Did Raul Fernandez win a race or get pole position on Friday?

No. Friday Practice is just a timed session to set up bikes and sort riders for Saturday qualifying. It gives out no championship points, no trophies, and does not decide pole position.

What is the difference between Q1 and Q2?

Q2 is the final shootout for pole position. It features the 12 fastest riders, who fight for the top 12 spots on the starting grid. Q1 is a knockout session for the rest of the field. Only the top two riders in Q1 move up to join Q2.

Can a rider who starts in Q1 still get pole position?

Yes. If a rider finishes in the top two in Q1, they advance to Q2 shortly afterwards. Once in Q2, they can fight directly for pole position alongside the top ten from Friday Practice.

Where are championship leaders Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez starting?

Their starting positions will be decided in Saturday's Q2 session. Both finished inside the top five in Friday Practice. That guarantees them a spot no lower than 12th on the grid for both the Sprint and the Grand Prix.

Raul Fernandez Tops Indonesian GP Practice: Who Is Through to Q2

Raul Fernandez topped Friday Practice at the Indonesian Grand Prix. He earned a direct Q2 spot alongside title rivals Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez.

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.

Friday afternoon at the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit brought the most important timed session before . Raul Fernandez set the fastest lap in . He led an impressive Aprilia top three, ahead of Marco Bezzecchi and championship leader Jorge Martin.

For beginners watching their first race weekend, this session is not a race. It awards zero championship points. It also does not decide . Instead, Friday afternoon Practice decides how tough Saturday morning will be for each rider.

Why does Friday afternoon Practice matter?

A Grand Prix weekend is split into several distinct stages. Friday afternoon features a timed hour known simply as Practice. The final leaderboard sets the qualifying groups for Saturday.

To see why riders push so hard, look at how MotoGP qualifying works. The ten fastest riders in Friday Practice go straight into Qualifying 2 (Q2). The other riders drop into Qualifying 1 (Q1). There, they must fight for just two transfer spots into Q2.

Skipping Q1 is a huge advantage. It saves riders from an extra high-stress session on Saturday morning. It also guarantees a starting spot on the front four rows of the grid.

Illustration for our Indonesian GP Practice story: a rider cornering hard over kerbs on a Grand Prix circuit. — AI-generated illustration

Who secured a direct ticket to Q2?

Raul Fernandez set the fastest time on his SuperFile Trackhouse bike. Factory Aprilia riders Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin finished close behind him. Red Bull KTM’s Pedro Acosta took fourth place. Reigning champion Marc Marquez finished fifth on his Ducati.

Behind them, Pertamina Enduro VR46 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio claimed sixth. Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo took seventh, with Gresini’s Alex Marquez in eighth. Franco Morbidelli ended the session ninth. That left the final automatic transfer spot to two-time MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia in tenth.

Bagnaia spent much of Friday morning searching for rear grip and speed. Squeezing into tenth place saved the factory Ducati rider from Saturday’s knockout round by the narrowest margin.

Illustration for our Indonesian GP Practice story: racing motorbikes queued in the pit lane awaiting the green track light. — AI-generated illustration

Which notable riders are stuck in Q1?

Missing the top ten means facing the tough battle of Q1 on Saturday morning. Twelve riders will fight for just two promotion spots. That leaves several big names facing an uphill task in Lombok.

Monster Energy Yamaha rider Alex Rins ended the hour 11th, missing out by a tiny fraction of a second. He will be joined in Q1 by Pramac Yamaha’s Jack Miller in 12th. Trackhouse’s Ai Ogura finished 13th, and Honda’s Luca Marini ended up 14th.

Fermin Aldeguer won the Indonesian Grand Prix here last season. This time, he could only manage 15th on his Gresini Ducati. Rookie Toprak Razgatlioglu placed 16th. Factory KTM rider Brad Binder finished 17th, with LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco in 18th.

Rookie Diogo Moreira was 19th. Tech3 KTM duo Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini struggled down in 20th and 21st. Veteran Aleix Espargaro finished 22nd.

Illustration for our Indonesian GP Practice story: slick racing tyres wrapped in tyre warmers inside a team garage. — AI-generated illustration

What does this mean for the championship?

The title fight remains very close heading into Saturday. Jorge Martin arrived in Indonesia holding a tiny two-point lead over Marc Marquez at the top of the standings.

Both title rivals hit their main goal on Friday by finishing safely inside the top five. That keeps them on level terms before Saturday’s grid shootout and the afternoon Sprint race.

Aprilia bikes locked out the top three places in Practice. Because of this, Martin and Bezzecchi look ready to challenge Ducati’s recent run of wins over the rest of the Indonesian weekend.

Quick Takeaways

Raul Fernandez set the fastest lap in Friday Practice. He led an Aprilia top three ahead of Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin.
The top ten riders advanced straight into Saturday’s Q2 session. These include title contenders Martin and Marc Marquez, plus Francesco Bagnaia.
Twelve riders must now battle through Q1. These include Enea Bastianini, Brad Binder, and last year’s Mandalika winner Fermin Aldeguer.
Practice awards no championship points and does not decide pole position. It simply puts riders into Saturday’s qualifying groups.