2022 Indonesian MotoGP, Mandalika – Full Race Results

* Rookie

KTM’s Miguel Oliveira has won a delayed and soaking wet 2022 Indonesian MotoGP at Mandalika, responding perfectly to a late charge by world champion Fabio Quartararo.

Starting seventh, Oliveira wasted no time in passing early leaders Quartararo and Jack Miller before easing away.

But after struggling early on, pole starter Quartararo went on the attack, climbing back up to second and threatening to catch Oliveira. However the Portuguese saw the danger and kept his victory margin at 2.2s, with Johann Zarco completing the podium.

It was Oliveira’s fourth MotoGP victory, but first podium since Assen 2021.

There was plenty of drama in the run-up to the planned start: The race distance being shortened from 27 to 20 laps due to problems with the track surface in the dry Moto2 race, then Marc Marquez was declared unfit due to a head concussion after his massive morning highside, and finally a torrential rainstorm.

MotoGP had experienced damp track conditions on Friday and Saturday morning, but nothing like this level of rain, which flooded the circuit and delayed the start.

With one of November’s WorldSBK races cancelled in almost identical conditions, it was far from clear if the race would take place. Even a local ‘rain handler’ struggled to improve the situation. Or perhaps it just took a little time to work. Just before 4pm (an hour after the planned start), the clouds suddenly cleared and pit lane was opened for a 4:15 ‘quick start’.

Plumes of spray were thrown up as the 23 remaining riders charged for turn one, with reigning world champion Quartararo, favourite for the dry, taking the early advantage from Oliveira with Miller climbing to third.

Quartararo then touched the slippery kerb out of the final corner and was passed by both Oliveira and Miller at the start of lap 2, the Australian diving past Oliveira soon after to take the lead. But the tide soon turned in favour of the RC16 rider.

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Miller was eventually forced to settle for fourth ahead of Suzuki riders Alex Rins and Joan Mir, with Quartararo’s team-mate Franco Morbidelli in seventh.

Oliveira’s team-mate Brad Binder put a ‘firm’ pass on younger brother Darryn on his way to eighth place, but the younger Binder still excelled in the slippery conditions, climbing deep into the points for tenth and best rookie. RNF Yamaha team-mate Andrea Dovizioso was forced out by a technical problem.

Miller’s factory Ducati team-mate Francesco Bagnaia saved a big front end slide, but ran off track on his way to 15th.

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Zarco’s Pramac Ducati team-mate Jorge Martin was thrown sideways when he touched the kerbs out of the final corner and later ed out at Turn 1, losing the front as he crossed some standing water under braking.

Marquez’s team-mate Pol Espargaro was another to be fired sideways out of the last turn, finishing twelfth.

MotoGP’s only prior track time at Mandalika came during a dusty three-day test in February, after which emergency resurfacing was required on around 25% of the circuit, from Turn 17 (the final corner) until after Turn 5. In response to tyre overheating issues at the test, Michelin brought a different, heat-resistant, casing that was last used at Buriram 2018.

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Today’s race was the first Indonesian motorcycle grand prix since Sentul in 1997.

Round three of the 2022 season takes place at Argentina’s Termas de Rio Hondo on April 3.