Thanks to an absolutely fantastic performance at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) becomes the first Thai rider to win a Grand Prix race. Chantra led from the first corner to the chequered flag and eventually beat World Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) by 3.2s, with third place Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) collecting his second podium of the season.

Ahead of the race getting underway, it was announced that there would only be 16 laps for the intermediate class – 2/3 distance due to safety, caused by excessively high temperatures. Then, more drama, as light rain started to fall on the warm up lap. The race got underway though and it was Chantra who pinched the holeshot from the second row, polesitter Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) was P2 before Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) slipped by at Turn 2.

The rain was still lingering – and it was visible on the camera lens’. Chantra held onto the lead from Lowes and Dixon, with Vietti eventually getting the better of Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) as the Italians battled it out at the end of the opening lap. Canet was a beneficiary of the Vietti/Corsi fight, the Spaniard was P4 and in touch with Lowes and Dixon.

On Lap 6, after just passing compatriot Lowes for second place, Dixon tucked the front at Turn 10. Chantra had opened a gap up to over a second, and after Dixon’s crash, Canet was now second ahead of Lowes. Vietti then passed Lowes for P3, and with nine laps to go, two seconds split the top three. Vietti made a classy move on Canet stick at Turn 12 and his gap to bridge was 2.1s with eight laps remaining.

The response from Chantra? The fastest lap of the race. 2.2s was now his lead over Vietti, and on the next lap, it was up to 2.3s. This was sensational from Chantra. 2.6s was the new gap with five laps to go, it looked like Vietti and co. had no answer for the Thai star. With two laps to go, the gap was three seconds and all Chantra had to do was bring it home.

And that’s exactly what he did. Chantra crossed the line to claim an outstanding victory by over three seconds, becoming the first Thai rider to win in Grand Prix racing. Vietti was able to hold off Canet to pick up P2, the latter takes home P3 as the duo make it back-to-back podiums to start the season.

In the end, Lowes was a lonely finisher in P4 as Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) held off the recovering Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) for P5 and P6, Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) was P7, with Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) P8. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) claimed P9 after his Long Lap Penalty, the Spaniard was embroiled in a great battle with 10^th place Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team).

Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) ended P11, a good ride from the American after failing to make it out of Q1 on Saturday, he had compatriot Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) less than a tenth behind him in P12. Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40), Jeremy Alcoba (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) were the final top 15 finishers.

There wouldn’t have been many people expecting that sort of masterclass from Chantra, but what a day for him, his team, and Thailand. Vietti extends his title lead to nine points over Canet heading to Argentina. 

Top 10:
1. Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia)
2. Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) + 3.230
3. Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) + 4.366
4. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 7.918
5. Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 12.228
6. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) + 12.384
7. Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) + 12.696
8. Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 14.547
9. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 17.786
10. Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) + 18.327

That’s about as good as it gets if your name is Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing). The Italian dominated the Moto3™ Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia to claim his first victory of the season – and the World Championship lead. Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) picked up P2 as polesitter Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) brilliantly recovers from a Long Lap Penalty to earn a maiden Grand Prix podium in third.

There was drama before the race started for second on the grid Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) – the Brazilian rookie had an issue with his machine and was forced to start from the back of the grid. Moments later, as the lights went out for the very first Moto3™ race in Indonesia, it was Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) who grabbed the holeshot from seventh on the grid. Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Foggia made great starts from the second row of the grid.

Foggia, Migno, Garcia and Guevara were the quartet who were able to pull a gap in the opening five laps, before Foggia decided to put the hammer down in the early stages. The Italian was 1.5s clear on Lap 7 of 23, as Championship leader Migno had a front-end scare at the final corner. By Lap 9, Foggia’s lead was up to 3.2s, with Guevera opening up a 0.5s lead in second place.

Garcia had slipped back into the clutches of Migno, Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max), but the Spaniard suddenly turned up the wick to reel in Guevara with 10 laps to go. At this stage, Foggia had checked out – his lead was now 5.1s.

With Foggia producing a flawless race, it was all eyes on the battle for second. Guevara, Migno, Öncü, Garcia, Masia, Holgado and Sasaki were now joined by Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP), Elia Bartolini (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team), Tatay and Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing).

Heading onto the final lap, Guevera was 0.9s clear in second place ahead of the charging Tatay and Garcia. Foggia was four seconds up the road and cruising to victory, Tatay was then wide at Turn 10 to allow Garcia into the final podium position as Sasaki and Migno crashed – the Japanese rider tagging the back of Migno at Turn 10.

No one had an answer for Foggia as he popped a wheelie over the line to confirm his dominant victory, with Tatay grabbing the final podium place from Garcia at the penultimate corner. Guevera comfortably earned P2 in the end, Tatay claimed his first Moto3™ podium, with Garcia settling for P4.

