MotoGP: Martin and Michelin shine in Mandalika heat
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) dominated the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia to finish clear of Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). Michelin's MotoGPTM tires produced another strong display at the 2024 championship's 15th clash. Their competitive grip and consistency contributed to new track, race-lap and race-duration records for Mandalika International Street Circuit.
Martin led for the entire 27-lap grand prix on a combination of hard and medium front and rear MICHELIN Power slicks to collect his third win of the year by a margin of 1.4 seconds. His speed also helped him to beat the former record for the venue by nine-tenths of a second on his way to qualifying on pole position.
Acosta came second for the second time this season following a good start from third on the grid, although he was unable to match Martin's pace. After claiming Saturday's sprint, Bagnaia fought back from sixth early on to conclude the grand prix itself in third place.
Five different motorbike manufacturers figured in the day's top 10.
All three slick compounds were employed during Free Practice 1 and no fewer than eight riders bettered Mandalika's previous lap record in the course of Friday afternoon's session. Martin ended up establishing the new benchmark (1m29.088s) in qualifying.
The front tire choice for the sprint race was split between the soft and hard MICHELIN Power, with everyone opting for the soft rear. Winner Bagnaia completed the distance eight seconds faster than the shorter race's duration in 2023.
With the exception of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) who preferred the soft, nearly all the field chose the medium rear for Sunday's bill-topper, and the majority selected the hard front. Eight riders succeeded in improving on last year's race-lap record which is now in the hands of Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) who posted a 1m30.539s on Lap 20.
In the chase for the 2024 Riders' title, Martin's victory in Indonesia has taken him 21 and 75 points clear of Bagnaia and Bastianini respectively.
Next round: Motul Grand Prix of Japan, Motegi (October 4-6).