The MotoGP title battle reaches Mandalika with Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez separated by only two points. Friday at the Indonesian Grand Prix will provide the first competitive indications, while Aprilia arrives under particular scrutiny after its strong performance at the circuit last year.

MotoGP FP1 is scheduled for 10:45 local time, with Practice following at 15:00. In the UK, those sessions begin at 03:45 and 08:00 respectively. Marquez comes to Indonesia after two wins at Motegi, but Aprilia is expected to push back after dominating at Mandalika in 2025. Rookie Fermin Aldeguer is another key name in the picture: during the previous Indonesian weekend, he was the only Ducati rider able to challenge the leading RS-GPs.

Why the previous Indonesian weekend still matters

The last racing visit to Mandalika produced a turbulent weekend. Jorge Martin was absent with an injury, while Marco Bezzecchi converted pole position into a Sprint victory and Raul Fernandez secured a podium for Trackhouse. The Grand Prix then turned on an opening-lap collision between Bezzecchi and Marquez. The crash left the Ducati rider injured for the remainder of the season.

Marquez had finished only sixth in the Sprint after taking a long lap, and he still has no Indonesian Grand Prix finish to his name. With Bezzecchi out of contention, Aldeguer claimed his first and, at that point, only MotoGP victory, ahead of KTM’s Pedro Acosta. The other Ducati riders struggled with the special heat-resistant rear tyre, putting tyre management back among the main questions for the weekend. Before MotoGP FP1, the Moto2 riders were due to head out under Mandalika’s intense sunshine.