2026 Indonesian MotoGP News—Friday
Controversial New Format Announced
MotoGP’s new format was introduced to both reduce track time and make the weekend easier to understand for new viewers, according to deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta.
The decision to introduce a separate 15-minute qualifying session on Friday afternoon for the Sprint, then a Q1 session with all 22 riders – 12 of whom progress to Q2 – to determine Sunday’s grid, and do away with Sunday Warm-Up, was largely unpopular among the MotoGP grid.
“We were approached by the teams in Misano about a revised schedule aimed at reducing the amount of track time,” said Ezpeleta. “Speaking to Michelin, they confirmed 80 percent of the riders actually do two time attacks on Friday afternoon. Then 12 riders do two time attacks in Q1, and another two riders do an extra two, and the other ones join them, so another 12 riders do another two time attacks for Q2.
“All of this is already happening. How do we use that to make it easier to understand for the fans, and for it to be actually less stressful for a number of the riders? Plus, ensuring the grid is different for the weekend’s two races allows them to have two opportunities and not be that much under stress on Friday afternoon,” Ezpeleta said.
Riders Protest
Numerous riders didn’t concur. Some saw the added stress of being in Q1 no matter the Friday performance as extra stress. Coupled with an already demanding schedule, many saw the chance for more injuries to increase.
“It doesn’t really matter what we think about it,” said Pedro Acosta. “But it will be a tough year because you know how much stress a rider has during a MotoGP weekend. It starts already on Wednesday with pre-events. Then there are many, many times that we will be in a really high stress level.”
Some weren’t bothered about Warm-Up being scrapped. Others, like Jack Miller, felt it was unacceptable. “You need a warm-up. Plain and simple. These bikes aren’t a Moto2 or Moto3. You need, first of all, to ride it. It also is a thing for the riders to get out there. We’re not in a car, this is the most physical, demanding motorsport there is.”
Time to unionize?
A common refrain on Thursday from the riders was disappointment at not being consulted over the changes for 2027. “Won’t change anything if we give our opinion,” said Alex Marquez. But surely the riders have a voice? Riders that attended the Safety Commission in Japan were told of the upcoming changes. Thing was, only four were present.
“It’s not a proper moment during the weekend, to sit everyone together and talk about that,” said Acosta. “Because in the Safety Commission it’s about safety, it’s not about these things. (Also) We’re skipping this because we have no time.”
Ezpeleta also said it was the Teams’ job to inform their riders. But with many rider changes coming for 2027, results were mixed. “We really asked the teams to speak to the riders, and there’s been mixed levels of that during the last couple of GPs. To be honest, with the change of so many riders, I think many teams have had different positions in terms of how they brought their riders in.”
Friday MotoGP
Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) set a new all-time lap record at Mandalika on Friday, leading an Aprilia 1-2-3 in practice for the Indonesian Grand Prix.
The Spaniard, fresh from his British Grand Prix victory, posted a 1:28.725 to finish 0.219 seconds ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), with championship leader Jorge Martin completing the top three. It marked the first time Aprilia had occupied all three positions in a MotoGP Practice session.
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was fourth, ahead of Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team). Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team) secured seventh, followed by Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), who completed the top 10 and secured provisional direct entry to Saturday’s Q2 qualifying session.
Friday’s session was marked by numerous crashes. Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) fell at the final corner before Quartararo crashed at Turn 9, with both riders returning to the track.
Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) suffered two falls, while Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) crashed at Turn 11, ending his session outside the top 10. Alex Marquez also fell late at Turn 16, while Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team) went down at the final corner.
Rins narrowly missed direct Q2 entry by 0.090 seconds in 11th, with Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) also missing the cut. Ai Ogura was 13th, ahead of Luca Marini, Aldeguer, Toprak Razgatlioglu, Moreira and Bastianini.
Fernandez and Bezzecchi were the only riders to break the 1:29 barrier, underlining their early pace as the field prepares for Saturday’s qualifying and Sprint.
