The tropical haze of Mandalika isn’t for the faint-hearted. It’s a place where tyres melt, tempers flare, and sanity is optional. The Italjet Gresini Racing Moto2 team rolled into Indonesia with one goal, survive the heat and steal some points. What they got instead was fire, sweat, and redemption.
FRIDAY – THE SETUP AND THE SWEAT
Albert Arenas came out swinging, 12th fastest overall, straight into Q2. The speed was there, the rhythm building, but perfection still just out of reach.
“This Friday started well, we were quick in the morning session. In the afternoon conditions changed: we reached our goal of Q2, but the feeling wasn’t perfect. We need to improve for tomorrow, especially with the setup. From FP1 to FP2 we made a big step, especially in sector 3, and now we need to make the final one with the bike to have a good qualifying.”
Meanwhile, Darryn Binder was grinning under the visor, happy to be back in the chaos.
“Happy to be back on track here in Indonesia, I really enjoy riding this circuit even if the temperatures are insanely high, but it’s the same for everyone! We worked well today, tested both tyre options, and now we have a clear plan for tomorrow. We’ll try to take another step forward for qualifying.”
SATURDAY – QUALIFYING ON THE EDGE
Qualifying day. Asphalt boiling, every lap a gamble. Arenas fought the front-end gremlins and kept the rhythm alive.
“We made a consistent step forward with the setup. It was a difficult qualifying for me, I couldn’t put together the perfect lap, and I tucked the front in my fast one. I tried again, but I didn’t have much left. We’ve already looked at the data and know we need to work on the engine-brake, that will help our race pace tomorrow. We’re not starting from the front rows, but we’re very close in times. A good start will be essential to go as far forward as possible.”
He lined up 10th, close enough to smell the podium, far enough to make him angry.
Binder clawed his way up through Q1, improving but missing out on progression:
“In Q1 we made a good step forward compared to this morning and improved my lap a lot, but it wasn’t enough to reach Q2. Still, we closed the gap to the others and our pace has been decent all weekend. I can’t wait for tomorrow, it’ll be a hot race, but I’m sure we can fight for points.”
Twenty-third on the grid, a long road ahead, but Binder’s never been afraid of a fight.
SUNDAY – FIRE, FURY & FOCUS
Race day. The tarmac shimmered, the air thick enough to drink. Arenas took off like a man possessed, carving through the pack with surgical precision and Spanish fury.
“This weekend we made good progress. We still need to work a bit on the engine-brake, but we managed a solid comeback. Today we got everything we could, a fifth place and 11 points in the championship. Now we’ll study the data to arrive even stronger in Australia.”
Fifth place. Eleven hard-earned points. Calm words, but behind them, the fire of a man getting closer to the front with every round.
Binder’s race was a different story, part struggle, part redemption. He took the road less travelled, gambled on tyre choice, and made it pay off in the closing laps.
“I’m quite happy with today’s race. It was a tough weekend; we had two different tyre choices for the rear, and I was struggling with the one most riders preferred. So we went the opposite direction, with the tyre I felt more comfortable on, and in the end it turned out to be the right choice. Starting twenty-third is never easy, and the first part of the race wasn’t great, but my pace improved towards the end and I’m happy we finally got some points. The feeling is improving, I can’t wait for Phillip Island to keep building on this work.”
He finished 12th, dragging himself into the points and out of the flames.
POST-RACE UPDATE – A TWIST IN THE ORDER
Following post-race checks, Manuel González, who had originally finished second, was disqualified after scrutineering identified non-homologated electronics software on his bike, a technical non-compliance with no suggestion of intent or advantage. The updated classification moved everyone behind him up one position, giving Albert Arenas a well-deserved P5.
AFTERMATH – MANDALIKA DONE, PHILLIP ISLAND AWAITS
Two riders, two stories of endurance in the heat. One fought to the top five, the other clawed his way from the back, both walking away stronger.
Official Results (MotoGP.com):
- Albert Arenas – 5th place
- Darryn Binder – 12th place
Championship Standings (After Indonesian GP):
- Albert Arenas – 8th with 120 points
- Darryn Binder – 24th with 16 points
Mandalika was no paradise. It was a war zone of rubber and sweat, but the Italjet Gresini Racing Moto2 team left it alive, bloodied, and still hungry.
Because in this paddock, victory doesn’t come easy.
You don’t rest. You reload.
