Marquez Seizes Sprint Win & Championship Lead — Martin Crashes Out of Podium Fight at Mandalika

The Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia delivered a Sprint race for the ages on Saturday, with Marc Marquez taking his first ever Mandalika victory and moving to the top of the standings — while former leader Jorge Martin endured a rollercoaster afternoon that ended off the podium and four points adrift. There was drama from the very first corner, and it didn’t let up until the chequered flag.

Turn 1 Chaos — Bezzecchi and Fernandez Crash Out Before Lap One Ends

The race hadn’t even settled into a rhythm when disaster struck at the opening complex. Polesitter Raul Fernandez and Marco Bezzecchi drag‑raced side‑by‑side into Turn 1, both pushing hard for the early advantage. As they compressed towards the apex, contact was inevitable — and in the chain reaction that followed, both riders were sent sliding into the runoff.

Fabio Di Giannantonio and Marc Marquez had also dived for the inside line, and with nowhere to go, Bezzecchi and Fernandez were gone before they could even get into their racing rhythm. Both were unhurt, but their afternoons were over before they had truly begun.

While all that unfolded, Jorge Martin carved cleanly around the apex to snatch the lead, emerging unscathed from the chaos and immediately setting about building an advantage. Marquez settled into second, with home hero Ai Ogura slotting into third ahead of Di Giannantonio. Alex Marquez completed the early top five, while Pedro Acosta — who had started strongly — began to lose ground.

Martin Pulls Clear, Then the Tide Turns

For a long stretch it looked like Martin had the measure of the race. He edged away lap by lap, opening a gap of more than a second and appearing in total control. Marquez sat patiently in his wake, waiting for his moment — and then, with four laps remaining, the picture flipped completely.

Martin suddenly slowed, losing more than two seconds in a single lap. He later confirmed a drop in tyre pressure was the culprit, robbing him of grip and stability just as he looked set to cruise to victory. Marquez pounced instantly, sweeping past to take the lead — but the drama was far from finished.

Martin recovered his pace and began to hunt the Ducati rider back, closing the gap lap by lap as the title fight hung in the balance. The gap stood at barely a single point — and then, with three laps to go, Martin was back within striking distance. The Mandalika crowd rose to its feet as the Aprilia loomed large in the Ducati’s mirrors.

Final Turns — Martin Runs Wide, Marquez Holds On

Just as it seemed the duel would go to the wire, Martin lost the rear under braking for Turn 15. He ran off the circuit onto the runoff, forced to make a desperate save that cost him momentum and several positions in one go. When he rejoined, he was fourth — and the podium fight was gone.

Up front, Marquez had his hands full with Ai Ogura. The Japanese rider halved the gap on the final lap, charging hard through the final sector in search of a career‑changing win. He got close — agonisingly close — but Marquez held firm to cross the line first, punching the air as he did so. Ogura took second, his best result of the season, while Fabio Di Giannantonio completed the rostrum.

Martin recovered to fourth, crossing the line with his head down — the championship lead he had held since the opening round now in Marquez’s hands.

Sprint Results & Championship Shift

DNF: Raul Fernandez (crash), Marco Bezzecchi (crash)

Championship after Sprint:

• 1st: Marc Marquez — 343 pts
• 2nd: Jorge Martin — 339 pts
• Gap: 4 points — Marquez leads

Ogura’s second place also moves him to within a single point of Acosta in the fight for fourth overall.

Moto2 — Guevara On Pole, Title Pressure Mounts for Gonzalez

The title race in Moto2 tightened dramatically on Saturday as Izan Guevara blazed to his fifth pole position of the season — and his first ever lap in the 1’31 bracket — while championship leader Manuel Gonzalez could only manage tenth.

Guevara laid down a stunning 1’31.963 to edge out Alex Escrig by just 0.098s, with David Alonso pushing through on his final flying lap to snatch third and a front‑row start. The session was finely balanced throughout, with Escrig holding provisional pole until Guevara’s decisive strike.

For Gonzalez, it was a day to forget. He finished 0.413s slower than his title rival, leaving him facing a long afternoon of recovery racing on Sunday. His 10.5‑point advantage remains intact — but with Guevara starting from pole and carrying the momentum, the pressure is squarely on the championship leader.

Moto2 Top 6 Grid:

Moto3 — Uriarte Takes Pole, Title Rivals Lock Front Row

The Moto3 session was electric, with Brian Uriarte claiming his third pole of the season in blistering fashion. The rookie posted a 1’36.861 to head the timesheets by 0.355s, surviving a flurry of late attacks to hold on.

David Almansa and Alvaro Carpe both surged forward on their final laps to complete an all‑title‑contender front row — while championship leader Maximo Quiles could only manage sixth after a slow crash at Turn 16 disrupted his rhythm. He still holds match point for the title, but will have to work his way through the field if he is to secure the crown on Sunday.

Late drama included a fall for Casey O’Gorman at Turn 1 and a crash for Rico Salmela earlier in the session, while Adrian Fernandez briefly looked set to claim a front‑row spot before Carpe edged him back.

Moto3 Top 6 Grid:

What’s Next — Sunday Decides Everything

The stage is set for one of the most dramatic Sundays of the season:

• MotoGP: Marquez leads Martin by four points. 25 points on offer. Anything can happen.
• Moto2: Guevara starts from pole. Gonzalez from tenth. The gap is 10.5 points — still all to play for.
• Moto3: Quiles needs a result from sixth on the grid. Almansa and Carpe are right where they need to be to delay the celebration.

Green flags wave at 15:00 local time (UTC+8). Don’t miss a lap.