MotoGP Mandalika: Fernandez sets record, Aprilia 1-2-3

Friday at the Indonesian MotoGP Grand Prix in Mandalika belonged to Aprilia. Raúl Fernández (Trackhouse) finished on top in 1'28.725, a new track record, ahead of the two other Aprilia riders Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martín.

An Aprilia 1-2-3

According to the results published by Autosport and The Race, Bezzecchi is second at +0.219 and Martín third at +0.481. The best non-Aprilia rider is Pedro Acosta (KTM), fourth at +0.669. Marc Márquez is fifth at +0.701, the best Ducati, just ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio (+0.705).

No Ducati is therefore in the top four: Márquez, fifth, is seven tenths off the best time.

The top ten heading to Q2

The top ten in combined practice go straight into Q2:

• 1. Raúl Fernández (Aprilia), 1'28.725
• 2. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia), +0.219
• 3. Jorge Martín (Aprilia), +0.481
• 4. Pedro Acosta (KTM), +0.669
• 5. Marc Márquez (Ducati), +0.701
• 6. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Ducati), +0.705
• 7. Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha), +0.833
• 8. Álex Márquez (Ducati), +0.847
• 9. Franco Morbidelli (Ducati), +0.968
• 10. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati), +1.061

A session of crashes

Fabio Quartararo had a heavy fall into the gravel midway through the session. He hurt his left wrist, according to Autosport, before going back out and improving his time to reach Q2. Álex Márquez slid off late in the session but kept his eighth place.

Alex Rins, eleventh at +1.151, fell late on and narrowly missed Q2, ahead of Jack Miller (+1.158). Fermín Aldeguer (fifteenth, +1.426) crashed twice and had a technical problem. Ai Ogura, thirteenth at +1.229, must go through Q1, as must Enea Bastianini, twenty-first after two falls in the afternoon. Aleix Espargaró is last at +2.969.

What to remember

Practice results are not qualifying results: Saturday's Q1 and Q2 will set the grid. But with three Aprilias at the top and a track record broken, the Italian marque arrives in a strong position at Mandalika.