Fabio Quartararo emerged from a fast crash at Turn 9 during Friday’s Practice session at Mandalika with soreness on his left side, but said the fall itself was not the most worrying part. After sliding off his Yamaha, his body hit the gravel trap at a lip in the asphalt and was thrown into a roll. Quartararo described himself as lucky to have avoided a more serious injury: nothing was broken, with the remaining problem limited to muscle pain.

The incident immediately brought back the crash suffered by Marc Marquez at the same circuit last year. Marquez sustained a shoulder injury in the gravel, an incident that ended his season. Quartararo said that a better-positioned gravel trap, or no gravel in that area, could have allowed Marquez to walk away without comparable consequences. He argued that the gravel should be at least level with the asphalt. In his view, the height difference creates a bump that can launch a rider into the air at the point of entry.

Riders want the circuit area addressed

Marquez said riders have repeatedly complained about Mandalika’s gravel traps, while making clear that checking every corner is not the riders’ responsibility. He described Turn 9 as an extremely fast section where entering the gravel at high speed can produce serious damage to both rider and motorcycle. Marquez also pointed to the financial pressure involved in repairing bikes, but said the priority should be preventing injuries and damage rather than expecting riders to inspect the circuit corner by corner. That work, he said, belongs to the people responsible for the circuit.

Quartararo was able to return to the Yamaha and complete Practice. He ended the session seventh, securing a direct place in Q2 despite having to restart and make two time attacks after the crash. He said that this was not the ideal way to get back on a motorcycle after such an incident, although his feeling on the bike was fairly good once he was riding again.

The Yamaha still lacks grip and turning performance, according to Quartararo’s assessment. Mandalika’s relatively limited number of long straights helps reduce the effect of those weaknesses. He also said the bike’s casing felt much better than last year, particularly the medium option, which had taken a long time to warm up previously but required much less time this year. The result was therefore useful competitively, even as the Turn 9 gravel renewed a safety concern that both Quartararo and Marquez want addressed.