Acosta flies to 2nd place and Indonesia MotoGP™ silverware

The Indonesian Grand Prix raised the temperature for 2024 MotoGP as the Mandalika International Circuit welcomed 60,000 fans for the fifteenth round of the season and Pedro Acosta added to the show. The Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 rider equaled a season-best 2nd position after 27 hot laps in Lombok while teammate Augusto Fernandez fought near the top ten before having to retire with a technical problem.

• Acosta rallies hard to chase for victory after launching from P3 and his third front row quali of the season. The rookie scoops his fourth podium of the campaign
• Fernandez fights for points although his race is ended by a DNF
• Moto3 Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 pair Daniel Holgado and Jacob Roulstone try to exert their maximum potential and the Spaniard is the best ranked on the day with 6th position

Mandalika continued to melt for the third and final day of intense action and the full race program as Moto3 circulated the 4.2km layout for 20 laps and MotoGP stretched the full capabilities of the Michelin rubber for 27 laps.

Acosta had the ideal view of the dash to the tight righthanded first corner thanks to his slot from the middle of the front row. Fernandez was further back in 21st and with high hopes of possible Grand Prix points. In the cagey first phases of the race, Acosta was mindful of tire preservation but also did not want to lose too much ground to leader Jorge Martin. He pushed to maintain the gap and shrunk the margin to 0.6 of a second at one point. His consistent and confident run went all the way to the flag where the difference was only 1.4 seconds from a maiden MotoGP win. Meanwhile Fernandez was scraping for ground with four other riders. He persevered but finally had to retire with a technical issue in the second half of the race.

After the endeavors in Indonesia, the Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 duo hold 5th and 20th positions in the championship standings and now have to quickly focus on round sixteen. The third date of the current triple header will take MotoGP to Motegi for the Japanese Grand Prix.

Pedro Acosta, 2nd: “Yesterday we were able to solve some problems and then maximize what we had today. We had questions about the medium tire for the full race distance but we could be really consistent. I’m very happy. This is thanks to all of the test team around with Dani [Pedrosa] and Pol [Espargaro] and everybody that is working in the factory in Munderfing as much as my amazing team that are making these results.”

Augusto Fernandez, DNF: “A mechanical thing and this can happen but the positive part was that in the three laps before the issue I had a decent pace for the first time all weekend. So, we have something to check and figure out why. It means that I cannot wait to get to Japan and start work again on Friday.”

Nicolas Goyon, GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 Team Manager: “An unbelievable performance from Pedro and it completes a strong weekend in Indonesia for us. We knew he could fight for some good positions in the main race and he proved his potential with an excellent pace and was only headed by the championship leader. There was a tire pressure question post-race but we showed that we did the right job and I’m really proud of the whole team. It was tricky here for Augusto and he was unlucky today with a technical issue, a strange one and we need to investigate. A shame because he could have taken some good championship points. Onto Japan and the last race of this triple header.”

Results MotoGP Indonesia Grand Prix

1. Jorge Martin (ESP) Ducati 41:04.389

2. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 +1.404

3. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati +5.595

8. Brad Binder (RSA) KTM +14.862

DNF. Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3

DNF. Jack Miller (AUS) KTM

World Championship standings MotoGP

1. Jorge Martin (ESP) Ducati, 366 points

2. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati, 345

3. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Ducati, 291

5. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3, 181

6. Brad Binder (RSA) KTM, 173

15. Jack Miller (AUS) KTM, 58

20. Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3, 20

Moto3

Moto3 began on Sunday morning and under bright blue skies with the Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 pairing of Daniel Holgado and Jacob Roulstone nursing some discomfort after their accidents on Saturday. The crash prevented a concerted run for Pole Position in Q1 and Q2 and the Spaniard took to the grid in 14 while Roulstone was 19th fastest.

The slots were not too much of a deficit as the close lap-times wedged the pack together and the lead group was formed of ten riders: including Holgado’s distinctive Red Bull GASGAS bike. By the second half of the 20 laps he was active in the top five as Roulstone gassed his way around in the second posse. Daniel was both lucky and unlucky with Taiyo Furusato’s crash in front of him into Turn 1 on the last lap: he did not touch the falling Japanese but the incident held him up briefly and ended his podium bid. He finished 6th and less than a second from the win. Jacob was 16th after needing to take a Long Lap penalty for running wide at Turn 9.

Daniel entered the Indonesian meeting with 2nd place in the Moto3 championship and maintains the standing. Rookie Roulstone is 15th with Japan next on the schedule.

Daniel Holgado, 6th: “Today was a very difficult race. I did my best but I had a lot of pain in the last eight laps. Anyway, I’m happy in a way and I know I need to relax for a few days to get ready for Japan. Where we will have another opportunity to go for the podium or for victory.”

Jacob Roulstone, 16th: “I continue to struggle on the first lap and trying to find confidence. It’s frustrating but I believe in the boys I’m working with and we’ll get there. Huge thanks to them for this weekend and I’m sorry not to give them a better result. We’ll reset and try for better in Motegi.”

Results Moto3 Indonesia Grand Prix

1. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO 32:57.410

2. Adrian Fernandez (ESP) Honda +0.085

4. David Muñoz (ESP) KTM +0.225

6. Daniel Holgado (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 +0.862

7. Tatsuki Suzuki (JPN) Husqvarna +1.300

11. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP) KTM +16.770

14. Joel Esteban (ESP) CFMOTO +17.244

16. Jacob Roulstone (AUS) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 +26.124

DNF. Collin Veijer (NED) Husqvarna

DNF. Xabi Zurutuza (ESP) KTM

World Championship standings Moto3

1. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO, 296 points

2. Daniel Holgado (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3, 199

3. Ivan Ortola (ESP) KTM, 191

4. Collin Veijer (NED) Husqvarna, 189

8. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP), KTM, 110

13. Tatsuki Suzuki (JPN) Husqvarna, 72

15. Jacob Roulstone (AUS) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3, 50

16. Joel Esteban (ESP) CFMOTO, 44

22. Xabi Zurutuza (ESP) KTM, 11