Factory Ducati stars caught out on a dramatic Friday in Indonesia, while the newly crowned champion endures a bruising session with two crashes.

Nobody could have predicted the kind of chaos that unfolded during Friday practice at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia. The session produced one of the most unpredictable storylines of the season: Marc Márquez — fresh from sealing his seventh premier-class crown just days earlier in Japan — crashed twice and missed out on the automatic Q2 spots for the first time in 2025. To make matters worse for Ducati, his teammate Francesco Bagnaia also found himself languishing outside the top 10, forcing both factory riders into the danger zone of Q1.

The big winner of the day was Marco Bezzecchi. The Italian looked untouchable on his Aprilia Racing machine, storming to P1 by nearly half a second over closest challengers Fermín Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing) and rookie sensation Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). Bezzecchi’s 1:29.240 was in a league of its own, leaving rivals scratching their heads on how to bridge the gap.

Early trouble for the #93

The session could not have started much worse for Márquez. At Turn 10, only minutes into practice, the World Champion lost the front and hit the deck. He quickly returned to the pits but found himself buried in 17th place with half the session gone. At that point, the time sheets made unusual reading: KTM, Aprilia, Honda, and Yamaha filled the top five.

Things only deteriorated from there. With just under 25 minutes remaining, Márquez suffered a much bigger accident at Turn 5, thrown violently over the handlebars of his Ducati. It was the first time since last year’s Indonesian GP that the Spaniard had endured two crashes in a single session — a bruising reality check after the highs of Motegi. At one stage, he was stone last in P20.

Despite the setbacks, Márquez dug deep. With 17 minutes left on the clock, he rejoined the action determined to preserve his spotless record of top-10 finishes on Fridays in 2025. Meanwhile, across the Ducati Lenovo garage, Bagnaia was also struggling badly, rooted in 18th place and unable to unlock pace despite his double victory just one week earlier in Japan.

The chase for the top 10

For a brief moment, Márquez reminded everyone of his resilience. His first flying lap after the crashes catapulted him to sixth, as Acosta temporarily grabbed P1 with a 1:29.718. But Bezzecchi wasn’t about to let that stand. The Italian retaliated with a blistering 1:29.240, four tenths clear of the field, reasserting his dominance at the top. Márquez managed to climb as high as P4 — but it wouldn’t last.

In the dying minutes, both factory Ducati riders were on track together, with Márquez shadowing Bagnaia. At that point, they sat P8 and P17 respectively, but Pecco’s laps just wouldn’t stick. He had one effort wiped out by yellow flags after Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) crashed at Turn 8, and another was nearly a full second off Bezzecchi’s pace by the second sector. His eventual personal best was only enough for 16th.

As if to twist the knife further, late improvements from Yamaha duo Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins pushed Márquez down to 11th, ejecting him from the top 10 entirely. For the first time since the 2024 German GP, Márquez failed to secure a direct Q2 slot. And for the first time since Valencia 2023, both factory Ducatis are forced to fight their way through Q1. In MotoGP, fortunes really can flip in the space of a week.

Friday’s surprise top 10 in Indonesia

The final classification produced plenty of eye-catching names:

1. Marco Bezzecchi – Aprilia Racing
2. Fermín Aldeguer – BK8 Gresini Racing
3. Pedro Acosta – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
4. Luca Marini – Honda HRC Castrol
5. Raúl Fernández – Trackhouse Aprilia
6. Joan Mir – Honda HRC Castrol
7. Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha
8. Alex Rins – Monster Energy Yamaha
9. Miguel Oliveira – Prima Pramac Yamaha
10. Alex Márquez – BK8 Gresini Racing

It was a particularly encouraging day for Honda, with Marini and Mir both inside the top six. Aprilia and Yamaha also had multiple riders in Q2, underlining the balance of power on a day when Ducati surprisingly faltered.

What’s next: Q1, Q2, and the Sprint showdown

All eyes will now be on Saturday’s sessions. Márquez and Bagnaia must navigate Q1, a notoriously tricky battleground where one mistake can ruin an entire weekend. With Bezzecchi setting the benchmark pace and Aprilia looking sharp, the factory Ducati duo have work to do if they want to salvage grid positions for the Sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix.

For now, the headlines belong to Bezzecchi — fast, confident, and seemingly a step ahead of the competition in Lombok. But if Friday proved anything, it’s that Mandalika never fails to serve up drama. Saturday promises to be unmissable.

