Raul Fernandez secured the first MotoGP pole position of his career at the Mandalika circuit on Saturday, topping qualifying for the Indonesian Grand Prix. The Trackhouse rider set a best lap of 1:28.852, according to Sky Sport, which was 20 thousandths of a second slower than the record he had set a day earlier in pre-qualifying.
Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio completed an Aprilia sweep of the front row. Marc Marquez will start the race from the head of the second row, with championship leader Jorge Martin alongside him and Aldeguer third on that row.
Why it matters
The result underlines Aprilia's current strength in MotoGP. Sky Sport reported that all four Aprilia riders have now started from pole at least once this season, and that the manufacturer has taken six consecutive poles — extending what the outlet described as a record run in the top class. For Fernandez, the pole ends a long wait: Sky Sport noted his previous pole in any class came nearly five years ago, in Moto2 at the Algarve circuit in 2021. He becomes the eighth different pole sitter of the season, matching the number recorded in 2023.
The session also sharpened the title fight between Martin and Marquez. Sky Sport reported that Martin's team informed him Marquez was sitting directly behind him on the grid, a situation the outlet described as delicate given their rivalry for the championship. Marquez was seen marking Martin's rear wheel during the session, and Sky Sport raised the question of whether he intends to use the leader's slipstream in the race.
How qualifying unfolded
Conditions at Mandalika had already been disrupted before the timed session began. Toprak Razgatlioglu suffered a heavy highside crash between turns 13 and 14 during practice, with yellow flags brought out in that sector. Sky Sport reported that the Turkish rider was in significant pain in his right shoulder and that the joint had been dislocated and then relocated. He returned to his garage appearing less uncomfortable, but the team chose to wait before deciding whether he could take part in Q1, and he still needed a medical check.
The session start was pushed back by five minutes to 4:55 local time following a red flag, according to Sky Sport.
Once qualifying was underway, Bezzecchi briefly held provisional pole with a 1:28.961 before Fernandez went quicker. Marquez had earlier posted a 1:29.265 to head the order, ahead of Bezzecchi, Fernandez, Alex Marquez, Di Giannantonio and Martin, and Sky Sport noted he completed only a single lap before returning to his box — a lap that proved sufficient for a place on the second row.
Q1 proved chaotic. Sky Sport reported several crashes and a number of laps cancelled because of yellow flags. Ogura, who had been running with a red helmet indicator and was on course for the fastest time, went down, while Alex Rins improved but still missed out on Q2 and will line up 13th, ahead of Bastianini and Marini. Aldeguer and Ogura were the two riders who advanced, with Aldeguer lowering his time to 1:29.639.
Earlier in the day, Bezzecchi had led the second free practice session with a 1:29.560, ahead of Fernandez and Marc Marquez, with Di Giannantonio fourth and Martin fifth. Sky Sport reported that Bezzecchi moved to the top of the times early in that session, with Fernandez, Martin and Ogura behind him, before Marquez slotted into second, more than two tenths off the Italian.
There was also an update on Fabio Quartararo, who crashed heavily on Friday. Yamaha's Maio Meregalli told Sky Sport that Quartararo was fine and had woken up with less pain than expected.
What to watch
The weekend's first points will be decided in the Sprint Race at 9am local time, which Sky Sport is broadcasting live. Qualifying for Moto3 and Moto2 will run beforehand.
