Who qualified on pole position for the 2026 Indonesian Grand Prix?

Raul Fernandez took pole position for the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team. He set a lap time of 1m28.852s.

Has Raul Fernandez ever started from pole position in MotoGP before?

No. This result marks the first premier-class pole position of Raul Fernandez's MotoGP career.

Where did championship rivals Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez qualify?

Marc Marquez qualified in fourth place, while points leader Jorge Martin qualified fifth. That puts them side by side on the second row.

Does this grid order apply to both the Sprint and the Grand Prix?

Yes. In MotoGP, Saturday qualifying sets the starting grid for both the Saturday Sprint and Sunday's main Grand Prix.

Raul Fernandez Takes Pole at the Indonesian Grand Prix

Raul Fernandez took his first MotoGP pole position at Mandalika. He leads Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio on the front row.

Independent fan site — not affiliated with MotoGP or MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group (formerly Dorna). Written by AI from official data and fact-checked: how this article was made.

Who took pole position at the Indonesian Grand Prix?

Raul Fernandez secured the first of his premier-class career on Saturday. He set the fastest time during at the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit. Riding for the independent SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team, the Spanish rider set a benchmark time of 1m28.852s on his final run.

Fernandez finished just over a tenth of a second ahead of factory Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi. Fabio Di Giannantonio completed the front row in third place on his Ducati for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team.

Defending world champion Marc Marquez qualified fourth for the Ducati Lenovo Team. Championship leader Jorge Martin placed fifth on his factory Aprilia. Fermin Aldeguer secured sixth on the grid for BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP.

Illustration for our Indonesian GP qualifying story: racing tyres resting in warmers along the garage wall — AI-generated illustration

How did qualifying unfold at Mandalika?

In MotoGP, qualifying sets the starting order for both races of the weekend. That includes the Saturday and the Sunday Grand Prix. Riders do not race wheel-to-wheel here. Instead, they ride against the clock to set the fastest single lap time. The quickest rider earns pole position, which is first place on the starting grid.

The session is split into two halves, called Q1 and Q2. If you are new to the sport, our guide to how qualifying works explains how riders reach the final shootout.

Fernandez carried his strong form straight into Q2 after topping on Friday. Several rivals pushed hard in the closing minutes. However, Fernandez set a clean final lap that nobody else could beat.

Why is the Mandalika circuit suiting Aprilia?

The Mandalika circuit in Lombok features fast, flowing corners and quick direction changes. This layout suits the high corner speed and smooth balance of the Aprilia RS-GP bike.

Aprilia bikes took the top two grid spots on Saturday morning. Bezzecchi already has four Grand Prix wins in 2026. He proved the bike’s speed by lining up right next to pole-sitter Fernandez.

Trackhouse is an independent satellite team rather than the main factory outfit. Even so, they run the exact same factory-spec RS-GP bikes. The American-owned squad arrived in Lombok with a special heritage paint scheme. Earlier in the weekend, they confirmed that Fernandez is completely free to race for wins without team orders.

Illustration for our Indonesian GP qualifying story: a motorcycle rider leaning low through a coastal circuit corner — AI-generated illustration

Where do the championship leaders start?

The fight for the 2026 world championship is extremely close in these final rounds. Jorge Martin leads the standings on 333 points. He holds a tiny two-point lead over Marc Marquez on 331 points.

Both title rivals will start from the second row of the grid. Marquez took fourth place. He edged out Martin by a fraction of a second after improving on his final lap.

Starting fourth and fifth puts both title fighters right behind the front row into the tight first corner. In Saturday’s short Sprint, points are awarded down to ninth place. Because of that, a quick launch off the start line is vital. You can read more about the scoring system in our guide to the Sprint vs Sunday race.

Illustration for our Indonesian GP qualifying story: painted grid slots on an empty circuit starting straight — AI-generated illustration

What does this mean for the rest of the weekend?

Starting from the front gives Fernandez a great chance to claim his second Grand Prix win of the year. He previously won at Silverstone. However, looking after his tyres in the intense heat of Lombok will be a huge challenge over full race distance.

Bezzecchi is third in the championship on 284 points. He will want to use his front-row start to close the gap on Martin and Marquez. Di Giannantonio is also a big threat as the top Ducati rider on the grid. He will aim to repeat his winning form from earlier in the season.

Only five rounds remain after Indonesia. This grid order sets up an exciting contest between the front-row leaders and the chasing title contenders.

Quick Takeaways

Raul Fernandez took his first MotoGP pole position with a lap time of 1m28.852s for SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team.
Marco Bezzecchi qualified second to give Aprilia the top two spots, with Fabio Di Giannantonio third for VR46 Ducati.
Title contenders Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin will start side by side from fourth and fifth on row two.
This qualifying order sets the starting grid for both Saturday’s Sprint and Sunday’s full Grand Prix.