As always, we looked ahead to the upcoming Grand Prix with a MotoGP™ Fantasy preview before a wheel had turned in anger. Now though, after Friday’s running at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, are there any standouts you should be looking at bringing into your teams for Round 2? Let’s have a look.
Yamaha back firing in Mandalika?
A 1-2 finish for World Champion Fabio Quartararo and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ teammate Franco Morbidelli on Day 1 suggests the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit is being kinder than the Lusail International Circuit was to the YZR-M1s. At 2.2m, Morbidelli is a cheap option that looks like a great shout at this early point of the weekend. Quartararo’s price is a bulkier 4.2m, so if you’ve not already got the Frenchman, he’ll be a little bit harder to reach.
Both Yamahas seem like good selection candidates this weekend, as tipped before the weekend sprang into life, but that could all change in FP3 and FP4. Wet weather looks set to play a part on both Saturday and Sunday, so be mindful of that.
A chance to back some differentials
With the Indonesian weather set to have a say in proceedings, some differential picks might be worth a go this weekend. The top 17 riders are split by less than a second after FP2, and sitting outside of that threshold are four World Champions and popular Fantasy picks – Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team), Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). If Saturday morning is anything but fully dry, those four riders look set to take part in Q1. Only two, at most, will be going through to Q2.
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Why does that matter? Well, as we’ve seen from the opening night in Qatar and on multiple occasions in 2021, poor qualifying results make it extremely hard to achieve excellent Sunday results. Riders do accumulate points for positions gains versus their grid slot, but that’s harder than ever in MotoGP™’s current climate.
Riders like seventh fastest Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) and ninth quickest Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) might be shrewd choices this weekend, given they’re already inside the top 10, look strong, and are cheap at 2.7m and 2.1m respectively. World Championship leader Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) shouldn’t come under the differential bracket, but the Italian is also inside the top 10 and cheap at 2.6m. And the same can be said for Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) at the same price.
Wait as late as possible to make your changes
It’s crucial to try and wait until it’s as late as possible to make your changes. FP3 and FP4 can – and probably will – throw up some surprises, so seeing how they play out before setting and forgetting this week’s team could make the difference in your mini-leagues.
If the rain does fall in either FP3 or FP4, we’ll hopefully get a chance to see who comes good in the tricky conditions. If a certain couple of riders stand out, and there’s a possibility that the race will be wet, gambling on whoever looks good might be worth it. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) are names that slip off the tongue when talking about going fast in the wet. The Australian and South Africa at 3.2m should be on the radar of many.
Make sure you’re glued to your TVs at 10:50 local time (GMT+8) to see how FP3 unfolds in Indonesia.