Indonesian GP Sprint Race reports/results/points + Moto2/3 Qualifying

MotoGP 2023

Round 15 – Indonesia Grand Prix

Jorge Martin is the new MotoGP Championship leader! The Pramac Ducati rider pulled another momentous performance out the bag to keep that momentum rolling in style, coming through from sixth on the grid to take a fourth Tissot Sprint win in a row and with it securing a fourth Constructors’ Crown in a row for Ducati.

Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) gave it a serious go though, coming home second from his maiden premier class pole, with team-mate Marco Bezzecchi also seriously impressing as he took third after a late scrap with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing).

The tougher weekend continued for reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as he came home in P8.

MotoGP Sprint Race Report

Luca Marini made a stellar start to take holeshot but it didn’t take long for Maverick Viñales to grab the lead and immediately put the hammer down, the Aprilia rider streaking away in a matter of apexes. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was in third ahead of a Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Jorge Martin.  Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) slid out at turn 11 on the opening lap.

Into Turn 1 next time around Martin chose his moment to attack Quartararo – but the Frenchman wasn’t for rolling over and hit back immediately. And then again further round the lap. Martin got it done on the third time of asking, but Marini in second was a fair few tenths gone.

Then, more drama. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) went for a move on Binder for fifth and got it all sorts of wrong, losing the front and collecting the South African as both slid out across the gravel. They rejoined and Binder took P19, but the Aprilia was forced to retire.

Viñaes led Marini by eight tenths with 10 to go, with Martin starting to creep closer to the Mooney VR46 rider and Quartararo left with a little breathing room behind after the Aleix Espargaro-Binder incident. The rider next up by then was Bezzecchi as he dispatched Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) and started to harry the Frenchman.

Martin then arrived at Marini and wasted no time with a clinical pickpocket on the Italian, taking over in second and left to chase the one rabbit left up ahead: Viñales. The Aprilia was nearly a second up the road and there were eight laps to go. But the gap started to come down, down, and down – and Marini was right with Martin too as the duo homed in.

Five to go saw Martin strike for gold and take the lead, and just as Viñales did early doors, the number 89 got the hammer absolutely down as soon as he was past. It seemed the Aprilia was struggling and soon enough, Marini was lining up an attack – with Bezzecchi now arriving on the scene too. Marini got past with a carbon copy of Martin’s manoeuvre and the number 72 was next up to have a go at the Aprilia. He had a nibble not long after but overcooked it as Viñales hit back, but how long could the Aprilia hold on?

Viñales held on until the very last lap, but Bezzecchi had it nailed on the final time of asking. The Mooney VR46 machine pulled alongside and pitched it perfectly, moving through for an incredible rostrum finish on Saturday, less than a week after that collarbone break and surgery.

Martin, up ahead, was unbothered to the flag. Marini made a charge but by the final lap the number 10 was forced to settle for second, coming home a second and a half off the Pramac. Bezzecchi completes the Sprint podium ahead of Viñales, with Quartararo taking a no-mean-feat fifth.

Di Giannantonio took his best Sprint result in sixth, ahead of Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team). And then came Bagnaia. It was a tough day at the office for the reigning Champion as he lost that lead and failed to make it out of Q1, and he’s got it all to do tomorrow too. What can he pull out the hat?

Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), meanwhile, took the final point in P9 but it wasn’t quite enough, after Binder’s incident, to keep the Austrian marque in the Constructors’ fight.

Now it’s on to the Grand Prix race. Martin has a seven-point lead over Bagnaia and most definitely kept that momentum rolling, but he’s got to do it for full GP distance on Sunday… and starts sixth once again.

MotoGP Sprint Race Results

MotoGP Rider Quotes

Luca Marini – P2

“A great Sprint and a nice pole position, I’m happy. I gave my best, I tried not to miss the opportunity, despite the pain. I had trouble when braking and then in left turns. It wasn’t easy, but starting from the front and racing with the leaders definitely helped me. For the GP I will have the long lap and then the rear tire to manage, but we won’t give up and we’ll try anyway. At the end I felt good, Jorge started to lose something in performance, but I lost the rear for a moment and had to recover. I’m not complaining and I’m enjoying this moment. Tomorrow will be a different and probably more complicated race.”

