Friday, September 27th - Practices
A particularly hostile debut session at the Mandalika circuit, but that doesn't stop the Snipers team from debuting in the best possible way.
Despite the many crashes by other riders during this free practice, both David Almansa and Matteo Bertelle manage to show off throughout the session, setting multiple fast laps, finishing 4th for Almansa and 7th for Bertelle
Great heat was also confirmed for the Friday afternoon practice 1 session, without preventing the team from closing a very good session.
Both drivers make their mark throughout the session, also leading Matteo Bertelle to stay on top during the first run
It ends the session confirming great speed, with Almansa in 3rd and Bertelle in 4th, although in the last laps traffic prevented both from signing an even faster lap..
Saturday, September 28th - Practices and Qualifying
The track continues to present little grip and difficult conditions during Saturday, beginning with Practice 2.
After a leading Friday, the morning session is more complicated even though good speed is confirmed by both drivers and Honda.
During his fast lap, David Almansa is hindered by a rider who prevents him from finishing the lap, resulting in a crash on the next lap that, however, is not enough to remove David from direct entry to Q2 thanks to his previous lap.
A goal that Matteo fails to hit, getting stuck at Q1 by only one position.
Qualifying begins with a good first flying lap by Bertelle, but after passing the finish line, he too is the victim of an accident that prevents him from continuing the session.
Enter David for Q2 trying to make the time attack alone, without seeking someone's tow. He manages to maintain consistency in all his laps, however, missing a fast lap as in Friday but regaining his confidence after the morning's incident..
Sunday, September 29th - Race
Matteo Bertelle's excellent start allowed him to quickly recover several positions, moving into the top 20 by the second corner. David Almansa also had a good start, gaining a couple of positions and staying close to the top 10.
However, Almansa was once again at the center of a dramatic moment: after just three laps, he was involved in an incident with another rider, ending his Indonesian weekend early.
Meanwhile, Bertelle continued his comeback, overtaking riders lap after lap, and fought to lead the chasing group for most of the race. It was a race full of action and adrenaline until the end, with Matteo finishing in 12th place after an incredible battle and a comeback of 12 positions, securing points again in a weekend that seemed destined to end much worse.
Riders Comments
After Saturday's crash, Bertelle had to deal with a painful leg. Happy with his comeback but still not fully satisfied: “I know I brought home points and a great recovery, but I felt we could have done even more, especially after Friday's results. Unfortunately, Saturday's crash left me with a painful leg, and it wasn't easy to race today. I'm glad I managed to get on track and fight despite the pain. Now I just want to recover before the Japanese GP."
The disappointment from Almansa after exiting the race early through no fault of his own: “The truth is, I was feeling quite good. In the race, I had a good feeling both with the bike and physically, despite Saturday's crash. I was slowly making a comeback, but the rider ahead of me fell, and I couldn’t avoid him. We were really unlucky today. Now we look ahead and focus on the next race.”