Marco Bezzecchi wins Indonesian Grand Prix as Aprilia sweep top four
Marco Bezzecchi, Raúl Fernández and Jorge Martín arrived at Mandalika with the championship battle continuing to intensify, as Marc Márquez took the lead of the standings following Saturday’s dramatic Sprint.
After Márquez claimed victory in the Sprint, Martín dropped to fourth after a late mistake, leaving the pair separated by just four points heading into Sunday’s race. Bezzecchi and Fernández, meanwhile, were looking to bounce back after their first-corner collision ended both of their Sprint races.
With Fernández starting from pole despite suffering a fractured finger in Saturday’s incident, and Bezzecchi alongside him on the front row, the stage was set for another dramatic battle at the Indonesian Grand Prix. Here's everything that unfolded at Mandalika
Sprint Report
Marc Márquez took a dramatic Sprint victory at the Indonesian Grand Prix, reclaiming the championship lead after a chaotic opening lap and a late twist that saw Jorge Martín drop from the lead to fourth.
Raúl Fernández started from his maiden MotoGP pole position, with Marco Bezzecchi alongside him on the front row. However, the race took an immediate turn at Turn 1, when Bezzecchi was caught up in an incident involving Marc Márquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio, sending both Bezzecchi and Fernández into the gravel and ending their races.
Martín capitalised on the chaos to move into the lead, with Márquez following closely behind. The Aprilia rider looked comfortable at the front and began to establish a gap, putting himself in a strong position to take a valuable Sprint victory.
However, Márquez kept the pressure on as the laps progressed, staying close enough to challenge Martín for the lead. With five laps remaining, Martín suddenly sat up and allowed Márquez through, with concerns over tyre pressure appearing to influence the decision.
Márquez took full advantage, moving into first place as Martín tucked in behind him. The Aprilia rider looked poised to fight back, but his race unravelled on the penultimate lap when a mistake sent him down the order.
Ai Ogura moved into second as Martín dropped to fourth, while Di Giannantonio secured third after recovering from the opening-lap incident that had eliminated his fellow front-row starters.
Márquez held on through the closing stages to take the chequered flag, finishing 0.509 seconds ahead of Ogura, with Di Giannantonio completing the podium.
The victory proved particularly significant in the championship battle. After closing the gap to Martín at Motegi, Márquez moved four points clear of his rival to take the championship lead for the first time this season.
For Martín, what had looked like a comfortable victory turned into a costly result, while Bezzecchi's retirement dealt another blow to his title hopes. Ogura, meanwhile, enjoyed an excellent result for Trackhouse Aprilia with second place, adding another podium to his growing collection.
Race Report
Fernández made a strong start from pole position, but Bezzecchi immediately challenged the Spaniard into the opening corner. The Italian ran deep into Turn 1, allowing the Trackhouse rider to regain the lead, while Márquez also looked to make progress from fourth on the grid.
Martín, meanwhile, struggled off the line and dropped from fifth to sixth. However, the Aprilia rider quickly began working his way forward, passing Fabio Di Giannantonio before moving into fourth following Fermín Aldeguer’s crash at the end of Lap 2.
Martín then caught Márquez and passed his championship rival on Lap 3 to move into the podium positions. The Spaniard was unable to match the pace of the two riders ahead, however, as Fernández and Bezzecchi began to pull away from the chasing pack.
Fernández initially established a lead of almost a second, but Bezzecchi gradually closed the gap. By Lap 9, the Italian had reduced the deficit to around half a second, setting up a battle that would continue throughout the middle stages of the race.
The pair traded fastest laps as Bezzecchi continued to put pressure on the race leader. Fernández repeatedly responded to the challenge, but the factory Aprilia rider appeared to have the stronger pace as the race progressed.
Behind them, Martín maintained third place, while Márquez found himself under pressure from Pedro Acosta. The Ducati rider also lost ground to Ai Ogura as he struggled to match the pace of the Aprilia riders and the KTM.
The decisive moment came on Lap 19 when Bezzecchi made his move into Turn 1. Having spent much of the race shadowing Fernández, the Italian finally found a way through and took the lead.
Fernández ran wide at the same corner, allowing Bezzecchi to open a gap of more than a second. With the Trackhouse rider unable to mount a response, the factory Aprilia rider began to pull away and put himself in control of the race.
Bezzecchi went on to take the chequered flag with a winning margin of 4.2 seconds, securing his first Grand Prix victory in five months. It was also Aprilia’s first MotoGP win since the British Grand Prix in August.
Fernández crossed the line in second place, an outstanding result given the injury he sustained during Saturday’s Sprint. Having secured his first MotoGP pole position earlier in the weekend, the Spaniard once again demonstrated his pace once again to claim a well-deserved podium.
Martín completed the top three, ensuring Aprilia secured all three podium positions. The result also carried major championship implications, with the Spaniard reclaiming the lead of the standings from Márquez.
Ogura completed an Aprilia 1-2-3-4 by passing Acosta on the penultimate lap. Acosta finished fifth, ahead of Márquez in sixth, while Álex Márquez took seventh for Gresini.
Di Giannantonio finished eighth after starting on the front row, with Fabio Quartararo ninth for Yamaha and Enea Bastianini rounding out the top ten for Tech3.
The result leaves Martín two points ahead of Márquez in the championship standings, with Bezzecchi 46 points behind the leader. With the title fight finely balanced, the next round in Australia could prove crucial as the season moves towards its conclusion.
Don’t forget to tune in for the next race at Phillip Island, Australia on Sunday, 25 October 2026, at 5:00am BST!
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