MotoGP’s title fight has arrived in Indonesia with Jorge Martín and Marc Márquez separated by just two points.
The Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia takes place this weekend at the Mandalika International Circuit on Lombok, with Saturday’s Sprint followed by the main Grand Prix on Sunday.
Márquez beat Martín at Motegi last weekend to complete a Sprint and Grand Prix double, cutting what had been a 12-point championship deficit to two. Martín admitted afterwards that Márquez “had something else” during the Japanese weekend. Mandalika gives him an immediate chance to respond.
Márquez faces Mandalika test
Mandalika has not been kind to Márquez, who has yet to finish a Sunday MotoGP race at the circuit. Aprilia has shown plenty of pace in Indonesia. Raul Fernández set a new lap record during Friday practice before taking his first MotoGP pole on Saturday with a 1:28.852.
Marco Bezzecchi starts alongside him in second, with Fabio Di Giannantonio completing the front row. The championship contenders share row two. Márquez qualified fourth, with Martín immediately behind him in fifth, putting the pair together for the start of Saturday’s Sprint.
There is also a tyre angle worth watching. Márquez has previously struggled with the stiffer Michelin rear casing used at certain circuits, including Mandalika, something we looked at earlier in the season.
How to watch the Indonesian MotoGP
The Sprint and Grand Prix both start at 3pm local time, meaning an early start for viewers in the UK and United States.
| Session | UK | US Eastern | US Pacific |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprint – Saturday | 8am BST | 3am ET | 12am PT |
| Grand Prix – Sunday | 8am BST | 3am ET | 12am PT |
UK viewers can watch the Indonesian MotoGP live on TNT Sports, with streaming available through HBO Max.
MotoGP’s own VideoPass also carries live coverage of the weekend, including the Sprint and Grand Prix.
The championship could look very different by Sunday afternoon. With Martín and Márquez starting together on row two and only two points between them, Mandalika offers the first chance to see whether the momentum from Motegi carries into another race weekend.
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