Raúl Fernández breaks Mandalika record: Aprilia claims the top three places in practice ahead of the MotoGP Sprint
Raúl Fernández marked the start of the 2026 Indonesian Grand Prix with a new Mandalika circuit record and a result that further highlighted the strength of Aprilia's motorcycles. On Friday, October 9, the Spanish rider from the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP team completed a lap in 1:28.725 and finished the official MotoGP class Practice session in first place. According to the championship organizer's official report, Marco Bezzecchi finished 0.219 seconds behind, while championship leader Jorge Martín was 0.481 seconds slower, meaning Aprilia riders secured all three leading positions. Pedro Acosta was fourth on his KTM, while defending champion Marc Márquez finished fifth on his factory Ducati, 0.701 seconds behind Fernández. This outcome, ahead of Saturday's Sprint and Sunday's main race, is particularly significant because of the close battle for the world title between Martín and Márquez.
Fernández improves the record previously held by Bezzecchi
At the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit, located on the Indonesian island of Lombok, Friday began with a strong result for Marc Márquez but also a clear warning from Aprilia. In the first free practice session, known as FP1, Bezzecchi was fastest with a time of 1:30.132. Márquez finished second, 0.237 seconds behind, Martín was third, and Acosta fourth. Fernández completed the morning session in fifth place, making his afternoon performance even more impressive. According to MotoGP's report, Bezzecchi thus continued a series of strong performances at a circuit that had also proved well suited to his riding style in previous seasons.
In Friday's decisive Practice session, which determines the ten riders who advance directly to the second part of qualifying, Fernández gradually lowered his lap times. He initially set a time of 1:29.252 before completing a lap in 1:28.725, which nobody managed to beat before the end of the session. MotoGP confirmed that the previous outright circuit record was 1:28.832, set by Marco Bezzecchi during qualifying for the 2025 Indonesian Grand Prix. Fernández therefore lowered the benchmark by 0.107 seconds, a significant difference in a competition where just a few tenths often separate a large number of riders. Bezzecchi also broke into the 1-minute-28-second range on Friday, recording 1:28.944, while Martín secured third place with a time of 1:29.206.
The way the record was achieved was also noteworthy. Fernández did not move to the top simply with one final attempt; he had already demonstrated his speed on the Aprilia RS-GP26 during the second half of the session. In the closing minutes, his rivals improved their personal best times, but the Trackhouse rider's fastest lap remained out of reach. Official statistics show that the Spaniard recorded his fastest lap on the 19th of his 22 laps during the session. The achievement was also special for Aprilia: according to MotoGP, this was the first time riders from the manufacturer had occupied the top three positions in this type of official Practice session.
Why Mandalika's corners suit Aprilia
Aprilia arrived in Indonesia with high expectations, but Friday's result demonstrated that its speed was not limited to the factory team. Fernández rides for Trackhouse, an independent team using motorcycles from the Italian manufacturer, while Bezzecchi and Martín represent the factory Aprilia Racing team. The fact that motorcycles from different garages occupied all three positions at the top of the standings is an important indication of their capabilities at this circuit. However, that does not automatically mean the same order will be repeated in the race, where the result is influenced by the start, tyre choice, wear over multiple laps, and traffic among the riders. Friday's Practice session primarily confirmed that Aprilia has a highly competitive package for a single fast lap.
After the session, Fernández explained in an interview published by the specialist website GPOne that Mandalika, with its fast, flowing corners, is particularly well suited to Aprilia. He emphasized that he was more satisfied with the pace he could maintain over several laps than with the record itself. According to him, he was particularly encouraged by the feeling on the medium-compound tyre, which he found more comfortable than the softer compound used to achieve the fastest time. He added that the motorcycle offered good stability and allowed him to maintain speed when entering and passing through corners. This assessment is important because an advantage achieved over a single fast lap does not necessarily translate directly into the Sprint or the main race.
