Raul Fernández set a new lap record for Aprilia, pushing the Italian marque to a dominant 1‑2‑3 finish during Mandalika practice.
Aprilia’s Velox Performance
Only the factory duo of Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martín were within half a second of Fernández’s blistering time, while the Trackhouse rider kept pace without exceeding the gap. The Italian squad’s trio led every sector of the Friday session, a rare podium sweep that underscored Aprilia’s pace on the island of Lombok.
Second‑Place Riders and Qualifying Prospects
Pedro Acosta (KTM) and Marc Márquez (Ducati) advanced to Qualifying 2 with decisive fourth and fifth places, securing the season leaders’ spots in the Q2 mix but still trailing the Italian’s benchmark. Franco Morbidelli (VR46) clocked ninth, while his teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46) mounted the fastest time from the VR46 ranks in sixth place.
Franco Martin had a disquieting start but recorded a steady second-season best, yet the Q2 pack will feature a minimum of four top‑tier constructors. Even with a gravel mishap early in the session, Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo remained seventh, impressing when he recovered and posted a competitive time after nursing a wrist injury in the factory garage.
Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) held the tenth spot, benefiting from late yellow flags that also stemmed from falls involving Alex Rins (Yamaha) and Enea Bastianini (Tech3 KTM). Francesco Bagnaia, cloaked in yellow flags himself, slipped into the tenth bracket at the last push of the session.
Challenges for Selected Riders
Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini) endured a double crash in the morning and a technical fault during Practice, hampering his ability to break into the top ten and casting doubt over a repeat of his 2025 win. Ai Ogura, the Trackhouse entrant, was stranded after an early morning fall and struggled to regain speed, leaving him in the Q1 lineup alongside Bastianini, who also faced two late‑session crashes. Ogura and Bastianini both maintain the pressure of replicating their Japan outing from the previous season.
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