Raul Fernandez Claims Maiden MotoGP Pole Position at Mandalika

Raul Fernandez claimed a stunning maiden pole position during MotoGP qualifying at the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit in Indonesia. Riding his SuperFile Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP26 on the 4.30 km track, Fernandez clocked a blistering lap of 1:28.852 to top the 22-rider field.

Marco Bezzecchi secured the second spot on the front row with a time of 1:28.961 on his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26, while Fabio Di Giannantonio clinched the third and final front-row position with a 1:29.048 on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26.

The second row of the grid will feature Lenovo Ducati’s Marc Marquez (1:29.118), Aprilia Racing’s Jorge Martin (1:29.152), and Gresini Ducati’s Fermin Aldeguer (1:29.232).

Q1: Drama-Filled Qualifying Opener Sees Aldeguer and Ogura Advance

The opening 15-minute qualifying session was filled with drama and attrition. 2025 Indonesian GP winner Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) set an early benchmark, which was briefly beaten by Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) with a 1:29.729. Aldeguer quickly reclaimed the top spot by 0.090s before Ogura suffered a crash at Turn 12 in the closing stages. Despite the crash, Ogura secured a top-two finish to promote to Q2 alongside Aldeguer.

The session saw several high-profile crashes, including Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) at Turn 1, Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) at Turn 2, Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) at Turn 1, and Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) at the opening corner. In a remarkable display of resilience, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) qualified less than a second behind Aldeguer’s top time despite dislocating his right shoulder earlier in FP2.

Q2: Fernandez Flies to Pole as Title Contenders Miss Front Row

In the decisive Q2 session, the battle for pole position intensified. Marc Marquez initially led the charge, but Marco Bezzecchi fired home a 1:28.961 to take provisional pole. Raul Fernandez then delivered a masterclass lap of 1:28.852 to snatch pole position. Meanwhile, Fabio Di Giannantonio made a late leap to join Fernandez and Bezzecchi on the front row.

Title contenders Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez struggled to find their rhythm, shadowing each other and ultimately finishing in P4 and P5 respectively. A late crash by Aldeguer at Turn 16 brought out yellow flags, preventing further improvements. Ultimately, Fernandez secured his first MotoGP pole, with Bezzecchi and Di Giannantonio completing the front row.

The second row features Marc Marquez in P4, Jorge Martin in P5, and Fermin Aldeguer in P6. Ai Ogura recovered from his earlier crash to qualify in P7, ahead of Alex Marquez (P8) and Pedro Acosta (P9). Francesco Bagnaia, Franco Morbidelli, and Fabio Quartararo rounded out the top twelve in positions ten, eleven, and twelve respectively.

Coming Up: The Indonesia Sprint Race

With the top two in the championship standings starting off the front row, the stage is set for an intense afternoon of racing at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia. The Tissot Sprint is scheduled to begin at 15:00 local time, promising high-stakes action on the track.

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