Official MotoGP data states that the Mandalika circuit is approximately 4.3 kilometres long, with 11 right-hand and six left-hand corners, while its longest straight measures 723 metres. According to Fernández's description, the layout rewards a motorcycle that can maintain speed through long corners and changes of direction. The Spaniard believes these sections allow him to exploit the strengths of the Aprilia motorcycle, although he acknowledged that the factory riders have a certain advantage in the first sector. Mandalika has been part of the MotoGP calendar since 2022, following the opening of the complex on Lombok in 2021. At this stage of the season, it hosts the 17th of the 22 scheduled rounds of the world championship.
Acosta fastest behind Aprilia, Ducati with four riders in the top ten
Behind the leading trio, the biggest surprise was not the deficit of any particular rider but the gap between Aprilia and the other manufacturers. Pedro Acosta, representing the factory Red Bull KTM team, finished fourth with a time of 1:29.394, or 0.669 seconds behind Fernández. Marc Márquez was just 0.032 seconds slower, with a lap of 1:29.426 earning him fifth position. Fabio Di Giannantonio of the VR46 team took sixth place and was the second-fastest Ducati rider, just four thousandths of a second behind Márquez. For all of them, Friday's result meant direct qualification for Q2, without having to participate in the first qualifying session.
According to the published classification, Fabio Quartararo was seventh on his Yamaha, Álex Márquez of Gresini eighth, Franco Morbidelli of VR46 ninth, and Francesco Bagnaia tenth on the second factory Ducati. Ducati therefore had five representatives among the top ten, but none managed to match Aprilia's leading trio. Bagnaia secured his place in Q2 with a late improvement, while Quartararo continued the session after an earlier crash and still managed to qualify among the fastest riders. The top ten riders from Friday's Practice session advance directly to the final part of qualifying, where the highest starting positions are decided. Friday's result is therefore not the final starting grid for either the Sprint or Sunday's race.
Crashes, yellow flags and a challenging road to qualifying
The afternoon session was also marked by several crashes, making the search for a fast lap even more complicated. According to MotoGP's report, riders who went off the track included Fermín Aldeguer, Fabio Quartararo, Enea Bastianini, Diogo Moreira, Álex Márquez and Álex Rins. Aldeguer, the winner of the 2025 Indonesian Grand Prix, had already experienced difficulties during the morning session and was unable to secure direct qualification for Q2 in the afternoon. Bastianini crashed twice during the decisive Practice session, while Moreira had to end his session following an incident. Yellow flags in sections of the circuit further complicated the attempts of riders seeking to improve their lap times in the closing stages.
The battle around tenth place was particularly close. Álex Rins finished eleventh, just 0.090 seconds behind Bagnaia, while Jack Miller was twelfth, 0.097 seconds behind the final rider to qualify directly for Q2. Ai Ogura, Fernández's Trackhouse teammate, was thirteenth and thus remained the only Aprilia rider without direct passage to the second part of qualifying. The first qualifying group also included Luca Marini, Aldeguer, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and other riders who had not finished among the fastest ten. The difference between tenth and eleventh place does not award championship points, but it can significantly affect the amount of work a rider must complete before the race itself.
Two points between Martín and Márquez change the significance of every result
Aprilia and Ducati are engaged not only in a technical contest at Mandalika but also in a direct battle for the world championship. According to the standings following the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, Jorge Martín arrived in Indonesia with 333 points and Marc Márquez with 331. Marco Bezzecchi was third with 284 points, 49 fewer than championship leader Martín, while Fernández was seventh with 216 points. These figures explain why Martín's third place and Márquez's fifth on Friday carry greater significance than they would have earlier in the season. Nevertheless, free practice and official Practice sessions do not award championship points: their immediate impact concerns preparation and qualifying position.
Just one week earlier in Japan, Márquez had won both the Sprint and the main race, reducing Martín's advantage to two points. At Mandalika, he encountered a different balance of power, and his Friday deficit of slightly more than seven tenths of a second to Fernández showed how much work Ducati still had to do over a single fast lap. The Spaniard acknowledged to GPOne that the deficit was real and not merely the result of different practice programmes, emphasizing that his biggest challenge was extracting the maximum performance from the tyre during one fast attempt. He also explained that Aprilia performs particularly well through long, fast corners, while Ducati is better suited to circuits where heavy braking and strong acceleration play a greater role. Nevertheless, Márquez believes the crucial thing is to score as many points as possible, even when victory is not a realistic expectation.