Marco Bezzecchi – P3

“I’m very happy, I can’t say anything else. Last Saturday I slept in the hospital waiting for the surgery and today I’m on the Sprint podium. I would never have said it and it would not have been possible without the support of the whole Team, Doctor Porcellini’s crew, my coach Carlo, our physiotherapist Christian and my whole family. The overtaking on Maverick was exciting. I closed my eyes because on the first attempt I couldn’t close well with the handlebars, I was in too much pain, and I made a mistake. The race was tough, especially at the end: at the start, the first 6 laps I would say, I felt good, as if nothing had happened. Then I started having pain in my shoulder, but also in my neck and back. Now we need to rest and look at the data. I will choose the same tire as the others tomorrow, I will put all my racing spirit into it. I’ll have to admit, I’m joking of course, but champagne is a great pain killer!”

Fabio Quartararo – P5

“Of course, it‘s always nice to be towards the front, to see the first guys. Unfortunately, I couldn‘t fight, but I had to stay calm, try to give my 100%, and this is what we did today. I tried to put up a fight with Jorge Martin, but he was faster, so it was only a matter of when he would be able to get away.”

Fabio Di Giannantonio – P6

“I’m extremely happy, this is my so far best result in Moto GP as well as the smallest gap ever to the lead at the chequered flag. We had a great pace and honestly speaking I was and expecting this after FP3. We made a great step forward, too bad for the two mistakes at the beginning of the race that made us lose touch with the first group, but I’m still happy. We put together an excellent performance and now we need to work for tomorrow; I hope the shoulder will allow me to race at full potential. We’re still not 100% fit but we aim at a repeat performance.”

Jack Miller – P9

“I lit-it-up a bit at the start. I had a great jump but then she started to spin-up and I had to really feed the gas in. I was able to recover from that but it was really hard to pass. I forced it too much into Turn 1 at one point, and with the softer tire it just locked. So that was a learning experience here. I managed to stay on and make up some ground with some decent laps. I was happy with my pace but obviously we want a bit more than 9th. We have some good foundations for the race tomorrow.”

Miguel Oliveira – P10

“We definitely made a step forward during the Sprint race today in comparison to the Qualifying this morning. I felt better with the bike in the race. So, for tomorrow, I’m feeling confident, I just have to make a good start and gain as many positions as possible straight from the first lap onwards.”

Takaaki Nakagami – P11

“Honestly, I’m quite happy. We nearly got to the points, but the main thing is that I’ve felt better after some small changes in the balance of the bike. Now, I’ve got more confidence when turning, and I believe we are on the right path. Let’s keep pushing!”

Augusto Fernandez – P13

“The race was OK but it was a really tough quali. The lap-time was alright but I’m not happy because everything was so tight and 18th was all we could do. Still, it was positive that we could feel some improvements. At the start of the Sprint I was looking for places and opportunities to pass and then afterwards, like always, the race pace was pretty good. Not perfect overall, but if we can make another small step for tomorrow then we can ride to the top ten.”

Raul Fernandez – P14

“Today was much better. I enjoyed riding the bike again. We went back to my normal setting and I was competitive again. But when you don’t start in a good position in MotoGP, it’s difficult to fight. I take the positive from today, I saw that if I have a free track I can do really competitive lap times. For tomorrow, I have to focus on how to overtake the other riders. I realised at this track and with the hot temperatures, it was quite difficult to overtake and this is something we need to understand for the future. But, I am happy that we know where we have to improve.”

Franco Morbidelli – P15

“We messed up our weekend when we didn‘t manage to get into Q2 directly, missing out by 0.3s yesterday, and today by 0.2s. With the lap time I did in Q1, I could have started sixth if I had been in Q2, but instead I started from fifteenth. With fourteen bikes in front of you in this heat, you can‘t do much. The temperature of the tyres goes sky-high, and the bike becomes more difficult to ride.”

Joan Mir – P16

“Today was not what we were expecting to be honest. After the feeling we had yesterday, I thought we had the potential to go into Q2 but today I arrived at the limit quite early. In the Sprint Race, I was trying very hard to recover but I couldn’t ride exactly how I wanted in the first laps because we were battling. Once I found a bit of clean air and free space, I was pleased with my lap times which were similar to the top six. Tomorrow will be a tricky day, at the end of the race today it was difficult to finish because the tyre temperatures were very high.”

Pol Espargaro – P17

“Not so much to say. I had quite a few problems during the weekend to find the turning that I want and using the harder tyre compound meant it was extra tricky. I was in a small group of guys during the Sprint but then I went wide and lost all the spots. Here, when you run wide, you don’t lose half a second, it is more like three because coming back onto line you have to be careful with the dirty tires. We’ll try again tomorrow.”

