two title heavyweights come together on the last lap at the last corner
Saturday, 04 October 2025
A dramatic opening race for the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup at Mandalika saw a new race winner in the class as Alfonsi Daquigan profited from a final corner showdown between title contenders Ryota Ogiwara and Seiryu Ikegami. The title gap remains the same as both failed to finish after the last corner collision which ended in the gravel whilst Daquigan headed home a rostrum consisting of polesitter Haruki Matsuyama and Shingo Iidaka.
Daquigan was the early race leader but with two Long Lap Penalties to serve, he dropped down to P13. The race lead swapped numerous times between Teerin Fleming, Matsuyama, Iidaka, Ogiwara and Ikegami before Daquigan took over going into the final three laps. It all came down to the final lap, where the gloves really came off. A bold move from P2 to the lead at Turn 16, Ogiwara made it through but ran wide and whilst Ikegami took back over at the front into Turn 17, Ogiwara went for an ambitious overtake at the final corner, clattered into his fellow countryman, resulting in them both failing to finish. Daquigan picked up the pieces to deliver a first victory for the Philippines in the Asia Talent Cup.
There remains a match-point for Ogiwara tomorrow in Race 2, with action commencing at 09:35 local time (UTC + 8) !
MotoGP Race Start at Mandalika. Photo courtesy Dorna.
(Editorial Note: Luca Marini received an eight-second penalty for a tire pressure violation, dropping him down to 13th place in the Indonesian GP Sprint race.)
Marco Bezzecchi won the MotoGP Tissot Sprint race Saturday afternoon at Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Aprilia Racing RS-GP25 on Michelin control tires, the Italian won the 13-lap race by 0.157 second.
Rookie, Fermin Aldeguer was the runner-up on his BK8 Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP24.
Raul Fernandez finished third on his Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP25.
Aldeguer’s teammate, Alex Marquez was fourth.
Joan Mir got fifth on his Honda HRC Castrol RC213V.
Marc Marquez finished the sprint race 7th and Francesco Bagnaia 14th on their Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP25.
Marc Marquez leads the championship with 544 points, 198 ahead of Alex Marquez who has 346 points. Francesco Bagnaia is third with 274 points.
Bezzecchi beats Aldeguer on final lap in a Mandalika Sprint stunner. The Italian comes back from a poor start to overtake the rookie in the closing stages as Fernandez earns debut MotoGP podium.
Marco Bezzecchi vs Fermin Aldeguer. Aprilia Racing’s Italian vs BK8 Gresini Racing’s rookie, and boy was it a Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia Tissot Sprint treat that we’ll remember for a long time. It was Bezzecchi who completed an incredible comeback after a poor start to overtake the Ducati rider on the final lap for the gold medal, as Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) took P3 from the front row to earn his first rostrum in MotoGP.
Poor start from Bez, Marc Marquez handed Long Lap penalty
From the off, Bezzecchi didn’t get a good launch from pole as Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) briefly led from P6, but the Italian was wide to allow Aldeguer and Fernandez through, as well as Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Turn 10 on the opening lap saw Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) make contact, which saw both run wide, with the Yamaha star coming out the worse of the two. It was an incident that saw the World Champion handed a Long Lap penalty, which he took on Lap 3, and that dropped him to P13.
Aldeguer leads, Acosta crashes from P2
At the front, Aldeguer was leading by half a second from Acosta, with Fernandez still third ahead of Marini and Bezzecchi. As we watched Bezzecchi attempt a pass at Turn 1 on Marini, we then cut to Acosta in the gravel at the same corner. The KTM star was down and out of P2 which handed Aldeguer a 1.8s lead, with Bezzecchi now chasing Fernandez for P2.
Aldeguer vs Bezzecchi unfolds
As soon as he got a bit of clean air, Bezzecchi set the fastest lap of the Sprint. With eight laps left, the Italian was just over two seconds away from the leader. Aldeguer’s best friend in this Sprint was second place Fernandez and on Lap 8 of 13, Bezzecchi was swarming all over the rear tyre of the Trackhouse rider.
A pass for P2 came at Turn 10 on Lap 8 and at this stage, the gap between Aldeguer and Bezzecchi sat at 1.9s. A lap later it was 1.2s because Bezzecchi slammed in a 1:29.638 – a new fastest lap of the Sprint, and that compared to Aldeguer’s 1:30.379. This was some sensational pace from the polesitter and after a very sluggish start that saw him drop to P8, the #72 was well in the victory hunt.
With two laps to go, the gap was down to 0.5s as Bezzecchi took another four tenths off of Aldeguer’s lead and at the start of the last lap, it was 0.3s. Then, it was nothing.
Turn 10 was the place again for Bezzecchi and he got the job done despite being slightly wide. He picked up Aldeguer but the rookie wasn’t giving this up without a fight. It was close through Turn 12, but Bezzecchi had the advantage and he managed to hold it to the line. A stunning comeback from Bezzecchi to catch and pass Aldeguer on the last lap as the pair treat us to a brilliant Saturday Sprint in Mandalika, as Fernandez held onto his first Sprint podium in P3.
Your Saturday points scorers
Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) crossed the line in a fairly lonely P4 to strengthen his grip on P2 in the overall championship, with Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) completing the top five. Marini dropped to P6 in the end, with Marc Marquez cutting his way back through the field after his Long Lap to finish in P7. The final two points of the Sprint went to Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team duo Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio, as Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), last weekend’s Sprint and Grand Prix winner, finished 29s off the win in P14 to see Bezzecchi close in on P3 overall.
Ducati Lenovo Team’s disappointing Saturday didn’t stop them from clinching the Teams’ Championship though. Congratulations to all in red for another fantastic season, but they’ll be searching for a better day at the office tomorrow.
Coming up: Grand Prix Sunday
Well, Saturday has set us up very nicely indeed for Sunday in Indonesia. Can Bezzecchi complete the perfect weekend? Or can Aldeguer and co take it to the Italian and Aprilia? We’re keen to find out.
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GINO BORSOI – Team Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP 
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