At the Indonesian Grand Prix, both Honda and Yamaha missed a crucial opportunity to secure a MotoGP podium, despite showing strong pace earlier in the weekend. This race, held in Indonesia, was seen as a prime chance for these Japanese manufacturers to capitalize, especially with the factory Ducati team struggling and having just secured the teams’ championship.
Strong Start Fails to Translate into Podium Results
Honda and Yamaha appeared well-prepared after Friday’s practice sessions, with riders Luca Marini and Joan Mir showing competitive times. Honda had Marini qualifying sixth, while Yamaha featured three bikes in the top ten, including Alex Rins who secured fourth on the grid, marking his strongest qualifying effort as a Yamaha rider. Expectations were high for both teams entering Sunday’s race, as rival Ducati’s difficulties seemed to open the door for other manufacturers.
During the race, Marini and Rins initially ran in promising positions, both trailing behind the dominant Gresini Ducati of Fermin Aldeguer. Marini briefly held second place behind Aldeguer, while Rins hovered just behind in the top five. However, despite their good pace, neither rider finished on the podium after 27 laps, much to the disappointment of their teams and fans.
Pedro Acosta’s Resilient Ride Controls the Field
The race took an unusual turn as it unfolded more like a Moto3 contest, featuring tight battles and multiple riders vying for the runner-up spot. KTM’s Pedro Acosta, riding the durable Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16 equipped with a medium front tyre, managed his pace expertly and defended his position under intense pressure. His bike’s ability to maintain performance on the medium front tyre, unlike others who struggled with softer compounds, proved decisive.
Throughout the race, Marini made several attempts to overtake Acosta. He first passed the Spaniard for second place on lap 10, but Acosta immediately responded to reclaim the position. Marini made another successful pass at Turn 12 on lap 12, only for Acosta to fight back at Turn 16 the next lap and regain second place once again.
Pedro blocked everybody completely. He did an amazing race,
said Marini. “I don’t know [how], but KTM allowed them to brake super deep.
“They also used the medium front, maybe even for this, and the bike accelerated in a way that is unbelievable, much faster than Ducati also.
“It’s very difficult to overtake, I tried many times but then he overtook me again. I was managing my tyre pressure a little because after yesterday’s race [where I was penalised for exceeding the limit], I was worried a little bit.
But I think I had a good pace to be in P2 easily. I just needed to make a good overtake on Pedro and not let him pass me again.
Luca Marini’s continual efforts were stymied by Acosta’s well-managed pace, which prevented Honda from clinching back-to-back podiums following Joan Mir’s recent third-place finish in Japan.
Clash Between Marini and Fernández Derails Podium Ambitions
The tight race for second was further complicated by Raúl Fernández on the last remaining Aprilia, who had finished third in the sprint race the day before. Fernández overtook Marini at Turn 16 on lap 14, prompting a fierce response from Marini at the final corner. The subsequent contact forced both riders wide off the racing line, costing them critical positions and effectively knocking them out of podium contention.
The collision left Marini in fifth and Fernández in sixth by the race’s end. Fernández criticized Marini’s move as unwise, while Marini countered that Fernández’s actions resulted in both losing potential podium places, reflecting growing tensions amid fierce competition on track.
Alex Rins’ Promising Podium Charge Ends in Dramatic Drop
Emerging as the primary beneficiary of the Marini-Fernández clash, Alex Rins seized the moment by taking the inside line at Turn 17 to overtake both riders and secure third place. Despite an initial setback, dropping to fifth on the first lap, Rins maintained close proximity and demonstrated strong pace midway through the race.
Rins continued to impress by passing Acosta’s KTM machine five laps later, evidencing how competitive Yamaha could be during this phase.
However, the choice to start on softer rear tyres had significant consequences. Yamaha riders had struggled with the medium compound’s stiffness in the warm-up, leading them to opt for soft rear tyres, which proved less durable. This tyre choice left Rins vulnerable late in the race, as his rear grip deteriorated rapidly starting at lap 23, culminating in a fall to 10th place by race end.
It was a shame. We knew before the start of the race that with the soft tyre we were going to suffer,
Rins acknowledged. “I hoped that the drop was coming early but in the end it was only the last five laps.
I gave my best, tried to control the rear tyre, and until the last five laps I was there.
Despite his significant struggles this season with Yamaha, Rins’ brief stint in podium contention provided a much-needed morale boost, even though aggressive tyre usage early in the race ultimately cost him.
Fabio Quartararo Holds Top Yamaha Position Amid Difficult Weekend
With Rins’ decline, Fabio Quartararo stepped in as Yamaha’s leading finisher, crossing the line in seventh place. Unlike his teammates, Quartararo was compelled to race with a hard front tyre but managed to ride consistently, finishing just a couple of seconds behind Alex Marquez who secured third place.
I was behind [Rins] for two to three laps, I could not overtake him,
Quartararo explained. “But then I saved the tyre a bit and he was gone in a few laps.
“I said, I don’t know if he is going to arrive till the end but I had to keep my tyre a little bit fresh.
Seven laps to the end, I saw he was still second. I said, maybe I managed a bit too much. But then the problem in general is that when the tyre is up, it’s gone.
Quartararo’s weekend in Indonesia was challenging overall, including qualifying setbacks and tyre selection struggles, which hampered Yamaha’s performance and prevented a stronger finish despite promising practice times.
Joan Mir’s Early Crash Sparks Frustration After Strong Sprint Run
Joan Mir, coming off his recent podium in Japan, had hoped to replicate his success but was hampered by a difficult qualifying session affected by yellow flags that left him twelfth on the grid. Nonetheless, his sprint race performance, climbing to fifth, showed his competitiveness in race conditions.
In the main event, Mir made an encouraging start, moving up to seventh position after capitalizing on the crash involving Marc Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi. Unfortunately, his race was cut short on the second lap when he crashed at Turn 16 while attempting to manage tricky tyre temperatures.
As you can imagine, I’m angry because we lost a good opportunity today to fight for another podium, but sometimes things come like this,
Mir admitted. “We have to understand what happened with the medium rear tyre because the bike wasn’t rideable.
“In the first two laps, to get [tyres] into [the right] temperature was completely impossible.
“We have to analyse because we have to do something differently because something is missing at the moment.
“It’s not that I tried to overtake someone and I crashed. I was behind, just trying to warm up the rear tyre and in every braking point I was going wide; I was going completely wide without being able to push, so I am very angry for that reason.
We have to understand what we did differently or how we can improve, because we missed something today technically.
Mir’s frustration reflected deeper technical challenges faced by Honda HRC this weekend, highlighting ongoing difficulties with tyre performance that compromised their race strategies.
Podium Finishers, Missed Opportunities, and What Lies Ahead
The Indonesian GP ended in disappointment for Honda and Yamaha, despite pre-race optimism fueled by strong practice and qualifying showings. The resilience of KTM’s Pedro Acosta, careful tyre management, and on-track events such as the Marini-Fernández clash reshaped the final podium lineup, with Alex Marquez taking third place and Fabio Quartararo finishing as the lead Yamaha.
These results underscore the unpredictable nature of MotoGP racing and the crucial role tyre choices play in race outcomes. For Honda and Yamaha, this race will prompt a reassessment of race tactics, tyre strategies, and rider consistency as they push to return to podium contention in upcoming rounds.
The Indonesian GP served as a reminder of MotoGP’s high stakes and fluid dynamics, intensifying the pressure on top teams to balance speed, durability, and tactical acumen as the season advances.