On the other hand, Martín did not claim to have solved all his difficulties after finishing third. Speaking to GPOne, he said he had struggled with front-tyre feel during the afternoon session and had been unable to put together several fast laps. His confidence in the motorcycle returned during his time-attack attempt, but he assessed that Fernández currently had the advantage. He also warned against ruling out Márquez because their race pace was closer than the single-lap classification suggested. That assessment leaves open the question of whether Aprilia's Friday advantage will be equally pronounced when the riders are battling in a group.
Mandalika has changed expectations before
The history of the Indonesian race provides another reason for caution when drawing conclusions from Practice results. Bezzecchi took pole position at Mandalika in 2025 and won the Sprint, but Sunday's race did not go according to his expectations. After a poor start, he collided with Marc Márquez, and victory went to the then-Gresini rider Fermín Aldeguer. It was Aldeguer's first victory in the premier class, while his difficulties on Friday this year demonstrate how much circumstances can change between two editions of the same Grand Prix. MotoGP also points out that Márquez has yet to finish a Sunday main race in his appearances at Mandalika.
The technical context, especially the tyres, is also important. The specialist website Crash.net notes that the circuit layout and the stiffer construction of the Michelin tyre for this race were considered factors that could favour Aprilia ahead of the weekend. At the same time, reports from last year's race recorded difficulties experienced by some Ducati riders with the special rear tyre designed for Mandalika's demanding conditions. This is not proof that the same problem will recur in 2026, but it demonstrates why teams must assess not only qualifying speed but also motorcycle behaviour over longer runs. Fernández's positive assessment of the medium-compound tyre is therefore one of the more important details of Friday's performance, rather than merely a passing comment after setting the record.
Saturday's Sprint could immediately change the championship standings
According to the official MotoGP schedule, Saturday's Sprint on October 10 begins at 3 p.m. local time on Lombok, corresponding to 7 a.m. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The Sprint is scheduled for 13 laps, while Sunday's main race on October 11 is also scheduled for 3 p.m. local time and will be contested over 27 laps. The top nine riders score points in the Sprint: the winner receives 12 points, second place earns nine, and third place seven. With only two points separating Martín and Márquez, Saturday's result alone could change the championship lead, regardless of Sunday's outcome. That is precisely why qualifying position and a good start are especially valuable to both title contenders.
Saturday's free practice session (FP2) showed that the balance of power was still developing. According to results published by Crash.net, Bezzecchi was fastest in that session with a time of 1:29.560, Fernández was second, 0.174 seconds behind, and Marc Márquez third, 0.311 seconds off the lead. Di Giannantonio finished fourth and Martín fifth, meaning Ducati demonstrated during this part of the programme that it could be closer to the front than in Friday's official Practice session. Because the conditions and objectives of individual sessions differ, these times do not yet provide a reliable indication of the true competitive balance for the race itself. Fernández's record nevertheless remains the most important individual result from the opening of the Indonesian weekend, and the question of whether Ducati can turn Saturday's progress into a battle with Aprilia will be answered on the track.
Sources:
- MotoGP – official report on Friday's Practice session, the record and the classification (link)
- MotoGP – results of the first free practice session and the start of the Indonesian weekend (link)
- MotoGP – official Indonesian Grand Prix schedule and race times (link)
- MotoGP – technical information and history of the Mandalika circuit (link)
- GPOne – Fernández's comments on Aprilia, corners and tyre performance over multiple laps (link)
- GPOne – Martín's comments on his feeling with the motorcycle and his rivals (link)
- GPOne – Márquez's assessment of his deficit and the characteristics of the circuit (link)
- Crash.net – Friday's classification and the qualifying cut-off (link)
- Crash.net – the influence of Mandalika's layout and tyre construction on qualifying prospects (link)
- Crash.net – championship standings after the Japanese Grand Prix (link)
- Crash.net – results of Saturday's free practice session (link)
- MotoGP – official points system for the Sprint and main race (link)