Context explained for clarity:

• Q1/Q2 system: In MotoGP, only the top 10 in Friday practice advance directly to Q2, where pole position is decided. Everyone else must go through Q1, where only two riders progress. For factory stars like Márquez and Bagnaia, this is a major setback.
• Why Ducati’s struggles matter: Ducati has dominated most of the 2023–2025 seasons, so seeing both factory riders outside the top 10 is unusual and newsworthy.
• Why Bezzecchi’s speed is significant: His 0.4s advantage is considered huge in MotoGP, where gaps are often measured in thousandths. It marks him as a serious contender for victory in Indonesia.

Moto2™: González sets the benchmark, Canet stumbles into Q1

Friday in Lombok belonged to Manuel González. The Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP rider was untouchable in Moto2™, setting a new all-time lap record around the Mandalika International Circuit with a 1:32.996. The Spaniard — who also happens to be the current championship leader — looked composed and clinical, stamping his authority on the timesheets as the paddock heads into a critical weekend.

Only one rider managed to get remotely close: Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team). The Japanese GP winner, still buzzing from his recent triumph, came within two tenths of González but couldn’t quite bridge the gap. Behind them, Daniel Muñoz (Red Bull KTM Ajo) rounded out the top three, underlining the strength of KTM’s feeder program.

For Aron Canet (Fantic Racing), however, it was another bitter Friday. Sitting third in the championship, the Spaniard’s session unravelled when he crashed heavily in the closing stages. The mistake meant he tumbled down the order and was consigned to Q1 once again — a recurring theme in his campaign that continues to cost him momentum in the title chase.

Second in the standings, Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing), delivered a steady but unspectacular performance to finish eighth. The young Brazilian will want to dig deeper on Saturday if he’s to keep his title hopes alive against the form of González.

Elsewhere, Tony Arbolino (BLUCRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) and Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) were solid, finishing fourth and fifth respectively, while Marcos Ramírez (OnlyFans American Racing) slotted into sixth after a string of consistent laps. The overall picture? González has the edge, Holgado has the hunger, and Canet finds himself once again with it all to do.

Moto3™: Piqueras digs deep to stay in the fight

If Friday was about making a statement, Ángel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) delivered. Locked in a title battle that’s starting to tilt against him, the Spaniard showed grit and determination to top the Moto3™ timesheets in Mandalika. His 1:37.503 lap was enough to edge out rival Máximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) by just 0.098s — though Quiles’ day was marred by a heavy highside in the final minutes at Turn 7. The crash means his fitness will be reassessed before FP2, adding an extra layer of uncertainty to his weekend.

Behind them, championship leader José Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) slotted into third. Rueda arrives in Lombok with a 93-point advantage and could clinch the Moto3™ title on Sunday if he stretches that gap to 100 or more. For him, the focus is on consistency rather than fireworks, but even so, he remains firmly in the mix at the sharp end.

Honda enjoyed a boost courtesy of Adrián Fernández (Leopard Racing), who secured fourth as the top finisher for the Japanese manufacturer. David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), fastest in FP1, carried that momentum into the afternoon to finish fifth. The LEVELUP–MTA pairing of Joel Kelso and Matteo Bertelle followed in sixth and seventh, adding further variety to the upper order.

Drama wasn’t far away. David Almansa (Leopard Racing) had a near-disaster at the penultimate corner, his save collecting Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in the process. Carpe still managed to cling onto ninth, while Almansa himself ended the session in eighth. Rounding out the top 10 was Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), the Japanese rider continuing to impress as he quietly builds experience at the world level.

The narrative in Moto3™ is crystal clear: Piqueras refuses to roll over, Quiles needs to bounce back after his crash, and Rueda holds all the cards in the title fight. Saturday qualifying will be decisive.

Why this matters

• Moto2™ context: González’s lap record not only secures bragging rights for Friday but also sends a psychological message to rivals. His control is making him the benchmark for consistency in the intermediate class. Canet’s repeated Q1 struggles highlight why he hasn’t mounted a stronger championship push.
• Moto3™ context: The Piqueras–Rueda battle frames the weekend’s biggest talking point. Rueda’s potential to seal the championship adds pressure to his rivals, while Piqueras’ determination shows the fight isn’t over yet. Quiles’ crash is a key subplot that could swing the balance further.

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