2026 Indonesian MotoGP Results—Friday MotoGP
| 1 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP26) | 1’28.725s |
| 2 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | +0.219s |
| 3 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | +0.481s |
| 4 | Pedro Acosta | SPA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.669s |
| 5 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Ducati Lenovo (GP26) | +0.701s |
| 6 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP26) | +0.705s |
| 7 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.833s |
| 8 | Alex Marquez | SPA | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP26) | +0.847s |
| 9 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP25) | +0.968s |
| 10 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP26) | +1.061s |
Friday Moto2
Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) continued his winning form by setting a new all-time Moto2 lap record during Friday practice for the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika.
Fresh from victories in Austria and Japan, Guevara posted a 1:32.337 to lead the field by 0.231 seconds over Alex Escrig (KLINT Racing Team). Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) completed the top three despite encountering a technical issue late in the session.
Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) finished fourth, 0.259 seconds behind Guevara, setting up another potential battle between the title rivals. Gonzalez’s session was interrupted early when his visor came off during his out-lap, while a separate connectivity issue affecting parts of the circuit prompted a second red flag with just over 12 minutes remaining.
Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) secured fifth, ahead of Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) and Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team), with both riders among the 2026 race winners in the top seven.
Ayumu Sasaki (Momoven Idrofoglia RW Racing Team) recovered from a Turn 11 crash to take eighth and secure direct passage to Q2. Daniel Muñoz (Italtrans Racing Team) and David Alonso (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) completed the top 10.
Guevara’s record-setting pace puts the championship contender in a strong position heading into Saturday’s qualifying session.
2026 Indonesian MotoGP Results—Friday Moto2
| 1 | Izan Guevara | SPA | BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 (Boscoscuro) | 1:32.337s |
| 2 | Alex Escrig | SPA | KLINT Racing Team (Forward) | +0.231s |
| 3 | Daniel Holgado | SPA | CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team (Kalex) | +0.233s |
| 4 | Manuel Gonzalez | SPA | LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP (Kalex) | +0.259s |
| 5 | Senna Agius | AUS | LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP (Kalex) | +0.432s |
| 6 | Alonso Lopez | SPA | ITALJET Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) | +0.444s |
| 7 | Filip Salac | CZE | OnlyFans American Racing Team (Kalex) | +0.469s |
| 8 | Ayumu Sasaki | JPN | Momoven Idrofoglia RW Racing Team (Kalex) | +0.475s |
| 9 | Daniel Munoz | SPA | Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) | +0.499s |
| 10 | David Alonso | COL | CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team (Kalex) | +0.565s |
Friday Moto3
David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) narrowly beat Moto3 Championship leader Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) to top Friday practice at the Indonesian Grand Prix, setting up an intriguing weekend with the title potentially within reach for Quiles.
Almansa posted a fastest lap of 1:37.169, edging Quiles by just 0.088 seconds. The pair had a close encounter at Turn 16 during the session, adding another potential flashpoint to their championship battle.
Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP – MTA) was third, ahead of Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) and Ryusei Yamanaka (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI).
Several notable riders failed to secure direct passage to Q2. David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) missed the cutoff by just 0.009 seconds in 15th, while Gryd Racing teammates Joel Kelso and Eddie O’Shea both crashed at Turn 10.
Marco Morelli, Scott Ogden, Hakim Danish and Valentin Perrone will also face Q1 on Saturday.
2026 Indonesian MotoGP Results—Friday Moto3
| 1 | David Almansa | SPA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (KTM) | 1:37.169s |
| 2 | Maximo Quiles | SPA | CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (KTM) | +0.088s |
| 3 | Matteo Bertelle | ITA | LEVEL UP – MTA (KTM) | +0.258s |
| 4 | Alvaro Carpe | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | +0.389s |
| 5 | Adrian Fernandez | SPA | Leopard Racing (Honda) | +0.485s |
| 6 | Ryusei Yamanaka | JPN | AEON Credit- MT Helmets – MSI (KTM) | +0.616s |
| 7 | Brian Uriarte | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | +0.622s |
| 8 | Casey O’Gorman | IRL | SIC58 Squadra Corse (Honda) | +0.744s |
| 9 | Jesus Rios | SPA | Rivacold Snipers Team (Honda) | +0.813s |
| 10 | Guido Pini | ITA | Leopard Racing (Honda) | +0.814s |
