BEZZECCHI WINS HISTORIC MANDALIKA GP AS MARTIN RECLAIMS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD

Marco Bezzecchi converted his Mandalika warm-up pace into victory in the Indonesian Grand Prix, his first win since Mugello in May. The Aprilia rider passed injured team-mate Raul Fernandez on lap 19 and pulled clear to win the 27-lap race by 4.260 seconds. Fernandez finished second, with Jorge Martin third. Ai Ogura took fourth, completing an Aprilia top-four sweep for the first time in MotoGP. The win was also the 300th premier-class victory by an Italian rider.

Fernandez led from pole, fending off Bezzecchi at Turn 1 despite a broken finger in his right hand. Bezzecchi said Fernandez was initially “much, much stronger,” making it difficult to stay with him. After settling into his rhythm, he chose to remain close without pushing too hard, hoping to have more in reserve late in the race. He made his move under braking on lap 19 and was never headed again.

The result was a turnaround after Saturday’s Sprint, when Bezzecchi and Fernandez collided on the opening lap and both crashed out. Bezzecchi said he was “super happy” to return to the top step after a difficult spell following his injury. “After the injury, the comeback wasn’t bad, but it was difficult to be back on the top step of the podium,” he said. “Fortunately, today we were able to do it.” Despite the victory, he said the weekend felt “more like a loss than a win.” He had bounced back from the Sprint crash to dominate Sunday’s race, but the weekend’s overall experience left him with conflicting feelings.

Marc Marquez initially ran third, but Martin moved up from sixth to pass him in the early stages and take the final podium position on lap three. Pedro Acosta also passed Marquez, who later regained fourth when Acosta had to manage tyre-pressure problems. Acosta passed him again, only for Marquez to retake the place on lap 17. Marquez eventually lost ground to Acosta and Ogura, finishing sixth; it was his first Grand Prix finish at Mandalika. Acosta was fifth, while Alex Marquez finished seventh.

Martin said he had expected to finish third, with Fernandez and Bezzecchi a step ahead. “I was trying to work on my style, work on my pace, and today I did my maximum. I am happy about that,” he said. He regretted missing the chance to win Saturday’s Sprint, adding: “This is racing, sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.”

Martin’s third place returned him to the championship lead, two points ahead of Marc Marquez, 355 to 353. Bezzecchi remains third on 309, 46 behind Martin, with five rounds remaining. Ogura moved into fourth in the standings, one point ahead of Acosta.

Martin said his tyre pressure had been set “too safe” after Saturday’s problems, leaving him “struggling a lot in the corners.” He called Sunday “a great day” and said: “We took back the lead, still five races to go, but I feel every time faster and faster to fight.” The podium was his third in a row with Aprilia, after second places in Austria and Japan. “I am confident that I will be fast in all the races to come,” he said.

Bezzecchi remained cautious about his title chances. “Honestly, it’s still far. I’m not the guy that stops believing,” he told TNT Sports, while acknowledging the fight would be hard. He said the result made him ready to work and give his best. “Let’s be positive and see you in Phillip Island.”