Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia closed the first day of free practice of the Indonesian GP, scheduled this Sunday at the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit in Lombok, in 6th and 21st positions overall, respectively.
With the track only partially dry after the rain that fell early this morning, Pecco was the ninth quickest in 1:34.357 in FP1, while Jack closed eleventh in 1:34.562. In FP2, the track conditions improved dramatically, allowing both Ducati Lenovo Team riders to lower their lap times. However, only Miller was able to take full advantage of the soft tyre during the final minutes of the session. The Australian rider was able to close with the fastest lap in 1:31.965, setting the sixth-fastest time overall and securing a provisional spot into Q2.
On the other hand, Bagnaia saw both his time attack attempts cancelled by the yellow flags after Enea Bastianini and Marc Márquez crashed out. The Italian finished Day 1 only 21st, but he is aware that he has the potential to be in the top ten, and if the weather conditions allow it, he will aim to improve on that in tomorrow’s crucial FP3 session.
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 6th (1:31.965)
“I had a lot of fun today, and I’m satisfied with this first day. The circuit management did an incredible job, and with the new asphalt, the track conditions have improved a lot. I thought we would have to start the day with the rain tyres because with the rain this morning, there were still some wet patches, but we were able to use the slicks straight away, and even in the wettest spots, the grip level was good. The surface was still pretty dirty, but the track has cleaned up after the first few sessions. In FP2 this afternoon, I tried to do a long run, and the pace is good, so I’m satisfied. Now the goal will be to be able to confirm the good results tomorrow morning in FP3 and get a good placement in qualifying.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 21st (1:32.845)
“I’m thrilled with the work we did today. Unfortunately, we were unlucky because I got both yellow flags in the final minutes of FP2 and could not finish my time attack. Anyway, I have found a good feeling with the bike, and the pace is very good. The track conditions are better than the test, and I feel good with the tyres brought here by Michelin, which make our bike much more stable. We definitely have the potential to be in the top ten in FP3. Let’s just hope it doesn’t rain and that we have at least a chance to try a time attack tomorrow morning.”
The Ducati Lenovo Team riders will be back on track tomorrow at 10:50am local time (03:50am Italian time) for FP3, while qualifying for the Indonesian GP will take place from 8:00am (CET +7), after FP4.
