Marco Bezzecchi put Aprilia on top of Free Practice 1 for the 2026 Indonesian MotoGP at Mandalika, delivering a strong statement on opening day. Last year's pole and Sprint winner went into the closing stages with a confident advantage over his teammate and title leader Jorge Martin.
However, world championship rival Marc Marquez then split the RS-GPs on his penultimate lap. Marquez arrives in Indonesia carrying immense momentum after claiming a double victory last weekend at Motegi, which dramatically cut Martin's title lead down to just two points in an intensely tight championship battle.
MotoGP title chase after Japanese GP: Points per race (top 8 riders). © Peter McLaren
The opening practice session was also marked by drama on the track as Diogo Moreira, Ai Ogura, and last year's grand prix winner Fermin Aldeguer all crashed during the session. Meanwhile, HRC stand-in Aleix Espargaro finished his first MotoGP session of the year in 22nd position as he stepped in to replace Joan Mir.
Bezzecchi finished third in Japan, but along with Pedro Acosta, he is now in danger of losing touch with the top two in the title fight if he cannot capitalize on his early pace. Bezzecchi won last year's Indonesia Sprint from pole, but later collided with Marquez in the Grand Prix, adding historical tension to this weekend's proceedings at the challenging circuit.
Technical challenges remain paramount as teams manage special heat-resistant rear tyres and high track temperatures. With the top riders separated by fractions of a second in the opening timesheets, the battle for supremacy at Mandalika is set to intensify ahead of the crucial qualifying sessions.
Baca Juga
Marco Bezzecchi kuasai latihan perdana MotoGP Mandalika, dibayangi Marc Marquez dan Jorge Martin dalam sesi pembuka yang diwarnai sejumlah insiden.
Marco Bezzecchi kuasai FP1 MotoGP Indonesia di Mandalika di depan Marc Marquez dan Jorge Martin. Simak laporan lengkap sesi latihan bebas pertama.
Persiapan MotoGP Mandalika 2026 memanas. Jorge Martin dan Marc Marquez hanya terpaut dua poin di puncak klasemen jelang sesi latihan bebas.
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