Indonesia MotoGP pre-race stats

Words and images courtesy MGP

In 2022, motorcycle Grand Prix racing returned to Indonesia after a 24-break, finding a new home at Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit. The track opened in November 2021 and hosted WorldSBK and the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup before MotoGP made its debut in 2022. 

The track is one of 13 circuits that have hosted GP racing in Asia so far. The others are: Motegi (69 GP races), Sepang (68), Lusail (65), Suzuka (56), Shah Alam (21), Shanghai (12), Buriram (12), Istanbul Park (9), Fisco/Fuji (8), Sentul (6), Mandalika (6), Johor (3) and Buddh (3). 

The first Indonesian GP took place in 1996 at Sentul, which also hosted a Grand Prix the following year for the second and final time. At that first Indonesian GP in 1996, Mick Doohan (Honda) won in the 500cc class, ahead of Alex Barros and Loris Capirossi, who took his second premier class podium. The second Grand Prix at Sentul circuit in 1997 saw Tadayuki Okada take the first of his four wins in the premier class. 

Indonesia is one of the eight Asian countries to host a Grand Prix event (all solo classes) along with Thailand, Turkey, Japan, Malaysia, China, Qatar, and India. 

WINNERS AT MANDALIKA: 

Miguel Oliveira 1 (1 x MotoGP) – Francesco Bagnaia 1 (1 x MotoGP) – Somkiat Chantra 1 (1 x Moto2) – Pedro Acosta 1 (1 x Moto2) – Dennis Foggia 1 (1 x Moto3) – Diogo Moreira 1 (1 x Moto3). 

RACES AT MANDALIKA (6): 

2 MotoGP, 2 Moto2, 2 Moto3. 

FACTORIES AT MANDALIKA: BEST RESULTS 

Most wins: KTM 1 – Ducati 1
KTM: KTM won the first ever MotoGP race held at Mandalika in 2022, with Miguel Oliveira putting in a wet 

weather masterclass. 

Ducati: Ducati took the win at Mandalika in 2023 as Francesco Bagnaia made a historic charge from 13th on the grid. Ducati also have another podium here, with Johann Zarco finishing P3 in 2022. 

Yamaha: Yamaha have been on the podium at Mandalika twice, both thanks to Fabio Quartataro as he finished P2 in 2022 and P3 in 2023 – their most recent podium. Quartararo also took pole in 2022, which is also the most recent MotoGP pole for Yamaha. 

Aprilia: Aprilia’s best MotoGP result here is the second place taken by Maverick Viñales in 2023. Honda: Honda’s best MotoGP result at Mandalika is P9, scored by Alex Rins in 2023. 

5 riders on the grid have MotoGP podiums here: Quartararo (2), Bagnaia (1), Viñales (1), Oliveira (1), and Zarco (1). 

2 have taken pole: Quartararo (1) and Luca Marini (1). 

WHAT HAPPENS IF… 

900 – The next Italian rider to win in any class will take Italy’s 900th Grand Prix win.
250 – Aleix Espargaro is scheduled to make his 250th start in the premier class of GP racing. 

75 – If at least one Ducati qualifies in the top three, it will be the 75th consecutive race that a Ducati rider starts on the front row, a run that stretches back to Valencia 2020. 

61 – Ducati are on a streak of 60 consecutive GP races with at least one rider on the podium. If they take another this weekend, they will extend their own record to 61. 

29 – If Pedro Acosta, despite being the sole rookie in the premier class this season, scores 29 points or more at Mandalika, he will mathematically become the Rookie of the Year. 

20 – Pedro Acosta will be 20 years and 127 days old on Sunday. If he wins, he will become the second-youngest premier class winner after Marc Marquez (20 years 63 days old in Austin in 2013). 

12 – If Ducati win, this will be their 12th win in a row, setting a new personal record for the Bologna factory. 

8 – If Bagnaia wins, it’ll be his eighth win of 2024, making it his best premier class season in terms of wins. The last rider who won eight or more races in a single MotoGP season is Marc Marquez with 12 in 2019. Only Marc Marquez, Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo have won eight or more MotoGP races in a single season. 

7 – If a rider other than Martin, Bagnaia, Marc Marquez, Bastianini, Viñales or Aleix Espargaro wins the Tissot Sprint at Mandalika, 2024 will already have had more different Sprint winners than across the whole of THE 2023 season. 

6 – There are six full-time riders on the grid who could take their maiden MotoGP win this weekend: Acosta, Alex Marquez, Raul Fernandez, Luca Marini, Takaaki Nakagami and Augusto Fernandez. 

1 – Yamaha, Honda and Aprilia riders could give their factory a maiden premier class win at Mandalika. 

GP CAREER POINTS 

With 3953 points scored so far, Marc Marquez moves above Jorge Lorenzo (3946) into third on the list of riders with most points, behind Valentino Rossi (6357) and Dani Pedrosa (4207). 

ON THIS DAY… 

September 26th 

At the 1993 FIM GP held at Jarama, Alex Barros took the first of seven wins in his GP career. 

