Francesco Bagnaia faced a difficult MotoGP weekend in Indonesia following a strong performance at Motegi. After achieving a double victory in Japan using an older GP24 engine, the Italian rider struggled at Mandalika, finishing last in both the Sprint and Grand Prix races. His weekend worsened when he crashed from the back of the pack on lap eight of Sunday’s race.
The lone positive aspect was that the visible smoke coming from his Desmosedici during his Motegi victory was not a fatal issue for the engine.
I didn’t know about the smoke,
Bagnaia said at Motegi.
I just felt a bit less performance in the last four-five laps on the exit of some corners. But the lap times were there. I’m just happy not to get any [black and orange flag]!
– Francesco Bagnaia, Rider
Engine Usage and Strategy in the Recent Races
Bagnaia initially introduced the ‘Motegi’ engine during the Saturday race in Catalunya. He used this same power unit again on Friday and Saturday morning in Indonesia. Meanwhile, his other GP25 bike ran with an older engine that had been active since Qatar and was utilized in Japan’s final practice session.
During the Indonesian Sprint race, Bagnaia competed with what is called the ‘Qatar’ engine but switched back to the ‘Motegi’ engine for both the Sunday warm-up and the Grand Prix event.
This season Bagnaia has opened all seven allowed engines, only retiring the first one with the introduction of the Motegi unit in Catalunya. MotoGP rules permit Ducati, Aprilia, and KTM to use up to eight engines of the same design throughout the 22-round season. In contrast, Honda and Yamaha are allotted ten engines and have concessions that allow design modifications.
Current Engine Allocation Among Top MotoGP Riders
Several riders have approached or reached their engine limits ahead of the season’s final rounds. Below is the status of engine usage for key riders this season:
Jorge Martin (Aprilia) – 6 engines opened out of 7 allowed
Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) – 9 of 10
Luca Marini (HRC Honda) – 8 of 10
Maverick Viñales (Tech3 KTM) – 7 of 8
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Yamaha) – 8 of 10
Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati) – 7 of 8
Enea Bastianini (Tech3 KTM) – 6 of 8
Raúl Fernández (Trackhouse Aprilia) – 6 of 8
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) – 7 of 8
Somkiat Chantra (LCR Honda) – 7 of 10
Joan Mir (HRC Honda) – 9 of 10
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM) – 7 of 8
Alex Rins (Monster Yamaha) – 8 of 10
Jack Miller (Pramac Yamaha) – 8 of 10
Fabio di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) – 7 of 8
Fermín Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati) – 7 of 8
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo) – 7 of 8
Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) – 6 of 8
Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) – 7 of 8
Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia) – 6 of 8
Miguel Oliveira (Pramac Yamaha) – 8 of 10
Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo) – 7 of 8
Implications for the Remaining MotoGP Season
As the season turns toward its final four rounds, starting next weekend at Phillip Island, teams must carefully manage their engine allocations. Ducati riders, including Bagnaia and Marc Marquez, face limitations with only one engine remaining due to the eight-engine cap for the full calendar. This constraint could influence performance and reliability as competition intensifies.
The ability of Honda and Yamaha to use up to ten engines with design modifications may provide some advantage in engine durability and development. However, Ducati’s track record for power and speed keeps them competitive despite engine restrictions.
For Francesco Bagnaia, overcoming the troubles at Mandalika and managing engine resources prudently will be crucial as the title chase continues. The use of the partly smoking Motegi engine earlier this season showed resilience but highlighted the fine line the rider and team must tread under current constraints.
