Late-riser Francesco Bagnaia (8th) came under pressure from a Yamaha

Once again, there was cause for celebration in one part of the Ducati paddock, whilst on the other side a new normal has taken hold in the midfield. Marc Marquez won the chaotic sprint and took the lead in the World Championship for the first time in 2026, whilst Francesco Bagnaia moved up just two places from 10th on the grid. The Italian finished eighth in the MotoGP sprint in Indonesia, ten seconds behind his team-mate.

Bagnaia got up to speed too late

The Italian rode alone for half of the 13-lap race. He lost contact with Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini-Ducati). Towards the end, a new threat emerged from behind, which spurred him into action again: “Luckily Fabio came up, and I had to do something,” said Bagnaia. Quartararo put him under pressure in the closing stages, with the Yamaha rider crossing the finish line just behind him.

Willkommen zum Rennwochenende in Mandalika

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Track

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Marc Márquez

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Marco Bezzecchi

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Jorge Martin

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Fermin Aldeguer

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Pit Lane

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Der Start des Rennens

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Ai Ogura

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Fabio Quartararo

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Alex Márquez

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Johann Zarco

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Der Unfall von Raúl Fernández & Marco Bezzecchi

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Raúl Fernández & Marco Bezzecchi

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Francesco Bagnaia

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Luca Marini

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Fabio Quartararo

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Toprak Razgatlioglu

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Jorge Martin

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Fermin Aldeguer

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Diogo Moreira

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Fabio di Giannantonio

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Francesco Bagnaia

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Pedro Acosta

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Enea Bastianini

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Maverick Viñales

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Alex Rins

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Brad Binder

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Marc Márquez

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Raúl Fernández

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Qualifying - Marco Bezzecchi, Raúl Fernández & Fabio di Giannantonio

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Fabio di Giannantonio

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Ai Ogura

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Marc Márquez

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Sprint - Ai Ogura, Marc Márquez & Fabio di Giannantonio

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Bagnaia put the blame for his slow start on himself. “That was my mistake: I didn’t manage to get more power to the rear tyre, and it only really started working after seven laps,” admitted the two-time MotoGP champion. After that, he was able to keep up with the pace of Alex Márquez (Gresini-Ducati) and Pedro Acosta (KTM), although the rivals ahead of him had a three-second lead. The main problem remained grip, which was “pretty low”.

Will Bagnaia break out of his slump at his favourite circuit?

For the Grand Prix, the team aims to find more grip on the rear tyre; Bagnaia also wants to push harder in the opening laps to get the tyre up to temperature sooner. His expectations are tempered: “My feeling isn’t quite what I’d like it to be. I’m trying to get the most out of it.”

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A glance at the calendar gives him cause for hope. When asked which of the remaining circuits he’d most like to return to, he replied without hesitation: “Malaysia.” In the World Championship standings, Bagnaia remains just ahead of Alex Marquez (163) with 166 points.