Franco Morbidelli dominated the opening practice session for the 2024 Indonesian MotoGP at the Mandalika Circuit.
The session, held in humid conditions, saw Morbidelli finishing 0.221 seconds ahead of Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales, who secured second place, while his Pramac Ducati teammate Jorge Martin rounded out the top three, finishing 0.529 seconds behind.
As the session commenced, riders were faced with crisp track conditions that prompted various tire strategies. Many opted for combinations such as soft front tires paired with medium rears or hard compounds with soft fronts.
These choices were critical as riders sought to optimize their setups for the unique characteristics of the Mandalika circuit, known for its fast-flowing corners and undulating terrain.
The early stages of the practice saw a mix of performances from different manufacturers. Within the first 20 minutes, Ducati, Yamaha, and Aprilia all had representatives in the top positions, indicating a tightly contested session.
Pedro Acosta of GasGas KTM made an impressive start by posting rapid laps; however, he encountered difficulties in the final sector that prevented him from improving his time.
As the session progressed, LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco and Takaaki Nakagami emerged as strong contenders by setting competitive lap times. However, their lead was short-lived as Ducati’s speed came to the forefront once again.
A notable incident occurred when Miguel Oliveira suffered a highside at Turn 4 during a fast lap attempt, resulting in him being taken to the medical center and ultimately sidelined for the remainder of the session.
Morbidelli’s performance was particularly noteworthy given his recent struggles. His ability to navigate the complexities of the track while maintaining speed was evident as he consistently improved his lap times throughout the session.
Vinales and Martin also demonstrated their capabilities, with their lap times closely bunched together within half a second of each other. They were closely followed by Pedro Acosta in fourth as LCR’s Johann Zarco marked the first Honda in fifth.
Marc Marquez finished sixth on his Gresini Ducati closely followed by Marco Bezzecchi and Enea Bastianini, both of whom are key players in Ducati’s lineup this year. The three Ducati riders displayed impressive consistency, with their times separated by less than two-tenths of a second.
Luca Marini finished ninth, while Fabio Di Giannantonio rounded out the top ten ahead of the first Honda with LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami in 11th. Alex Marquez finished 12th aboard the sister Gresini bike with Brad Binder finishing 13th.
The session was particularly disappointing for reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia, who struggled to find pace and ended up in 14th place. This result was compounded by his recent crash at the Emilia Romagna GP, which left him trailing in points behind championship leader Martin.
Yamaha duo Alex Rins and Fabio Quartararo followed in 15th and 16th respectively while Jack Miller and Joan Mir delivered a lacklustre 17th and 18th place for KTM and Honda.
While Vinales finished in second place, his Aprilia contigent Aleix Espargaro and Raul Fernandez finished 19th and 20th, respectively ahead of Oliveira who did not set a time following his early crash.
