MANDALIKA, Indonesia, Oct 11 (Reuters) – Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi ruthlessly hunted down injured Raul Fernandez to win the Indonesian Grand Prix on Sunday, while Jorge Martin came in third to retake the championship lead from rival Marc Marquez.
Polesitter Fernandez, racing with fractured fingers sustained in a crash on Saturday, looked untroubled in the opening half of the race as he and Bezzecchi surged away from the chasing pack.
But the Trackhouse rider began to fade as the afternoon wore on, and a determined Bezzecchi finally pounced with nine laps remaining to seize the lead and secure victory, with Martin completing a podium lockout for Italian manufacturer Aprilia.
Bezzecchi’s win, the 300th victory for an Italian in MotoGP, also kept his faint championship hopes alive.
“I’m very, very happy to be back on the top step of the podium,” said the 27-year-old, who led the standings in the early stages of the season but has struggled in recent weeks.
“It was a nice, nice battle with Raul. I think we deserve a result like this, me and all my team, especially them, because they never stop working. They’ve been through tough times with me.”
A dejected Fernandez revealed the full extent of his injury after the race.
“Yesterday, when I crashed and I saw my hand, I knew before going to the clinic that I had my finger broken, the one that normally I used to brake,” the Spaniard said.
“This morning, when I woke up, I realised I don’t have one, but two fingers broken. No one knew. I tried to say nothing, just keep the pain for me and keep my focus on the race.
“This morning, I tried find a solution on the brakes, because I was not able to use the finger that I use normally. I started everything from zero. It was a very difficult job for me.”
MARTIN BACK AT THE TOP
The most exciting duel in the race took place behind the top three, with Marquez engaging in a thrilling back-and-forth with KTM’s Pedro Acosta.
Marquez had a strong start and swooped into third place in the opening lap, but his Ducati struggled to keep pace with the Aprilia machines around him, and a hard-charging Martin picked him off with ease in the third lap.
The defending champion was then quickly overtaken by Acosta, but for the second time in as many days, Marquez profited from tyre pressure issues for his opponent and was allowed back into fourth.
When Acosta was sure he would not receive a penalty, he once again locked horns with Marquez, but as they traded blows, Trackhouse’s Ai Ogura capitalised and moved past both riders to seal a first-ever 1-2-3-4 finish for Aprilia.
Martin, the 2024 champion, moved up to 355 points at the top of the championship standings, with Saturday’s sprint-winner Marquez on 353 points after finishing in sixth place – the first time he has completed a full race at the Mandalika circuit.
“The last few laps, I was struggling a lot with the tyres, physical condition, but I was able to finish on the podium, so really, really happy,” Martin said.
“We are still in the fight. We are still in the lead. It will be a tough championship, but I will give my all.”
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Jamie Freed)
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