MARQUEZ SAYS ACOSTA HAS DROPPED OUT OF MOTOGP TITLE FIGHT

Marc Marquez heads into the Indonesian Grand Prix just two points behind championship leader Jorge Martin, the narrowest gap between the top two at this point in a MotoGP season. The pair were level only two races ago, while Marco Bezzecchi, who led by 20 points after June’s Hungary Sprint, is now 49 points behind his Aprilia teammate Martin.

Pedro Acosta’s title hopes have also taken a hit. After the KTM rider won in Austria, Marquez said the championship fight involved four riders. Acosta arrived at Motegi 72 points off the lead, with 259 still available, and had been the third-highest scorer between Silverstone and Spielberg. But a Sprint-race retirement, caused by Alex Marquez, followed by seventh in the Grand Prix cost him ground when he needed to make gains.

Marquez now sees a smaller group at the front. “I think in Motegi it was a four-man race, and here it’s already down to three,” he told DAZN at Mandalika. “And little by little, hopefully we’ll get to that two-man fight in the future. But for now, it’s a three-man race.”

The remaining contest pits Marquez against Martin and Bezzecchi, both on Aprilias. Some observers consider the Aprilia a stronger package than the Ducati, and Trackhouse’s 164-point advantage over Gresini in the satellite-team standings has added to that view. Marquez, however, pointed to the difference between his bike and those of his two rivals as a potential factor.

“It’s a different bike from the one both of them have,” he said. “Obviously, it’s different fighting a championship against two riders who are on a different bike. But we’ll try to play to our strengths when the time comes.”

He added that outright pace remains essential to a title challenge: “In a championship, it’s the fastest one who calls the shots, the one with the most speed. And if you’re the smartest, you’ll be the best strategist and the one who manages the situation best. Without speed, you can’t do it, so we’re focused on getting the best speed out of our package.”

Marquez has never finished an Indonesian Grand Prix, and expectations are that he could lose points to Martin this weekend. But Fermin Aldeguer’s victory at the circuit in 2025 offers a reminder that Aprilia’s advantage is not assured.