From critical points to taboo for Marquez: the secrets of the Indonesian MotoGP GP

No breaks for the MotoGP World Championship. After the Japanese GP, where Marc Marquez clinched the MotoGP title, the next stop is Indonesia. Mandalika hosts the eighteenth round of the championship. The track will host a Grand Prix for the fourth time after its debut on the calendar in the 2022 season. This isn't the first time an Indonesian track has hosted a MotoGP World Championship race, as the race was held in Jakarta between 1996 and 1997. However, the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit has already proven to be an interesting track, capable of providing great excitement in recent seasons.

At 4.301 km long, the circuit is moderately demanding on the brakes, with MotoGP riders applying pressure for less than 28 seconds per lap. According to Brembo technicians, the Mandalika track has a difficulty index of 3, based on a scale of 1 to 6. The rating takes into account a significant fact: four of the nine braking sections are considered light on the braking system, while three are classified with a "Medium" coefficient. In two corners, however, the speed decreases by at least 100 km/h and the stress on the brakes is high. The toughest point is Turn 1: on this right-handed hairpin, the MotoGP bikes go from 309 km/h to 107 km/h in 4.5 seconds, covering 239 meters with a load on the brake lever of 5.7 kg. Deceleration reaches 1.5 g, and Brembo brake fluid pressure peaks at 12.3 bar. The second particularly tricky section is Turn 10, which also curves to the right: deceleration from 277 km/h to 90 km/h takes 213 meters and 4.6 seconds. The load on the brakes is 5.3 kg.

In Indonesia, all eyes will be on the new world champion, Marc Márquez. However, the Spaniard has never shone at Mandalika. His best result is a third place in the 2024 Sprint, while he has never scored points in the long race. Three years ago, he withdrew after a terrible accident during the warm-up, while in 2023, it ended with a crash. Last season, too, he was unhappy, when the engine of his Ducati Gresini burned out, jeopardizing his potential championship comeback. These results are compounded by Márquez's poor feeling for a particular section of the track, namely the second sector.

Mandalika's weekend could yield surprising results. Precedents suggest so. No MotoGP rider has ever won twice in Indonesia, considering all editions, including the 1996-1997 two-year period. As for MotoGP, last season's winner will not repeat himself this time either: Jorge Martin, who triumphed in 2024, will be absent due to injury. Miguel Oliveira and Francesco Bagnaia, the riders who won in 2022 and 2023, respectively, will be present. Two years ago, the victory allowed Pecco to turn the tide against Martin, fending off the Spaniard's attempted comeback in the World Championship. Now Mandalika could help him in his pursuit of second place in the championship.