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.
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.”
<
Discussion about this post