MotoGP, qualifying: Crash fest in Indonesia – three Aprilias lead the way

FP1 will be followed by qualifying in the MotoGP class on Friday. The aim of the 60-minute session is to secure direct progression to Q2 on Saturday, which only the ten fastest riders will achieve. The rest must compete in Q1, from which the two fastest riders advance to Q2.

In FP1 in Indonesia, Aprilia star Marco Bezzecchi was the fastest with a time of 1:30.132. Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo) and Jorge Martin (Aprilia) finished in second and third place respectively. The top three in the World Championship therefore set the pace in the first session of the weekend in Lombok as well. Diogo Moreira (LCR Honda), Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati) and Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia) crashed – all three escaped uninjured.

Qualifying started 35 minutes late. Technical problems had arisen on the track during the preceding Moto2 session. The network connection failed, leaving race control in the control room cut off from the action.

At the start of the one-hour session, the air temperature over the Mandalika International Street Circuit was 29 degrees Celsius. The track surface had heated up to 59 degrees.

The top five after five minutes: Raul Fernandez (1:30.748 mins), Enea Bastianini, Alex Rins, Pedro Acosta and Diogo Moreira.

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MotoGP World Championship

10.10.2026 - 02:35

One lap later, Aprilia ace Marco Bezzecchi took the lead with a time of 1:30.272 mins. By way of comparison, Bezzecchi had set the lap record in Indonesia in 2025 with a time of 1:28.832 mins.

Marc Marquez moved up to third place shortly afterwards. Rins (Yamaha) surged forward into second place.

Then Fermin Aldeguer had his second crash of the day – he slowly slid into the gravel trap at Turn 17. Raul Fernandez took the lead with a time of 1:29.945. ‘Bez’ improved his time to 1:30.110. Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) was now third.

Fernandez set another fastest time of 1:29.793 mins. The order after 15 minutes: Fernandez, Bezzecchi, Quartararo, Acosta, Marc Marquez, Di Giannantonio, Alex Marquez, Rins, Martin and Bagnaia.

Bezzecchi then also clocked his first sub-1:30 time of the weekend with a lap of 1:29.939. Ai Ogura (Aprilia) made it into the top 10 with a time of 1:30.482.

Shortly before the halfway point of the session, Di Giannantonio set a new fastest time of 1:29.488. Bezzecchi improved to second place with a time of 1:29.619. Quartararo’s front wheel slipped out in a left-hand bend. He was hurled into the gravel at high speed – the Frenchman was a little dazed afterwards, but managed to get back on his feet. Fernandez moved up to second place shortly afterwards, with Franco Morbidelli now fourth and Ogura fifth. Martin lost part of his rear aerodynamic fairing, forcing him to return to the pits.

Fernandez then took the lead with a time of 1:29.341. The top five after 35 minutes: Fernandez, Di Giannantonio, Bezzecchi, Morbidelli and Ogura. Marc Marquez was seventh at this stage.

With 20 minutes to go, Marc Marquez set the fourth-fastest time. Five minutes later, Quartararo was back on track on his spare bike. He set his fastest time of the day straight away. Acosta moved up to fourth place.

Then Bastianini crashed at Turn 8 – it was the same spot where Quartararo had crashed earlier. Martin moved up to fourth place, with MM93 moving into second shortly afterwards. Raul Fernandez was even faster once again – he clocked a time of 1:29.252. Aldeguer had to park his Gresini Ducati in the gravel trap – he’d had a technical problem. It wasn’t the Spaniard’s day.

With eight minutes to go, Trackhouse ace Raul Fernandez set a lap record of 1:28.725! Bezzecchi surged into second place with a time of 1:29.198. Quartararo improved to fifth place with a time of 1:29.558.

The final push for times followed. Rookie Moreira crashed in Turn 11, but he was uninjured. Alex Márquez moved up to sixth place. One lap later, he crashed in Turn 16. Martin was now third. Acosta surged forward to fifth place. Alex Rins crashed in Turn 17 and Bastianini suffered his second crash of the day at the same spot. At the very last moment, Pecco Bagnaia managed to secure 10th place – guaranteeing his direct entry into Q2.