Raúl Fernández will start the Indonesian MotoGP Grand Prix from pole position. At the Mandalika International Circuit, the Trackhouse Aprilia rider claimed his first pole in the premier class, confirming the strong pace he had already demonstrated during Friday’s practice sessions. Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio will join him on the front row, while Marc Márquez and Jorge Martín qualified fourth and fifth respectively.
Fernández secured pole with a lap time of 1:28.852, finishing 0.109 seconds ahead of Bezzecchi. The factory Aprilia rider had set a competitive benchmark during his opening run but was unable to complete a final flying lap after yellow flags were displayed in the closing stages of the session. Di Giannantonio qualified third, emerging as the fastest Ducati rider, 0.196 seconds off the pole time.
The second row will bring together the two main contenders in the World Championship battle. Márquez finished fourth, just 0.034 seconds ahead of Martín, with the pair also engaging in a tactical contest during qualifying.
The Ducati rider attempted to follow Martín’s Aprilia to benefit from his reference points on track. After being informed by his team that Márquez was following him, Martín slowed down in an attempt to create some space. Márquez responded by doing the same, leading to a tactical standoff before their final flying laps.
Both riders eventually improved their times but were unable to challenge for a front-row position.
With just two points separating Martín and Márquez in the championship standings, the Indonesian weekend represents another important stage in the title fight. Starting positions could prove particularly significant at Mandalika, where overtaking requires precision and effective tyre management.
Fermín Aldeguer completed the second row in sixth place despite suffering a crash during the session. The Spaniard had progressed through Q1 alongside Ai Ogura, who went on to qualify seventh. The Japanese Trackhouse rider was forced to contest Q2 with only one motorcycle available following an incident in the opening qualifying session.
Álex Márquez secured eighth place, ahead of KTM rider Pedro Acosta. Further down the order, Francesco Bagnaia struggled to find the pace needed to challenge the leading group. The Ducati rider will start from tenth, ahead of Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo, who qualified twelfth aboard his Yamaha.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu also featured in Saturday’s qualifying session after returning to action following the shoulder dislocation he suffered during free practice. The Turkish Pramac Yamaha rider managed to participate despite the injury, finishing nineteenth.
The Mandalika qualifying results underline Aprilia’s competitiveness, with three motorcycles inside the top five and four among the top seven. For Fernández, the result represents a significant milestone in his MotoGP career, achieved after a session in which he successfully extracted the maximum performance from his RS-GP.
The Spaniard will have his first opportunity to convert pole position into a race result during the 13-lap Sprint. For Márquez and Martín, meanwhile, gaining positions in the opening corners will be crucial as the championship battle continues at a circuit that could play an important role in shaping the title race.