Fernandez Shatters Mandalika Lap Record as Aprilia Lock Out Indonesian MotoGP Practice Top Three

Aprilia's dominance at Mandalika continued on Friday as Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez smashed the lap record to head an all-Aprilia top three in afternoon practice at the Indonesian Grand Prix. Fernandez's 1:28.725 was nearly half a second clear of factory star Marco Bezzecchi, with championship leader Jorge Martin completing the lockout in third — the only riders within half a second of the Spaniard. It was a statement day for the Noale factory at a circuit long tipped to suit its RS-GP, with title rival Marc Marquez the best Ducati in fifth and KTM's Pedro Acosta the quickest non-Aprilia in fourth. The session was anything but clean: seven riders crashed, including a heavy tumble for Fabio Quartararo through the fast Turn 8 that sent the Yamaha rider cartwheeling through the gravel. Quartararo remounted to secure a Q2 spot in seventh but demanded changes to the Mandalika gravel traps, warning riders are being launched by the lip between the runoff and the gravel. There was joy for Pecco Bagnaia, who scraped into the top 10 for his first direct Q2 appearance since June's Dutch Grand Prix, saying he had finally understood something about corner entry at last week's Japanese round. Defending Mandalika winner Fermin Aldeguer endured a torrid day with two crashes and a mechanical issue, and faces Q1 alongside the entire Honda contingent — no Honda made the top 10.