Marc Marquez experiences a bad case in the dramatic MotoGP exercise in Indonesia

Six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez suffered a high-speed crash in the second practice for the Indonesian Grand Prix on Friday when title holder Fabio Quartararo broke back to go the fastest. World class motorcycle is back in Indonesia for the first time in 25 years and there was drama in the second training session on a sweltering afternoon at the new Mandalika circuit on the tropical island of Lombok. The Spaniard Marquez had already suffered some hair-raising wobbles on his Honda and is at a speed of 11.

The 29-year-old showed up after a short time and should be good for qualifying on Saturday and race day on Sunday, where rain and thunderstorms are forecast.

This bad case left Marquez on the 22nd on the time sheets arrived by the French Quartararo.

As overcast morning conditions in the afternoon sun set, the 22-year-old suffered problems with his Yamaha early in the second session, and stopped on the track.

But he was quickly back in action and later found pace to finish the day the fastest with a time of 1 min 31.608sec, with Italian Franco Morbidelli 0.030sec of pace in the second, also on a Yamaha.

Third was Frenchman Johann Zarco, with 0.285 in lead, on his Ducati.

Italian Enea Bastianini, who won the Qatar GP earlier this month, was fifth fastest for Gresini Racing but also fell later.

Motorcycle-crazy Indonesia hosted the Motorcycle Grand Prix in 1996 and 1997 in the capital Jakarta, but its ambitions to become a cornerstone of the sport were torpedoed by the Asian financial crisis.

There have been dental problems for Indonesia back in top-class motorcyclists, with the Mandalika track requiring substantial recovery for this week’s action.

During testing in February, MotoGP riders complained that the circuit was dirty and broke in places.

The new MotoGP campaign this season has a record of 21 races, ending on November 6 in Valencia.

Promoted

Leadership combined practice times:

1. Fabio Quartararo (FRA / Yamaha) 1: 31.608, 2. Franco Morbidelli (ITA / Yamaha) on 0.030 sec, 3. Johann Zarco (FRA / Ducati) 0.285, 4. Jorge Martin (ESP / Ducati) 0.296, 5.296, Enea Bastianini (ITA / Ducati) 0.313, Jack Miller (AUS / Ducati) 0.357, 7. Aleix Espargaro (ESP / Aprilia) 0.400, 8. Brad Binder (RSA / KTM) 0.409, 9. Miguel Oliveria TM 1 (POR / 4K TM) 0.4K, 10. Alex Rins (ESP / Suzuki) 0.498