At the 1971 Spanish GP, MotoGP Legend Angel Nieto won the 125cc race to take his first world title in the class (and his third overall), ahead of Barry Sheene. 

September 27th 

At the 1987 Brazilian GP, MotoGP Legend Wayne Gardner won the 500cc race to become the first Australian premier class World Champion. 

At the 1970 Spanish GP held at Montjuïc, MotoGP Legend Barry Sheene made his GP debut in the 125cc class. He led the race before eventually crossing the line in second place behind Angel Nieto. 

September 28th 

At the 2008 Japanese GP held at Motegi, MotoGP Legend Valentino Rossi won the MotoGP race from fellow Legends Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa to clinch his eighth GP world title. 

At the 1997 Indonesian GP held at Sentul, Valentino Rossi won the 125cc race to set a record for most wins in 125cc/Moto3 in a single season (11). David Alonso can match this, in terms of the count alone, in 2024.

September 29th 

In 1991, Shah Alam held the first GP event in Malaysia, in which John Kocincki took his maiden win in the premier class. MotoGP Legends Wayne Rainey (who had already been crowned champion) and Kevin Schwantz missed the race due to injuries sustained in testing prior to the race. 

PREVIOUSLY AT MANDALIKA: 

#1 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) has one win here: 2023 from 13th on the grid, becoming the first rider to win a MotoGP race that started in the dry from 12th (or below) on the grid since the 2006 Turkish GP when Marco Melandri won from 14th. In 2022, he scored one point for his worst result across the line in 2022. 

#5 Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) has one podium in Mandalika, finishing P3 in 2022 for the first of his four podiums that season. In 2023, he finished P12 in the Sprint and crashed out on Sunday. 

#10 Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team) took his maiden pole position in MotoGP in 2023 in Mandalika and finished P2 in the Sprint before crashing out of the race after an incident with Brad Binder on Lap 2. He rejoined and served a Long Lap penalty given as a consequence of the Turn 1 collision in the Sprint in India, and then retired. He finished P14 here in 2022. 

#12 Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing)’s best result here is second place in 2023 after qualifying second, passed by Francesco Bagnaia with eight laps to go. 

#20 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team) has two podiums here: P2 in 2022 (after taking his most recent pole position) and P3 in 2023 (which is his most recent podium). Both are the most recent podiums and poles for Yamaha. 

#21 Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) qualified 12th in 2022 but was handed a three-place grid penalty for an infringement in a practice start procedure in FP3. He started from 14th (following M. Marquez’ withdrawal) and finished P7, for his best result from his two visits at the track. 

#23 Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) scored his best result at Mandalika in 2023, finishing P8 (his first race following his injury sustained earlier in Catalunya), despite dropping down to 21st on the opening lap. 

#25 Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing)’s best result here is P13 scored in 2023.
#30 Takaaki Nakagami (Idemistu Honda LCR) qualified 20th in 2023 but was P11 in the Sprint and GP (his 

best results here). 

#31 Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) took the win here in Moto2 in 2023, his most recent Grand Prix win, on his way to clinching the title. 

#33 Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) finished P6 in 2023 as the top KTM, his best result across two visits here. He crashed in the Sprint in 2023, taken out by A. Espargaro on Lap 2, rejoined and finished P19. 

#36 Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) qualified 18th in 2022 but finished P6 behind then teammate Alex Rins, his best result at the track so far as he crashed out last year. 

#37 Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3)’s best result at Mandalika is P5, scored in Moto2 in 2022. He crashed out in his first MotoGP race here in 2023 while sitting in 15th. 

#41 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) finished P9 in 2022, which is his best result on two visits to the track so far. He qualified P3 here in 2023 but crashed in the Sprint, taking Binder down with him, before he eventually retired. He finished P10 in the GP race. 

#42 Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team) finished P5 here in 2022, his best result at the track. In 2023, he came back from his leg and finished P9 in the race as the top Honda. 

#43 Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) fought with Oliveira for the win in the early stages of the race in 2022, but eventually finished P4 as the second Ducati behind Zarco, for his best result so far at the track. 

#49 Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) was P4 in 2023, his best MotoGP result at the time. 

#72 Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) qualified ninth here in 2023, finished P3 in the Sprint (his most recent Sprint podium) and P5 on Sunday (his best result at the track so far). 

#73 Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP)’s best result at Mandalika is P13 scored in 2022. In 2023, he withdrew from the Grand Prix after the first session due to a rib injury sustained in a crash at the Indian GP. 

#88 Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) has one win here, putting in a wet weather masterclass in 2022 after qualifying seventh. He finished P12 in his first race at Mandalika with Aprilia. 

#89 Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) took the Sprint win here in 2023 but has failed to score in the two MotoGP GP races held at Mandalika, crashing out at Turn 1 in 2022 and in 2023, after leading the first 12 laps. 

#93 Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) crashed in Warm Up in 2022 and withdrew from the race. In 2023, he qualified P8 as top Honda but crashed out in the Sprint and race. Mandalika is one of four tracks where Marquez has raced and not won in the premier class so far along with Portimao, the Red Bull Ring and Buddh.