Recap of the 2025 Indonesian Grand Prix: Highlights and Low Points

The 2025 Indonesian Grand Prix will be remembered for its thrilling moments and unfortunate incidents. This event marked a significant milestone for a rookie rider who displayed remarkable potential throughout the season, ultimately securing his first victory in a dominating performance. The race was filled with excitement and action, reminiscent of a Moto3 showdown. However, the exhilarating atmosphere was somewhat marred by an unfortunate collision involving Marc Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi, which resulted in Marquez suffering a shoulder fracture. While the factory Ducati team arrived in Mandalika celebrating Marquez’s championship achievement, they left feeling disheartened after experiencing their first double DNF (Did Not Finish) of the season.

The Star of the Race: Fermin Aldeguer

Fermin Aldeguer, representing Gresini Racing, showcased his exceptional speed and skill, solidifying his reputation as the standout rookie of the 2025 season. Throughout the weekend, Aldeguer exhibited consistent performance, with the exception of a minor crash in FP1. He emerged as the fastest Ducati rider by a significant margin, outpacing his teammate Alex Marquez, who struggled with crashes during qualifying.

While other Ducati riders grappled with the new, stiffer rear tire carcass at Mandalika, Aldeguer’s riding style enabled him to effectively utilize Michelin’s rear tire even in low-grip conditions. During Saturday’s sprint race, he held off challenges from a recovering Bezzecchi and fought valiantly despite the limitations of his GP24 in comparison to the Aprilia. In the main event, Aldeguer patiently followed Pedro Acosta before making a decisive move to take the lead at Turn 10, the same corner where he had previously lost to Bezzecchi in the sprint. At one point, he built a lead exceeding nine seconds, becoming the second youngest winner in MotoGP history, just behind the legendary Marc Marquez.

Gresini Racing deserves commendation for maintaining Ducati’s reputation during a weekend when the factory team struggled to keep pace. Aldeguer attributed his success to the “tools” available to Gresini, which allowed the team to maximize their performance in the unique conditions of Mandalika—a notable achievement for a satellite team with significantly fewer resources than a full factory team.

Marc Marquez: A Weekend to Forget

Despite Marc Marquez’s hopes of turning his fortunes around in Mandalika and securing a podium finish, the weekend proved to be a disaster for the newly crowned 2025 MotoGP champion. His struggles began early, as he crashed twice during Friday practice, which forced him to enter Q1. While there was still optimism for improvement, qualifying revealed that he was not in contention for victory, as he could only secure ninth on the starting grid.

In the sprint race, Marquez faced a long lap penalty due to a relatively minor error that forced Alex Rins off the track. Although Marquez managed to rebound to sixth place after dropping to 13th, it fell short of the results he had aimed for. Unfortunately, the sprint race turned out to be the highlight of his weekend, as disaster struck early in Sunday’s race when Bezzecchi made a mistake at Turn 7, resulting in a collision that left Marquez visibly in pain. Subsequent medical assessments confirmed a shoulder fracture, a painful setback for the nine-time world champion just a week after making a remarkable comeback from injury.

Pedro Acosta Shines

Pedro Acosta, riding for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, demonstrated his ability to outperform his bike, achieving a significant result in the Indonesian GP despite criticism for not securing a win in nearly two seasons. The KTM was competitive but lacked the outright speed needed to claim second place on merit, especially with an Aprilia still in the race following Bezzecchi’s early exit.

Acosta showcased strategic intelligence during the race, opting to play the long game after realizing that victory was out of reach by lap eight. As Aldeguer sped ahead, Acosta skillfully manipulated the pace of the field, ensuring he conserved enough tire wear on his medium front tire. This allowed him to fend off challenges from Luca Marini and reclaim second position multiple times. His decision to slow down ultimately helped bring Raul Fernandez back into contention, leading to a clash that eliminated both Fernandez and Marini from podium contention.

Acosta’s performance peaked when he set his fastest lap on lap 24 of 27, highlighting his adept management of tire wear and pressures during the race, enabling him to finish as the runner-up behind Aldeguer. With Aprilia missing a likely victory, Acosta’s ability to capitalize on the situation allowed KTM to close the gap in the championship standings.

