Oliveira rules the rain in Indonesia

After severe thunderstorms threatened to cancel the first Indonesian premier-class grand prix in a quarter of a century, it was Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM) who had the most confidence in the wet conditions and who took a comfortable win in the shortened 20-lap race. 

Originally shortened due to heat and humidity, there was plenty to work through when the lights eventually went out and reigning world champ Fabio Quartararo (Monster Yamaha) nabbed the holeshot from pole position. Oliveira got an incredible start from the head of the third row to slot in behind Quartararo in second with Aussie Jack Miller (Lenovo Ducati) well placed in third, ahead of Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins. 

Not known for his wet-weather prowess, Quartararo was back to third by lap two, just before Miller nabbed the lead from Oliveira, and by lap four the Frenchman was as low as fifth as Rins and Pramac Ducati rider Johann Zarco both moved ahead of the Yamaha rider. 

By now, Miller and Oliveira had a 2.4-second lead over the chasing pack as the Portuguese rider edged ahead of the Aussie at the end of the fifth lap and made the most of the clear track ahead. Pecco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati), Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda) and Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati) all managed to save massive moments as their machines snapped sideways as they strayed onto the paint, though the latter fell hard at the end of the straight as he braked for the first corner to start Lap 8, his second no-score of the season. 

Oliviera began reeling off quick laps and was 2.6 seconds clear of Miller by the halfway point, but Zarco was the quickest man on track as he passed Rins for third with 10 laps to go. Quartararo also found his way past Rins and, with Zarco and Miller engaging in a battle for second, allowed Quartararo to get himself back into the fight for the podium. 

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And fight he did, burying any of his wet-weather demons to snare second place, his subsequent celebration showing just how much the result meant. Zarco passed Miller for the last podium place with four laps to go while Miller held onto fourth until the flag. 

The Suzuki duo scored solid finishes with Rins crossing the line in fifth ahead of Mir in sixth. Franco Morbidelli (Monster Yamaha) defied his three-place grid penalty to ride through to seventh place from 14th on the grid, while rookie Darryn Binder (RFU Yamaha) was as high as eighth place in the final stages from his 22nd starting position. In the end, both brother Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) relegated the young South African to a solid 10th-place finish. 

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) was declared unfit for the race after an enormous highside at the end of the warm-up session left him with concussion – it was his fourth crash of the weekend as he continues to come to terms with the new RC213V. 

Despite finishing in 11th pace in Indonesia, Gresini Ducati’s Enea Bastianini still leads the standings on 30 points ahead of Brad Binder (28), Quartararo (27), Oliveira (25) and Zarco (24).  

Moto2 

Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) celebrated his maiden grand prix victory – also the first ever for a Thai rider in Indonesia – when he rode to a dominant win in the shortened 16-lap Moto2 race. 

In a stirring ride, which saw Chantra put in numerous fastest laps of the race in the final stages, he held off a late charge from championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Team), who fought through from seventh on the grid to finish second.   

Aron Canet (FlexBox HP 40) finished second, also his second consecutive podium, proving he’ll be a championship contender in 2022 having raced through from 15th on the grid, while Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing), who started from the outside of the front row, held on for fourth.   

After scoring his first pole position, British rider Jake Dixon (Gas Gas Aspar) looked like he was headed for the podium, but he crashed out on lap five after taking second place from his compatriot Sam Lowes.   

Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing) passed the 15-year-old sensation Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) for fifth with four laps to go, with the young rider also losing sixth to Chantra’s Idemitsu Honda teammate Ai Ogura in the final stages.  

Vietti stays on top of the points table with 45 ahead of Canet (36) and Lowes (29). Chantra’s win moves him up to fourth with 25, one point ahead of Fernandez on 24. 

Moto3 

With form that saw him push Pedro Acosta all the way to the 2021 Moto3 world title, Leopard Honda’s Dennis Foggia put in a dominant performance to win the first grand prix held in Indonesia in 25 years.  

With Qatar GP winner Andrea Migno, the Gas Gas Aspar pairing of Ivan Guevara and Sergio Garcia, and Foggia all scrapping for the lead early in the 23-lap race, Foggia found his way to the front by the fourth lap and made the most of the clean air to keep his tyres in check in the hot conditions.  

Pole man Carlos Tatay (CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP) was served a long-lap penalty and rejoined the race in 14th, but showed impressive speed to fight his way back through to the final podium place. Guevara won the battle for second, helped by a chaotic last lap where Ayumi Sasaki (Max Sterilgarda Husqvarna) took out a luckless Migno. Garcia had to settle for fourth ahead of Red Bull KTM’s Deniz Öncü. Australia’s Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power) got as high as 13th in the race but suffered a highside at the very last corner of the race for zero points.      

Foggia leads the points on 35 ahead of Garcia (33), Guevara (28), Migno (25) and Öncü (24). 

Round 3 of the 2022 MotoGP Championship sees the title fight head to South America, with the Gran Premio Michelin de la República Argentina descending on Argentina’s Termas de Rio Hondo circuit over April 1 to 3.