Marco Bezzecchi led another mixed selection of MotoGP riders in Free Practice 2 at the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit on Saturday morning, as we prepare for the qualifying session and Tissot Sprint of the Indonesian GP. The #72 and Fabio Quartararo were the only two riders out on track to set a time in the 1:29s. Read on for all the session’s observations.
Ducati Momentum Picks Back Up
After a slow start in performance on Friday in Free Practice 1 that persisted throughout the day, the Ducati Lenovo Team and Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team sought to improve their pace on Saturday morning. Marc Márquez had already crashed twice on Friday, the first time the 2025 World Champion had done so in a single session since last year’s race in Indonesia. Both he and his teammate, Francesco Bagnaia, showed some promise early on in the session, as did Fabio Di Giannantonio, while Franco Morbidelli struggled at the back. However, all fell out of the top ten by the end of the session.
Meanwhile, the BK8 Gresini Racing riders were under less pressure, knowing they would be moving straight into Q2. Both Álex Márquez and Fermín Aldeguer took a chilled approach to the FP2 session, but whether that was out of contentment with the bike or some underlying issues remains to be seen. Aldeguer put in a last-minute lap time to come up into the top.
Bezzecchi Gets an Early Advantage on His Saturday
As the saying goes, “the early bird gets the worm”, as Bezzecchi got out and walked about well before the MotoGP Free Practice 2 session began. The Italian Aprilia Racing rider was seen wandering the pit lane and to the pit box while delays pushed back the Moto3 FP2 start.
After his dominance in the sixty-minute Practice session, Bezzecchi began his Indonesian GP campaign on a high as he was quick to top the timesheet despite the pain he is in after last week’s shunt from his teammate, Jorge Martín. The only other Aprilia rider for this weekend, Raúl Fernández of Trackhouse Racing, quickly climbed up into the top ten on the timesheet, both riders clearly making up for the absences of Martín and Ai Ogura this weekend.
The Battle Between the Midpack Constructors
Pedro Acosta and Luca Marini were the first to trade feisty moves, pushing to build upon Ducati’s issues. This time, Acosta was not the lone KTM in the top ten. Brad Binder and Enea Bastianini pulled times fast enough into the top ten halfway through the session, giving us a possible taste of what we could expect later on in the day. Pramac Yamaha riders, Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira, also showcased late-stage pace to push the competing KTM riders down the order. Unfortunately for Oliveira, he ended his strong session in the gravel trap of Turn 2. He still made it in the top ten alongside fellow Yamaha riders Miller and Quartararo.
The Top Ten
- Marco Bezzecchi
- Fabio Quartararo
- Pedro Acosta
- Fermín Aldeguer
- Miguel Oliveira
- Raúl Fernández
- Jack Miller
- Álex Márquez
- Luca Marini
- Joan Mir
Qualifying to Come
Considering the mixed bag of riders in the top ten fastest in Free Practice 2, all predictions are thrown out the window for the qualifying later on. An interesting thing to note: the last time no Ducati riders started on the front row of the grid was the 2020 Valencia Grand Prix. Given the results from Friday and Saturday morning, could we see the same occur for the Indonesian Grand Prix? We’ll keep our eyes glued to the screen on Saturday afternoon.