Jorge Martin Triumphs Amidst Drama at Indonesian MotoGP: Rider Ratings and Grand Prix Recap

Evaluation of Indonesian MotoGP Competitors: Honda's Leading Rider Scores 9/10

Assessment of All Competitors at the Mandalika Grand Prix

Jorge Martin overcame a tumble in the Indonesian Grand Prix sprint, securing a win in Sunday's primary race, thereby widening his lead in the championship standings.

On Sunday, the Pramac racer regained his 21-point advantage, which had been reduced to 12 by Francesco Bagnaia, when Martin fell during the sprint, inadvertently handing the victory to the world champion.

In Sunday's race, Bagnaia faced difficulties challenging Martin for a higher position, ultimately securing third place. His initial sluggish start and lackluster performance in the initial laps created a deficit too significant to overcome later on.

Pedro Acosta secured the second spot for Tech3 GASGAS, and subsequently, an inquiry into his tyre pressure concluded positively for him, as he was found not to have violated any rules.

Marc Marquez's quest for the championship appears to have abruptly ended due to an engine malfunction that forced him out of the grand prix. Similarly, Enea Bastianini's crash while in third place has all but dashed his chances as well.

Following an eventful weekend, Crash.net has evaluated and ranked the drivers.

Jorge Martin – 8

Riding for Pramac, Martin outperformed his competitors during the qualifying round, securing the pole position with a new lap record. His display during the grand prix was nothing short of remarkable. Right from the start, Martin led the pack, overcoming significant psychological stress due to past crashes at Mandalika and dealing with challenges from Acosta in the early stages of the race.

Warding off any possible challenge from Acosta, Martin secured his third grand prix victory of the year. This triumph was an ideal comeback after his tumble while leading the sprint, a mishap that once more underscored his propensity for crucial mistakes under stress. Had it not been for that fall, Martin could have achieved a flawless score. However, with so much now on the line, such mistakes could have severe consequences.

Pedro Acosta – 7

Acosta strongly believed that the Mandalika circuit would favor the KTM, expecting a strong performance. He impressively secured third place during the qualifying rounds on his Tech3-operated bike and finished a commendable sixth in the sprint race. In the main event, he quickly became the primary competitor to Martin, demonstrating once more that he stands out among the KTM riders when the motorcycle is performing optimally.

Challenges with the motorcycle that prevent him from achieving high speeds during sprints are currently being addressed, and making progress in the initial stages of the Grand Prix will serve as a solid foundation for securing strong finishes in the upcoming five races.

Francesco Bagnaia – 7

As the current world champion, Francesco Bagnaia was expected to have a stronger performance in Indonesia than what unfolded. Starting from Friday, he lagged behind his primary competitor for the title, and even his teammate, Enea Bastianini, appeared to be faster. However, he saw some improvement by Saturday, managing to secure a fourth-place qualification. A solid start during the race allowed him to advance to second position, taking advantage of Martin's mishap.

Bagnaia's performance on soft tyres wasn't the issue during the weekend. However, in the race, a poor start and overly cautious initial laps left him far behind in the fight for the win. While he managed to recover somewhat, it wasn't sufficient to challenge Martin, who was in exceptional form during the grand prix.

Franco Morbidelli – 6.5

Riding for Pramac, Morbidelli has shown a steadier performance recently, which was evident at Mandalika. Starting from ninth place in qualifying might not have been ideal, but securing fifth in the sprint and fourth in the grand prix was a solid outcome. Better qualifying could have possibly spared him from opting for the soft front tyre, potentially placing him closer to the podium contention towards the end. Nonetheless, his current performance is promising.

Marco Bezzecchi – 6.5

VR46's Bezzecchi showed great speed in the qualifiers, securing a second-place start even after a fall during Q2. However, similar to his performance in the San Marino GP, where he also started at the front, he wasn't able to convert this advantageous position into a podium finish. His aspirations were dashed in the sprint when an issue with his brake pads caused him to go off track at Turn 11. Despite this, he managed a strong performance in the main race using a soft front tyre, and finishing fifth was a commendable outcome.

Maverick Vinales – 6

Anticipations were higher for Vinales in Indonesia, especially considering his podium performances the previous year. Despite Aprilia's ongoing challenges with speed, Vinales emerged as the top performer among the RS-GPs. Starting from the 10th position, he managed to advance in both events, finishing seventh in the sprint race and sixth in the grand prix.

Fabio Quartararo – 7

Maintaining his impressive performance that began in the San Marino GP, Quartararo effortlessly advanced to Q2 on Friday. Despite a promising run in the sprint, a collision with Morbidelli relegated him to a 12th-place finish, highlighting the Yamaha’s deficiencies in competing directly with its adversaries. Initially facing difficulties in warming up the medium rear tires at the start of the GP, Quartararo managed to navigate through the field, ultimately securing a commendable seventh-place finish, underscoring the M1’s improved performance standard.

Brad Binder – 5

Binder's performance over the weekend was impacted by a technical problem with his bike that led to his early exit during the first qualifying session. An earlier fall during the second practice session had relegated him to the first qualifying round, culminating in a 13th-place finish in the sprint. However, he secured an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, aided in part by the high number of retirements in the race.

Johann Zarco – 9

Racing for LCR Honda, Zarco emerged as the top performer at the Indonesian Grand Prix, impressing right from the start. Although he just missed out on an automatic spot in Q2, he successfully advanced from Q1. Zarco qualified in seventh position and finished the sprint race in eighth, earning his first sprint race points of the season. He continued his strong performance by finishing ninth, marking the first time in 2024 that HRC scored points in both a sprint and a Grand Prix race. Among the Honda riders, Zarco was the standout, capitalizing the most on the improvements made to the bike since the Misano race.

