Jorge Martín defends two-point MotoGP lead over Marc Márquez at Mandalika
The MotoGP World Championship arrives at the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit in Lombok for the Indonesian Grand Prix with Jorge Martín leading Marc Márquez by two points and six rounds left in 2026.
Two points separating championship leaders
The 2026 MotoGP season moves to the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit in Lombok for the Indonesian Grand Prix, the fifteenth stop of the campaign with six rounds remaining. Aprilia rider Jorge Martín enters the weekend leading the standings with 333 points, defending a two-point margin over Ducati rider Marc Márquez at 331 points. Márquez reduced the deficit after taking 37 points with a double victory in both the sprint and Sunday race in Motegi. Martín, who entered Japan with a 12-point buffer, took second place in the Grand Prix and extended a streak of top-five finishes to seven rounds. Marco Bezzecchi sits third with 284 points, 49 points behind his Aprilia teammate.
- Jorge Martín
- 333 points
- Marc Márquez
- 331 points
- Marco Bezzecchi
- 284 points
Márquez confronts difficult Mandalika record
The Indonesian Grand Prix marks Márquez's 300th start across all World Championship categories. A victory would make Mandalika the 23rd premier-class venue where he has won, matching Valentino Rossi. However, Márquez has never scored points in a Sunday race across four previous visits to the 4.3-kilometer circuit. A warm-up fall sidelined him in 2022, followed by an accident in 2023 and an engine failure in 2024. In 2025, a first-lap collision with Bezzecchi caused a right shoulder injury that disrupted his winter preparation.
Márquez addressed his record while previewing the weekend.
So I prefer not to think about the past with this circuit, because the relationship is not the best. The mindset is that this year will be different. It can help more or less, but the championship is neither won nor lost here in Mandalika. It is true that the more points you take, the better. So we will try to be as close as possible to the front, but to begin with we rule out nothing.
- Withdraws from Sunday race following a crash during warm-up
- Retires from the long race following a crash
- Fails to finish due to a mechanical issue
- Retires on the opening lap following a collision with Marco Bezzecchi
Aprilia pace and technical preparations
The Mandalika circuit features 11 corners and fast transitions regarded as favorable to Aprilia. Martín won at the venue in 2024 from pole position, having taken sprint victory in 2023. He missed the 2025 event due to a collarbone fracture sustained in Japan, making early preparation during sessions from 9 to 11 October essential. Martín identified tire compound management as the decisive factor for race setups, while anticipating that Ducati will steadily adapt.
Martín expressed confidence in his pace ahead of Friday practice.
I am very confident on the bike, every time I feel faster and it seems that there is the right solution for every problem. We are in great shape and we are experiencing an excellent moment. Every race is equally important, valuable points will be needed.
Paddock debates future weekend format
Riders in Lombok also evaluated the new MotoGP weekend format scheduled for 2027. The plan introduces separate Friday sprint qualifying, reduces practice time, and removes Sunday warm-up sessions. Pedro Acosta, who sits fourth in the championship 90 points behind Martín, warned that the schedule could shorten rider careers, an assessment Márquez endorsed during media duties. In the remaining standings, Acosta leads fifth-placed Ai Ogura by six points, while 2025 Mandalika race winner Fermín Aldeguer arrives in tenth place.
