One week after the excitement experienced in Japan, MotoGP heads to Indonesia for the sixth-to-last round of the season.
The first edition of the Indonesian GP was held 30 years ago, but at the time it took place at the Sentul International Circuit, which nowadays is used mainly for drag racing. Since 2022, MotoGP has raced at the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit and the crowd has multiplied: at Sentul there were never more than 79,000 spectators per edition, while at Mandalika there have always been at least 102,000, with a peak in 2025 of 140,324.
The GP data
According to Brembo engineers, who for the 11th consecutive year have been working closely with all the MotoGP teams, the 4.301 km Pertamina Mandalika Circuit falls into the category of circuits that are moderately demanding on brakes. On a scale of 1 to 6, it has a difficulty index of 3, even though the brakes are used in 9 corners of the track for a total of 26.7 seconds: 2 braking sections are classified as High, 3 as Medium, and 4 as Low.
The toughest corner
The toughest corner of the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit for the braking system is Turn 1: the MotoGP bikes slow from 304 km/h to 103 km/h in 4.4 seconds, covering 226 metres, thanks to a load of 5.7 kg on the brake lever. The deceleration the riders are subjected to at that point is 1.5 g, the Brembo brake fluid pressure reaches 12.3 bar, while the temperature of the carbon discs climbs to 590 °C.
The bogey track
For Marc Marquez, Indonesia has been a bogey track, as he has never managed to reach the finish line in the main races. In 2022 he crashed in the warm-up and did not race. In 2023 he fell in both the Sprint and the GP. In 2024 he finished third in the Sprint but was forced to retire from the GP due to a technical problem. In 2025 he was sixth in the Sprint but was taken out in the opening corners of the GP and was injured. By winning, he would equal Valentino Rossi for the number of circuits where he has triumphed (23), although the record belongs to Mick Doohan with victories at 24 different circuits.
Two fluids
In addition to aluminium calipers, carbon discs and pads, brake and clutch master cylinders, Brembo also supplies MotoGP riders with brake fluid. There are two variants to choose from: HTC64, which offers greater resistance to high ambient temperatures but lower hygroscopicity (the ability to absorb moisture from the air), and LFC 600 Plus, which is better suited to lower temperatures and ensures superior hygroscopicity.
Awaiting the first
Unlike other emerging Asian nations such as Malaysia and Thailand, Indonesian riders have not yet won a GP. A zero that could soon be erased by Veda Pratama who, in his debut season in the Moto3 World Championship this year, has already secured 2 podiums and scored more than a hundred points. On his Honda, the Indonesian uses Brembo calipers, just as all MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 riders do.