Mandalika – The Indonesian racing talent competing in the Idemitsu Moto4 Asia Cup will face an important test when the championship arrives at Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit from October 9 to 11, 2026.
Six Indonesian riders supported by PT Astra Honda Motor will compete during the fourth round of the 2026 season. Four are regular riders, while two will make their appearances as wildcards.
The group includes Bintang Pranata Sukma, Muhammad Badly Ayatullah, Maulana Malik and Resky Yusuf. Valera Octavianuz and Abimanyu Fermadi will join them as wildcard riders.
Having six Indonesian riders on the grid gives the Mandalika round a different significance. It provides a chance to see how young riders from the country’s development program perform when competing against riders from other countries on an international stage.
Momentum From Japan
The Indonesian riders arrive at Mandalika with several positive results from the previous round at Mobility Resort Motegi in Japan.
Muhammad Badly Ayatullah produced the strongest result among the group by finishing third in the second race. The podium gave him an important reference point heading into the home round.
Resky Yusuf also showed competitive pace at Motegi. He finished fourth in Race 1 and fifth in Race 2 before a penalty affected his final position.
Bintang Pranata Sukma finished sixth in the first race, while Maulana Malik ended the second race in seventh.
Those results do not guarantee similar performances at Mandalika. They do, however, give the riders a starting point as they prepare for another circuit and another set of racing conditions.
For Badly, the podium in Japan provides additional motivation.
“I am very excited to face this Mandalika round. In addition to the podium in Japan, that result has become my preparation to compete again at Mandalika,” Badly said.
A Home Race Brings a Different Challenge
Competing in Indonesia gives the riders something they do not get at overseas rounds: the opportunity to race in front of their home crowd.
That support can provide motivation, but the riders still need to deal with the demands of the circuit.
Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit measures 4.31 kilometers. The riders need to maintain their rhythm throughout the race while making decisions quickly when the competition becomes tight.
For Bintang, Resky and Maulana, the Mandalika weekend also represents an opportunity to apply lessons from the first three rounds of the season.
Their experience in previous races can help them identify areas that need improvement. The challenge is turning those evaluations into greater consistency once the lights go out.
That makes Mandalika more than another round on the calendar. It becomes a practical test of how quickly the riders can learn and adapt.
Two Wildcards Get a Different Opportunity
The presence of Valera Octavianuz and Abimanyu Fermadi adds another dimension to the Indonesian contingent.
Both riders will compete as wildcards, giving them an opportunity to experience the Idemitsu Moto4 Asia Cup alongside young racers from different countries.
For Abimanyu, the weekend will also mark his debut on the NSF250R at Mandalika.
He is not completely unfamiliar with the circuit. He has previously competed there using a CBR250RR. He has also gained experience riding the NSF250R through the Thailand Talent Cup.
That combination gives him some reference points, but the IM4AC remains a different challenge.
The wildcard opportunity allows him to measure his development against an international field while gaining experience that could be useful for his future racing career.
“I am grateful and proud to have this opportunity. I will make the most of it and try to adapt as quickly as possible,” Abimanyu said.
More Than a Race Result
The presence of six Indonesian riders also highlights the importance of international competition in developing young racers.
A rider’s progress cannot be measured only through podiums. Racing against competitors from different countries exposes riders to different approaches, race situations and levels of pressure.
Mandalika provides that experience on home soil.
For the regular riders, the fourth round is an opportunity to build on the lessons from the opening three rounds. For the wildcard riders, it is a chance to enter an international field and understand the demands of the competition.
The different circumstances make the six riders’ targets different, even though they share the same circuit.
Mandalika as a Development Ground
The Indonesian round can therefore be viewed as part of a longer development process.
The immediate objective is clear: perform as well as possible during the weekend. But the experience also matters beyond the results recorded on Saturday and Sunday.
Every session provides another opportunity to understand the motorcycle, manage race pace and respond to pressure.
For Indonesia’s young racing talent, those experiences are important as they seek to progress through increasingly competitive levels of motorcycle racing.
The Mandalika round brings those elements together. The riders have the advantage of familiarity with racing in Indonesia and the support of local fans, while still facing competitors from across the region.
The Next Measure Comes on Track
The fourth round of the 2026 Idemitsu Moto4 Asia Cup will take place at Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit from October 9 to 11.
Race 1 is scheduled for Saturday, October 10, at 15:10 WIB. Race 2 will follow on Sunday, October 11, at 08:45 WIB.
For the six Indonesian riders, the weekend offers different goals but one common opportunity: to measure their development against international competition.
The results will show who can convert previous experience into performance. More importantly, the Mandalika round will provide another piece of evidence in the development of Indonesia’s next generation of motorcycle racers.