Öncü was only a couple of tenths away from the podium in fifth place, with Artigas finishing P6 in the feisty scrap inside the top 10. Masia, Bartolini, Holgado and Suzuki were able to pick up top 10s in Mandalika.

Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) was 11^th ahead of Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) and rookie Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team), with home hero Mario Aji (Honda Team Asia) beating Matteo Bertelle (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team) – after three Long Laps – in P14 and P15. Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power) and Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) crashed out at the final corner together, fighting just outside the top 10.

At the end of a magnificent weekend in Mandalika, a masterful ride from Foggia sees him take the World Championship lead to Argentina.

Top 10:
1. Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing)
2. Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) + 2.612
3. Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) + 3.639
4. Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) + 3.759
5. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) + 3.870
6. Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) + 4.962
7. Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 5.289
8. Elia Bartolini (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team) + 5.405
9. Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 5.533
10. Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) + 5.687

For the first time since the 2021 Catalan GP, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) will start a MotoGP™ race from pole position after an incredibly dramatic Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia qualifying plays out. Jorge Martin and Pramac Racing teammate Johann Zarco will start from P2 and P3, but eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda teammate Pol Espargaro and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) fail to make it out of a spectacular Q1.

Q1 was one of the most competitive and unpredictable we’ve seen in a long time. Eight World Champions were battling it out for the top two positions, including Repsol Honda Team duo Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). But they were not going to have it easy. Not at all.

Mooney VR46 Racing Team’s Marco Bezzecchi and Luca Marini were the top two after the first lap times were slammed in. Their VR46 Academy stablemate Bagnaia then took over at the top of the timesheets, with Marc Marquez P4 – and on a three-stop strategy. Mir was down in P12 after the first stint, 0.5s away from the all-important top two.

Drama then unfolded for Marc Marquez. Pushing hard, the front of his RC213V washed away at Turn 13. The eight-time World Champion was straight back up on his feet on immediately headed back to pitlane, and was back out with three minutes to go. Pecco was having no such issues though, the Italian went 0.4s clear of now second place Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) with the best lap of the weekend.

What did we say about totally unpredictable? Marc Marquez had just passed Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and was pressing hard for the top two. But, at Turn 12, the number 93 was down again. Then, Mir was on the deck as both Repsol Hondas and Mir miss out on a Q2 place, with Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio heading through. What a barnstorming Q1 session in Indonesia.

Crucially, both Pecco and Di Giannantonio had two, beaming fresh soft rear tyres to throw on in Q2. Quartararo was the fastest rider once the first laps had been set, a 1:31.227 was the first benchmark, as his teammate Franco Morbidelli crashed unhurt at Turn 5. As the riders boxed for fresh rubber, it was a provisional front row of Quartararo, Bagnaia, and Martin. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was P4 ahead of Di Giannantonio and his teammate Enea Bastianini. Fellow Ducati star Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) had failed to set a time with six minutes to go.

Bagnaia came out for his second run and improved his time, but Quartararo was lapping quicker just behind. El Diablo set a blistering 1:31.067, Martin climbed to P2 to demote Pecco to P3, with Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) grabbing P4. Aleix Espargaro then crashed at Turn 10 unhurt, the yellow flags came out, but the incident was cleared in time for the riders to get one last shot at pole in.

And there was late movement on the timesheets. Zarco, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Bastianini all put in their personal best times on the last lap to go P3, P4, and P5 respectively, pushing Pecco down to P6. No one was able to beat Quartararo though, the Frenchman took his first pole since the 2021 Catalan GP.

Brad Binder’s late lap sees the South African start from the spearhead of Row 2, as the top two from Qatar’s belter start together in Mandalika. P5 for Bastianini is a good result for the Italian, and joining Binder and The Beast on Row 2 is Pecco – he’ll take that after having to deal with Q1.

Oliveira starts P7 ahead of Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Miller. Aleix Espargaro had to settle for P10 after his crash, the Spaniard starts ahead of Di Giannantonio – his best MotoGP™ qualifying in P11 – and Morbidelli.

After qualifying had finished, Morbidelli was handed a three-place grid penalty for failing to comply with the notice given to all MotoGP™ teams regarding the staged practice start. This means Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), and Marc Marquez move up a position each on the grid, with Morbidelli now starting P15. 

If that didn’t whet your appetite for the first Indonesian GP in 25 years on Sunday, then we don’t know what will. It promises to be an absolute stunner in Mandalika, tune in at 15:00 local time (GMT+8) to see who claims victory.

Top 10:
1. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – 1:31.067
2. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) + 0.213
3. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 0.311
4. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 0.366
5. Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) + 0.437
6. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.440
7. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 0.499
8. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.515
9. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.647
10. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) + 0.656