08:25
Martin wins
Martin wins the Mandalika sprint ahead of Marini and Marco Bezzecchi.
Francesco Bagnaia, Indonesian MotoGP, 13 October
2023 Indonesian MotoGP: Sprint race - LIVE UPDATES
Reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia is just 3 points clear of a charging Jorge Martin heading into Saturday's Sprint race at the Indonesian MotoGP.
Martin has outscored Bagnaia for the past seven races in a row and starts Saturday with an early edge over Bagnaia, who must take part in Qualifying 1 at Mandalika, a track where Miguel Oliveira took a wet victory in the inaugural 2022 event.
The circuit has been resurfaced (again) since last year’s race. There has been no prior MotoGP testing on the latest asphalt, while the extreme temperatures mean Michelin brings special heat-resistant stiffer construction rear tyres (as well as for the hard front).
Having slipped 54 points from Bagnaia, Marco Bezzecchi’s title hopes took another blow when he fractured his collarbone in a training accident last weekend, the same injury suffered by team-mate Luca Marini when he hit the back of Bezzecchi at the start of the Indian Sprint.
Undergoing surgery on Sunday, Bezzecchi returned on Friday and stunned with the third-fastest lap time.
Also attempting comebacks are LCR Honda’s Alex Rins (broken leg at Mugello), Lenovo Ducati’s Enea Bastianini (hand and ankle injuries at Catalunya) and Gresini Ducati’s Alex Marquez (fractured ribs in India).
However, Alex Marquez withdrew due to the pain after Friday’s FP1.
Marini and Bastianini both have a long lap penalty waiting to be served, for causing the multi-rider accidents that left them injured.
14 Oct 2023
08:25
Martinator on top
Martin is also your new MotoGP championship leader
08:20
Marini is not out of this as he's reduced Martin's lead to three tenths.
08:18
Lap11
Same move for Marini at turn ten as he moves up to second.
08:17
Martin has pulled the pin. His lead is nearly eight tenths already.
08:16
Lap9
Martin leads! Could a fourth consecutive sprint win be heading the way of the Spaniard. Vinales seems to be struggling for rear grip.
08:14
Lap7
Martin has just pulled back five tenths on Vinales as the battle for the lead seems to be imminent.
08:10
Martin is on an abusolute charge at the moment. He comes through on Marini at turn ten.
08:09
Lap5
Vinales currently leads Marini by a full second as Martin is now challenging the Mooney VR46 Ducati rider for second.
08:06
Lap2
Aleix Espargaro has taken out Brad Binder. The Aprilia lost the front at turn 16 before collecting the KTM rider.
08:04
Lap1
Marc Marquez has crashed. The eight-time world champion is down at turn 11 and is out of the race.
08:03
Maverick Vinales leads. The Aprilia rider comes through at turn two.
08:02
Lap1
And it's lights out in Mandalika.
08:01
A reminder that title contenders Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia start from 6th and 13 respectively.
08:00
The formation lap is underway at Mandalika.
07:46
Good morning and welcome to sprint raceday at Mandalika - we're just under 15 minutes away from lights out as Luca Marini starts from pole.
04:32
The injured Luca Marini takes pole position with a new lap record. Aprilia team-mates Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro will complete the front row.
Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi fumble their chance to fully punish Bagnaia for failing to make Qualifying 1, but will still start with a grid advantage over the title leader.
04:28
But Marini fights back again! He's the only Ducati rider in the top 5 and goes back to pole with the first sub 1m 30s lap of Mandalika!
04:27
Maverick Vinales leapfrogs team-mate Espargaro to move into pole position by 0.294s.
2mins to go.
04:27
The injured Luca Marini splits the Aprilia riders for second place. 3mins to go.
Marc Marquez becomes another rider to fall at Turn 16.
04:26
Martin is up to 4th, but Bezzecchi is yet to set a time.
04:23
Martin heads back out on track. Bezzecchi is still sat in the VR46 pits. Meanwhile, it's Aleix Espargaro on provisional pole from team-mate Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo.