Hot and humid conditions accompanied the MotoGP paddock on their way from Malaysia to Indonesia. After riders and teams had a few days to get used to conditions, to check out the brand-new Mandalika Circuit and set up the garages, the action on the 4.3-kilometer circuit got underway today.

Although proceedings have been slightly delayed due to a rain shower in the morning, and a dirty track surface didn’t facilitate the riders’ first taste of the newly added track, the WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team pair was out shortly after midday to discover the layout, lines and braking points on their YZR-M1 machines.

MotoGP rookie Darryn Binder approached the opening day cautiously, still having to get used to the big bike and the track at the same time. He found himself 1.25 seconds behind his teammate after 58 laps today. Both will have two more days to prepare themselves for the season and the second round of 2022, the first ever Indonesian Grand Prix in March.

DARRYN BINDER

“Today has probably been the most difficult day of my MotoGP career so far. Arriving here, I’m still trying to learn the bike. I had to learn a new track and in the worst conditions possible. So, I really struggled at the beginning of the day. Luckily, towards the end of the day, the track was improving, which was a good thing and I was able to make a step right at the end, which I’m at least a little bit happier to end the day a little bit closer to the front. The difficult thing was, there was only a little line around the track, that was really good, so if you made any mistakes, it ruined the lap completely. Anyway, let’s see what the weather does. Hopefully the track improves again tomorrow and we can keep working and learning.”