Indonesian MotoGP, Mandalika – Friday Practice Results

*Rookie.

Official Mandalika MotoGP records
Best lap: Fabio Quartararo 1m 31.067s (2022)
Fastest race lap: Jack Miller 1m 45.198s (2022)

Title contender Jorge Martin gets the better of factory Aprilia riders Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro on his penultimate lap to lead opening practice for the 2023 Indonesian MotoGP at a slippery Mandalika.

Marco Bezzecchi, riding just five days after surgery on a fractured collarbone, only arrived at Mandalika this morning. The Italian completed 18 laps and stunned by breaking into the top four late in the session – but then fell at high speed. 

Fortunately, the Italian did not appear to redamage his collarbone. Bezzecchi was already set to be reviewed by doctors after the session.

The dusty track surface had caught out Moto3 title leader Jaume Masia and Moto2 leader Pedro Acosta in their opening practice sessions, with Miguel Oliveira the first MotoGP faller of the weekend, after 15mins.

Marc Marquez, who suffered a massive highside that ruled him out of last year’s race and caused another episode of diplopia, saved a near highside as the rear of his Repsol Honda slid out on corner entry.

Younger brother Alex and Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo later suffered similar scares before Alex, returning from rib fractures in India, ed at Turn 1 and then Bezzecchi at Turn 11.

• Indonesian Moto2: Latest Results
• Indonesian Moto3: Latest Results

Reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia is just 3 points clear of a charging Jorge Martin heading into the final six rounds of the season.

Martin has outscored Bagnaia for the past seven races in a row heading into Mandalika, where Miguel Oliveira took a wet victory in the inaugural 2022 event.

The circuit has been resurfaced (again) since last year’s race. There has been no prior MotoGP testing on the latest asphalt, while the extreme temperatures mean Michelin will bring its heat-resistant stiffer construction rear tyres.

Having slipped 54 points from Bagnaia, Marco Bezzecchi’s title hopes took another blow when he fractured his collarbone in a training accident last weekend, the same injury suffered by team-mate Luca Marini when he hit the back of Bezzecchi at the start of the Indian Sprint.

Undergoing surgery on Sunday, Bezzecchi aims to join Marini in being back on track this weekend but will need to pass a second medical check after FP1.

Also attempting comebacks are LCR Honda’s Alex Rins (broken leg at Mugello), Lenovo Ducati’s Enea Bastianini (hand and ankle injuries at Catalunya) and Gresini Ducati’s Alex Marquez (fractured ribs in India).

Marini and Bastianini both have a long lap penalty waiting to be served, for causing accidents.