Mandalika never fails to provide a spectacle when MotoGP is in town. There’s been some iconic moments over the years, from Miguel Oliveira’s rain-soaked masterclass in 2022, to Fermín Aldeguer’s maiden premier class victory in 2025. And then there’s Marc Márquez’s “Mandalika Curse”, with the Spaniard having never achieved a win at the Indonesian circuit.
There was no shortage of thrills and spills in this year’s Sprint, as Marc Márquez defied the odds to take victory and finally breaking the curse.
Opening Lap Drama
As the lights went out in Mandalika, it was a good start for the front row of Raúl Fernández, Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio. Marc Márquez launched well from the second row and they were almost four abreast going into the first corner. As Marc squeezed up the inside of Bezzecchi, the Aprilia rider had a moment of hesitation that put him directly in the path of Fernández.
Fernández went into the back of Bezzecchi’s bike, taking them both down and out of the race. Amidst the chaos, Jorge Martín took the perfect inside line and put himself in the lead of the race. It was a masterclass of a move, and he was now free to try and break away from Márquez.
At the start of the second lap, it was Martín leading from Márquez, Ai Ogura, Pedro Acosta and Fabio Di Giannantonio. The yellow flags were still out at Turn 1, giving Martín some breathing room from the Ducati that was chasing him down. Martín set the fastest lap of the race with a 1:30.100, before going even faster with a 1:29.889 the following lap. Meanwhile, Di Giannantonio managed to make a neat pass to snatch fourth position from Acosta.
The Hunt Continues
As Di Giannantonio caught up to Ogura and began scrapping for the final podium spot, there were some moves being made further down the order as well. Fabio Quartararo, who had been showing good pace so far this weekend, managed to get his Yamaha into ninth and was starting to bear down on Francesco Bagnaia.
In the battle for third, fourth and fifth, there was a tight cluster of bikes as Ogura Di Giannantonio and Acosta made their way around the track. On Lap 9, there was confusion as Martín was seen looking over his shoulder. He ran wide at Turn 4, which allowed Márquez to sweep past and take the lead. It was then mere moments before the trio of Ogura, Di Giannantonio and Acosta were also right on the back of the Aprilia.
Acosta was handed a Long Lap Penalty on Lap 9, which he quickly served on Lap 10. This allowed the Gresini of Álex Márquez to move up into fifth. The front-runners were now starting to bunch up, with Marc Márquez just ahead of Martín, Ogura and Di Giannantonio.
It’s Not Over Until It’s Over
With three laps to go, Marc knew he still had plenty of work to do if he wanted to secure that elusive win and break the Mandalika curse. Fortunately for him, Martín’s woes weren’t over yet. The Aprilia rider ran wide at Turn 10 and then again in the final corner. Whilst he managed to recover, it gave Márquez some vital breathing room.
At the end of the penultimate lap, Martín went very wide through the final corner and onto the paint. Ogura and Di Giannantonio wasted no time in taking full advantage of the situation. The pair went sailing past the title contender with ease as they started their final lap.
As the chequered flag waved, it was a moment of relief for Márquez. The curse was gone. He had finally achieved his first win in Indonesia. In doing so, he also took back the championship lead. Márquez was joined on the podium by Ogura in second and Di Giannantonio in third. Martín had to settle for fourth, whilst Álex Márquez held on to fifth.
The Championship Battle Continues
As we prepare for Sunday’s Grand Prix, there’s some added spice to what has already been a close championship fight. Marc Márquez now leads Jorge Martín by four points, whilst Bezzecchi sits a further 55 points down in third.
Feature image courtesy of Ducati Media House