Alex Rins – P18

“I can’t deny it; it’s been a hard race. To finish the Sprint was the next step, and we’ve done it; that means we are closer to our goal, which is to recover and return to my performance and I’m working hard to feel better every day. I want to thank the team for the job done”.

Brad Binder – P19

“Nothing too serious and nothing to say. My start was pretty decent but it is very difficult to overtake here; the line is very narrow and if you go too far off it then the track becomes very slippery. Unfortunately, I got collected and that was it. This track is a bit special. If you do want to make moves then you have to take a bit of a risk. I felt really good out there and the hard tyre was eventually working well. My lap-times after the crash, and without wings, were good so we’re optimistic for tomorrow.”

Marc Marquez – DNF

“Our race was very short today; I lost the front at Turn 11 on the first lap. It’s a shame to finish the race so early because normally in the first laps I am very strong. We took a risk in the first laps and this is what can happen. The negative is that we didn’t finish the race and miss some information about how the tyres behave but the positive point is that we save our physical condition for the race tomorrow which will be a very long and hard race physically. Tomorrow it will be a tough race, the aim is the top 12.”

MotoGP Championship Points

MotoGP Qualifying

Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) really chose his moment to take a stunning maiden MotoGP pole. Aprilia came into super Saturday looking for a 1-2, reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) sought passage from Q1, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) looked to capitalise and Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) seemed like he could make life even more complicated for those just ahead of him in the Championship fight. But no, Saturday morning belongs to Marini as he emerged drama free from Q1 to take that impressive pole position.

Luca Marini – Pole Position

“I knew I was fast, already in India we had taken a step forward with the bike and I felt good. Yesterday something didn’t go right, but this morning we managed to resolve some of the problems and I rode well in all the sessions. In Q1 especially and then in Q2 with the new track record. I’m happy, even if it’s a real shame not to be at 100% physically: on the long run in the race, I don’t know what kind of resistance I’ll have. For the Sprint I will try, let’s work hard and bring home this small achievement of the first pole.”

Aprilia were denied their 1-2 but complete the front row, continuing to look incredibly strong as Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) takes second and Aleix Espargaro third.

Jorge Martin will start from sixth after a crash mid-way through Q2. Marco Bezzecchi crashed earlier in the session and could only recover to ninth. Bagnaia, meanwhile, starts in P13 after missing the cut in Q1 for the first time this season.

MotoGP Qualifying Results

Moto2 Qualifying

As ever, it was a close affair in Moto2 as the riders took to the Mandalika Circuit to decide the grid ahead of Sunday’s racing action. But this time around, it was CLOSE. Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) put himself in the perfect position as he still seeks to take his first victory in the class. The Spaniard’s 1:34.155 put him just +0.003s clear of his compatriot Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46) who was lighting up the timing screens in the closing moments.

Just +0.019s covered the top three in Q2 as Filip Salač (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2) put in a stellar performance to take the final front-row spot, and it’s 0.071 covering the top FIVE.

Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) missed out on a front-row start by just +0.024s as he took P4. The newly signed 2024 MotoGP rider will be joined by Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) and Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) on row two.

Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) bagged 7th place to head row three in front of his fellow Brit Sam Lowes (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team) and Zonta Van Den Goorbergh (Fieten Olie Racing GP), with title challenger Tony Arbolino (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team) taking a trip to the gravel trap and only rounding out the top ten.

Moto2 Qualifying Results

Moto3 Qualifying

Qualifying at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia went the way of Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) as the number 10 put down a 1:39.085 to top Q2 and take his first pole of the season. Championship leader Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) put in a clinical performance to bag another front row as he looks to increase his lead, however, and rounding out the front row will be David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) who ended the session +0.225s away from pole position in 3rd.

From one rookie to another, Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) just missed out on the front row by 0.053s as he’s set to head row two ahead of Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia). Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) fronts row three in 7th place as he’s joined by Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team), with David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) rounding out the top 10.

So where’s Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui oly Husqvarna Intact GP)? It was a tougher day at the office for the Japanese rider, currently second in the standings, and he’ll be looking to move forward from P11.

Joel Kelso will start from 13th on the grid and will be in with a shot at the podium if he gets away well on Sunday.

Moto3 Qualifying Results

Indonesian Grand Prix Schedule
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2023 MotoGP Calendar