MotoGP Indonesia: Raúl Fernández takes first pole at Mandalika
The newsroomUpdated on October 10, 20263 minRaúl Fernández (Aprilia) claims his first MotoGP pole at the Indonesian GP ahead of Bezzecchi; Marc Márquez starts 4th and Jorge Martin 5th in the title fight.
Key point
Raúl Fernández (Aprilia) takes his first MotoGP pole at Mandalika in 1'28.852, ahead of Bezzecchi; Márquez starts 4th and Martin 5th, two points apart in the standings.
Raúl Fernández took the first pole position of his MotoGP career on Saturday in qualifying for the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika. The Aprilia rider (Trackhouse) set 1'28.852, an average of 174.627 km/h, and beat fellow Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi by 0.109 s.
An Aprilia-led grid
Behind Fernández and Bezzecchi, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Ducati VR46) is 3rd, 0.196 s off the pace. Row two features the two title contenders: Marc Márquez (Ducati) is 4th, 0.266 s back, and Jorge Martin (Aprilia) is 5th, 0.300 s back. Márquez therefore out-qualified his championship rival, but neither made the front row.
- Raúl Fernández (Aprilia), 1'28.852
- Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia), +0.109 s
- Fabio Di Giannantonio (Ducati VR46), +0.196 s
- Marc Márquez (Ducati), +0.266 s
- Jorge Martin (Aprilia), +0.300 s
- Fermín Aldeguer (Ducati Gresini), +0.380 s
- Ai Ogura (Aprilia), +0.427 s
That gives Aprilia a front-row 1-2. According to Crash.net, Bezzecchi lost a potential flying lap to yellow flags, shown at the final corner after Aldeguer's crash. The Race calls Di Giannantonio the surprise of Q2 and says Martin never looked like threatening pole. Aldeguer starts 6th despite that crash, Ogura 7th after coming through Q1. Martin was 7th after his first fast lap before climbing to 5th with an extra qualifying lap.
Title fight down to two points
Heading into the race, Jorge Martin leads Marc Márquez by just 2 points in the standings. Márquez starts one place ahead of Martin, but the fight is wide open, especially as today's sprint can already shift the gap.
Q1: crashes and an injury
Q1 was eventful: several riders fell, including Ai Ogura, while Fermín Aldeguer and Ogura progressed to Q2. Johann Zarco, who fell twice including once with Jack Miller, finished only 10th in Q1, his worst result since Jerez 2020 according to Motorsport.com. Diogo Moreira and Enea Bastianini also crashed. Toprak Razgatlioglu, who dislocated his shoulder in the final free practice, starts 19th.
The schedule
The Mandalika sprint runs over 13 laps and starts at 15 h local time, 8 h in the UK.
The editorial team
Frequently asked questions
Who is on pole for the 2026 Indonesian MotoGP?
Raúl Fernández (Aprilia), in 1'28.852: it is his first MotoGP pole position.
Where do Marc Márquez and Jorge Martin start?
Marc Márquez starts 4th and Jorge Martin 5th. Martin leads Márquez by just two points in the championship.
What time is the Mandalika sprint?
The sprint is 13 laps and starts at 15 h local time, 8 h in the UK.
Sources
- Motorsport.com — Fernández takes first pole, Márquez and Martín on row two
- Crash.net — First pole for Fernandez, Marquez stalks Martin
- Motorsport Week — Fernandez claims maiden pole at Mandalika
- The Race — Fernandez on Mandalika pole as title contenders upstaged
Written by the Karrazmotorsport newsroom, proofread before publication. For settings, always refer to your vehicle's manual. Our charter.
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