The start of the second ever Grand Prix at the modern Mandalika Street Circuit saw high competitiveness for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. Brad Binder had qualified 5th and was eying a podium finish in the Sprint until he was knocked out of the running in lap two and remounted for 19th. Jack Miller scored 9th and from a grid slot of 10th.
- Red Bull KTM Factory Racing return to Indonesia and to the impressive Mandalika setup on the Island of Lombok where they triumphed in a wet inaugural Grand Prix in 2022
- Brad Binder keeps at the top of the time screens on Friday for Q2 entry, qualifies on the second row and then uses his KTM RC16 to run with the leaders until the unfortunate race incident
- Jack Miller also makes it directly through to Q2, finds the 10th quickest lap and rides to 9th in the very first Indonesian Sprint
- Moto3™ second row for Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Deniz Öncü on the KTM RC4. Pedro Acosta rides to 4th place on the grid after a very tight Moto2™ Q2 session
Indonesian fans received their first dose of MotoGP Sprint action for what was just the second Grand Prix to take place around the Mandalika Street Circuit. Compared to the ‘monsoon’ conditions encountered in Lombok for the race action eighteen months previously, MotoGP sweated and slid through the 13 laps of the Sprint dash on Saturday afternoon and with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing as briefly one of the main protagonists.
On Friday Brad Binder and Jack Miller roamed the top of the time sheets. Binder was performing at the circuit where he qualified 4th in 2022 and scene of his personal best MotoGP Saturday until that point. Miller, racing one week before his home Grand Prix at Phillip Island, was also fast and the pair made Q2 directly. Qualifying saw Binder surge ahead for a second row slot and Miller was not far behind at the tip of the fourth row.
The Sprint took place a few hours later and in full glare of the Indonesia sunshine. Binder was running in the top five until he was crashed into by Aleix Espargaro. The South African was able to restart but was at the back of the field and reached the line in 19th. Miller fought for track space around the top five until a small misjudgment into Turn 1 meant he had to repeat the job. He eventually came home 9th.
The MotoGP Grand Prix will start at 09.00 CEST on Sunday.