A Tough Weekend for Francesco Bagnaia and Ducati

Francesco Bagnaia endured a dismal weekend on the other side of the garage as the reigning champion. Just a week after his commanding victory in Japan, Bagnaia faced a new low in Mandalika, a disappointing turn of events that many did not foresee given his previous struggles prior to the Misano test.

Bagnaia’s challenges began before he even hit the track, as rumors circulated regarding his participation in testing Franco Morbidelli’s GP24 bike, potentially featuring a 2025-spec engine. Despite Ducati’s denials, the situation left Bagnaia in a difficult position, facing questions about the bike he tested without the ability to respond. In qualifying, he managed only a disappointing 16th place, a result not entirely surprising given his previous performances. However, his lack of speed during the race was shocking, consistently lapping over two seconds off the pace in the sprint. Unfortunately, Bagnaia’s race ended prematurely when he crashed at Turn 17, compounding his woes.

Bagnaia chose to skip his post-race media commitments, with Ducati attributing his absence to the consequences of his crash. However, team manager Davide Tardozzi later indicated that Ducati needed to “protect” a “sensitive” and “devastated” Bagnaia, hinting at deeper issues behind his withdrawal from the media.

Brad Binder’s Resurgence

Brad Binder, representing Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, had faced a challenging season by his own high standards, failing to break into the top five before the Mandalika round. The weekend initially did not bode well, as Binder qualified 15th among 20 riders, and his performance in the sprint race did not inspire confidence, finishing in 10th place, a staggering 13 seconds behind race winner Marco Bezzecchi.

However, a setup change during warm-up transformed Binder’s fortunes, instilling the confidence he needed in the front end of his bike. He capitalized on the chaotic start, moving up to eighth place within the first two laps, positioning himself well for the remainder of the race. Binder chose to preserve his tires during the first half of the race, a strategy that paid off handsomely as he began overtaking riders in the final laps, ultimately finishing in fourth place. His ability to match pace with Alex Marquez in the closing stages of the race further boosted his confidence as he heads into the final rounds of the demanding 2025 season.

Aprilia’s Disappointment: Marco Bezzecchi’s Error

This weekend was supposed to be a highlight for Aprilia, a chance to solidify their position in the championship. Despite previous successes in the season, the Indonesian GP presented a golden opportunity to showcase their dominance in MotoGP. Unfortunately, the team faced setbacks before the race weekend even began, losing Ai Ogura and Jorge Martin to injuries, leaving them with a reduced roster.

Despite these challenges, Bezzecchi’s impressive performance in qualifying, where he secured pole position with a remarkable four-tenths advantage, gave Aprilia hope. Although he stumbled at the start of the sprint, his subsequent victory during the race was thrilling, while Fernandez secured his first podium finish in any format in MotoGP. However, the grand hopes for a strong finish crumbled on Sunday when Bezzecchi’s poor launch from pole position led to an overeager maneuver at Turn 7, resulting in a collision that not only ended his race but also resulted in Marquez’s injury.

This miscalculation was a rare lapse in judgment for one of the season’s standout performers, and it cost Aprilia a likely victory in the process. The absence of Fernandez to capitalize on the situation on Sunday added to the frustration for the Noale-based team.

Alex Rins: A Silver Lining

While Alex Rins finished in 10th place out of 14 competitors, his performance throughout the weekend offered a morale boost. From the first practice session, Rins outperformed his Yamaha teammates, eventually qualifying fourth, marking his best result since winning the 2023 Americas GP.

Despite finishing 12th in the sprint race, Rins maintained a positive outlook, even after expressing frustration with Marquez’s maneuver that pushed him wide on the opening lap. In the main race, Rins executed an impressive move, overtaking both Fernandez and Marini simultaneously at Turn 17 when they tangled. Although his aggressive strategy ultimately backfired due to tire drop-off in the final laps, Rins’ ability to compete for podium positions was a significant step forward for a rider who has faced considerable challenges since joining Yamaha.

Honda’s Continued Struggles

Honda faced yet another disappointing weekend, despite having a bike capable of competing for a podium finish. Both factory riders had shown improvement, yet the team ultimately fell short, finishing with only a fifth-place result.

After Friday practice, Honda lost some speed compared to its competitors, with Marini securing sixth place as the top-placed RC213V. Mir, who had recently finished on