Marco Bezzecchi fastest as tempers flare in Mandalika MotoGP warm-up, Jorge Martin falls
Marco Bezzecchi led Raul Fernandez in MotoGP warm-up, but there was a confrontation in the practice start area and crash for Jorge Martin as Aprilia faced more drama at Mandalika.
Aprilia was back on top in Sunday’s MotoGP warm-up at Mandalika, with Marco Bezzecchi leading Raul Fernandez.
But it was another complicated session for the RS-GPs.
Pole-sitter Fernandez, who fractured his right index finger in Saturday’s Sprint clash with Bezzecchi, was trying to brake with his middle finger during warm-up.
The Trackhouse rider still had the speed, but was visibly struggling with his right hand.
Fernandez confronts Bezzecchi after warm-up
After Fernandez’s condemnation of Bezzecchi on Saturday evening, there was another hated exchange in the practice-start area after warm-up.
Fernandez turned around to gesture angrily at the Italian (presumably after a nudge on his rear wheel).
The pair will start first and second on the grid again this afternoon:
Jorge Martin falls
Bezzecchi topped the session by just 0.043s on his final lap, but factory team-mate and former title leader Jorge Martin ended the session in the gravel.
Martin, forced to surrender the Sprint lead due to tyre-pressure concerns, crashed at the same Turn 11 corner where he fell while leading the 2023 Indonesian Grand Prix.
Fortunately, the Spaniard, who now trails Marc Marquez by four points in the MotoGP World Championship, was unhurt in the 150km/h fall.
Marc Marquez "not looking for a podium"
Marc Marquez, who had not led a session this weekend until his Sprint victory, was in charge for most of the 10-minute warm-up as riders ran the soft front and medium rear tyre combination expected for the Grand Prix.
"The feeling in warm-up was good, but all Aprilia will be fast in the race, plus di Giannantonio and Acosta," said the Ducati star.
"We are not even looking for a podium. Mandalika is one of the most difficult tracks for us. Yesterday we saved in a very good way.
"Today, same mentality, do our maximum and try not to lose a lot of points to Martin especially."
Last year's winner Fermin Aldeguer made it two Ducatis in the top four, and said he felt great on the medium rear tyre in warm-up.
Martin slipped from third to fifth after his fall, finishing warm-up ahead of front-row qualifier and Sprint podium finisher Fabio di Giannantonio.
Ai Ogura, runner-up in the Sprint, was only 10th on Sunday morning. However, unlike his rivals, the Trackhouse Aprilia rider was using old tyres.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