Raul Fernandez – 5

As the only representative of Trackhouse this weekend due to Miguel Oliveira's absence caused by an injury, Fernandez did a commendable job in addressing the issues with the 2024 RS-GP. Successfully advancing from Q1, Fernandez secured the 11th spot on the starting grid. However, an unfortunate fall in the sprint race cost him a chance at scoring valuable points, but a 10th place finish in the grand prix, despite being far behind the leader, somewhat compensated for the earlier mishap.

Alex Rins – 3.5

Absent from the Emilia Romagna GP due to bronchitis, Rins faced a challenging comeback. His performance began decently on Friday, yet showed no advancement beyond that point. Starting 15th on the grid, he ended up 15th and at the back in the sprint, and concluded the grand prix 12th and last on track, lagging significantly more than 15 seconds behind his team-mate Quartararo. Clearly, Rins must discover ways to fully utilize the capabilities of the bike, similar to his team-mate.

Takaaki Nakagami – 3

Despite Honda showing noticeable improvement, which has positively impacted many of its racers, Takaaki Nakagami appears to be in a rut. The rider from Japan qualified 18th, finished the sprint race in 17th place, and crossed the finish line 11th in the grand prix. However, a penalty related to tyre pressure demoted him to 12th place. Nonetheless, this slight change in position is of little consolation to Nakagami, who had set his sights on breaking into the top 10 but struggled with a rear tyre that felt as slippery as ice at the beginning of Sunday's race.

Enea Bastianini – 5

The Ducati team's official rider entered the weekend with high expectations after topping the time sheets in Friday's practice sessions with a new lap record and showcasing pace on par with Martin. Despite this promising start, things didn't pan out as hoped. Finishing second in the sprint race brought him closer to Martin in the championship race, a positive outcome. However, the early stages of the race saw him struggling to get his medium rear tire up to temperature, setting him back and ultimately leading to a crash on the 21st lap out of 27, just when he was the quickest rider on the circuit. This incident has virtually dashed his championship aspirations, marking a disappointing conclusion to the weekend, especially following his impressive win at Misano 2.

Augusto Fernandez – 3

Fernandez had a shot at scoring in the grand prix until a late mechanical problem led to his withdrawal. Starting from the very back of the grid, his prospects for a significant outcome were slim unless unforeseen events occurred ahead. Nonetheless, he believes he was maintaining a strong pace before he had to bow out.

Joan Mir – 3

Facing ongoing problems with vibration when using new tyres, the Honda competitor qualified 20th and missed the sprint race. Mir, who has generally been slower than his Honda teammates, saw his race weekend conclude with yet another accident, bringing his season's crash count to 12.

Marc Marquez – 4

Marc Marquez, who hasn't seen himself as a genuine contender for the championship, remained in the race due to his recent performances, and the Indonesian Grand Prix presented a chance to close the gap on Martin. Despite not matching the pace of the front-runners on Friday, Marquez encountered his third consecutive qualifying session mishap, crashing twice in Q2, which relegated him to 12th place. He managed to bounce back impressively in the sprint race, securing a third-place finish. However, during the grand prix, he found himself battling on the outskirts of the top eight until his motorcycle failed. The performance gap between the GP23 and GP24 models is becoming more pronounced, and his chances over the weekends are increasingly being jeopardized by these costly qualifying accidents.

Fabio Di Giannantonio – 6

Despite not being in peak physical condition due to a shoulder dislocation suffered in Austria, Di Giannantonio felt quite discouraged on Friday, primarily because of the impact of his injury. Nonetheless, he managed to secure a direct spot in Q2, starting the race from the eighth position. He achieved a commendable ninth place in the sprint race. Remarkably, he was the sole rider to opt for a soft rear tire in the grand prix, a choice that paid off as he fiercely competed with – and eventually outpaced – Marc Marquez. Unfortunately, a fall prevented him from finishing in the top seven, yet his performance pace is a silver lining.

Aleix Espargaro – 3

Constantly expressing in Indonesia that he was “not at all competitive” on his Aprilia, Espargaro faced significant challenges in finding his rhythm. He started 13th after failing to secure a spot in Q2 and dropped to 16th in the sprint. His race ended abruptly, lasting only two corners before he got caught in a crash initiated by Jack Miller.

Alex Marquez – Incident Summary

Following a mishap on Saturday, Alex Marquez sustained a few bruises. Over the course of the weekend, he struggled to make an impact. Starting from the 14th position, he remained in the same spot during the sprint race and was involved in a collision at Turn 3 on the first lap of the Grand Prix. It was certainly a weekend that the Gresini team's rider would prefer to erase from memory.

Jack Miller – 2

Consistently facing challenges in extracting performance from the RC16, the KTM competitor hasn't seen much improvement over the past several races. Starting from the 16th position, he managed to push forward to 11th place in the sprint race, suggesting potential for a stronger showing on Sunday. However, despite the incident at Turn 3 during the grand prix being classified as a racing mishap, it was his mistake that initiated the multi-rider crash, squandering an opportunity for valuable points.

Luca Marini – 3.5

Following the peak experience at Misano 2, Luca Marini, racing for Honda's factory team, experienced a sharp downturn in Mandalika. He struggled, not moving past 17th in the qualifying rounds, and ended up 18th in the sprint. His participation in the grand prix was cut short due to a first-lap collision, though he wasn't to blame for the incident. Considering his near miss for a direct spot in Q2 on Friday, Marini's weekend could have taken a much different trajectory.

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