GASGAS FACTORY RACING TECH3 STOKED TO RETURN TO LOMBOK ISLAND FOR SECOND EDITION OF INDONESIAN GRAND PRIX

After one week of break to recharge the batteries, whether it was back home or somewhere else exploring the world, the GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 squad is ready for an action-packed October which will see the MotoGP™ paddock settle in Indonesia, Australia and then Thailand. But first things first, we are on our way to beautiful and paradisiac Lombok Island for the second edition of the Indonesian Grand Prix, at the Mandalika International Circuit, which hosted its first-ever MotoGP™ race early 2022. That means both Augusto Fernandez and Pol Espargaro will continue to learn about this layout, with the rookie trying it out for the first time in the main class, and Pol Espargaro for the first time on the GASGAS RC16.

After two intense weeks in India and Japan, rookie Augusto Fernandez will be without a doubt eager to return to the action, still pumped from his P7 at the Japanese Grand Prix in crazy track conditions. It was the rookie's second best result of the season on a Sunday after his fourth place at the French Grand Prix, a result he will look to reiterate more often, starting this week! Still, qualifying will be key, as usual, and Fernandez will have a big task on Friday and Saturday morning, as he continues to target better starting positions for the races. Pol Espargaro will be trying out the Indonesian GP for the first time with the RC16, so he will have quite a big task, as he continues to re-adapt to the 2023 package. The Japanese GP was a bit disappointing for the Spaniard who had higher hopes at the Mobility Resort Motegi, a layout he enjoys a lot. Still, he brought back to the garage points, but he will for sure look to bounce back this week in Indonesia.

MotoGP™ fans, we are with you for the next three weeks, and this is the schedule of our first week in Lombok Island. Augusto Fernandez and Pol Espargaro will begin their Indonesian campaign on Friday with Free Practice 1 at 10:45 (GMT+8), which will be followed in the afternoon by the sixty-minute-Practice. After hosting its first ever Grand Prix last year in 2022, there will still be novelty at the Mandalika International Circuit, which will host its first Tissot Sprint on Saturday afternoon at 15:00 LT. Of course, don't miss the qualifying sessions starting at 10:50 in the morning. Finally, lights of the main race will go out on Sunday afternoon at 15:00 LT, for twenty-seven laps.

Championship: 14^th

Points: 67

"The results in Japan were super positive for us, so I am looking forward to jumping back on the bike in Mandalika, and continuing working, improving, and trying to reduce the gap with the top guys. Last season in Moto2 was not so bad for us, so let's see what we can do this weekend. Eitherway, we have three busy weeks incoming, and I am super excited to get started with the Indonesian GP!”

Championship: 23^rd

Points: 12

"Honestly, I don't know what to expect for this weekend. The first time I rode in Mandalika, I was super fast and felt really good with the track. Then everything changed in the GP, so it is going to be interesting to discover how I am going to feel there. We also have some ideas to continue working on the bike that we couldn't test in Japan because of Sunday's conditions. I am still in the process of understanding the bike as it changed a lot from the one I rode at the preseason, and that is not so easy to do during the race weekends because of the schedule. So let's see if we find a good starting point to enjoy the weekend in Indonesia."

Team Manager

"After one week of break to recharge the batteries, it is time for GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 to begin the exciting October tripleheader, starting with the Indonesian Grand Prix at the Mandalika International Street Circuit, located on the magnificent Lombok island, next to Bali. Last year, we raced in wet conditions, but fans were really enthusiastic, the atmosphere was something, so we are excited to be back in Indonesia. Augusto Fernandez secured another strong top 10 result in Motegi, so he will aim to keep the momentum and get another strong result this week. We have seen some improvements over the last races in qualifying, which is one of our targets, and he will continue focusing on that this week. Qualifying will be even more important in Mandalika because of the weather's uncertainty. Pol Espargaro struggled a bit in the wet conditions in Japan, but it has always been one of his strengths, so we have no doubt that he will bounce back this week. He is progressively catching back with the speed, so I am convinced that our team can have a good weekend in Mandalika. Let's bring everything together in Lombok, and bring on the show Indonesia!"

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