RIVALS EXPECT APRILIA TO SET THE PACE AT MANDALIKA

Aprilia is being tipped as the team to beat at the Indonesian MotoGP, with rivals warning that its four riders could dominate at Mandalika.

The RS-GP was already quick there last year, when Marco Bezzecchi and Raul Fernandez qualified first and third and finished in the same positions in the Sprint. Bezzecchi looked set to win Sunday’s Grand Prix, but collided with Marc Marquez on the opening lap and both crashed out. The incident opened the way for Gresini Ducati rookie Fermin Aldeguer to take his first MotoGP victory.

This time, Aprilia arrives with all four of its riders available, including championship leader Jorge Martin. Luca Marini, who says he fought for the podium at Mandalika last year, expects the competition to have moved forward. “This year it will not be possible, because all the other competitors improved so much,” he said, setting a top-seven finish as a strong target. But he believes Aprilia’s strength could be decisive: “I think the four Aprilias will be unbeatable here.”

Marini also cautioned that Ducati will be difficult to keep behind. Marc Marquez, now two points adrift of Martin after winning both races at Motegi, is among the riders he expects to challenge, along with other Ducatis. “It will be tough to stay in front of them,” Marini said.

KTM’s Pedro Acosta likewise sees Aprilia as the pre-race favourite, while noting that its performance this weekend remains to be confirmed. He recalled Bezzecchi’s pace last year as “really scary” and said the Italian would likely have won by a substantial margin without his crash. Only two Aprilias competed then, with Martin and Ai Ogura injured; now, Acosta said, the team has four competitive bikes and Martin has made a step forward while fighting for the title.

“It's a good question mark if they will be that fast like last year,” Acosta said, but added that Aprilia is “the clear favourite” for now. The team’s previous Mandalika speed, its stronger four-rider line-up and Martin’s championship form have put the pressure on its rivals—though Marini’s warning about Ducati underlines that Aprilia’s expected advantage will still face a serious test.