'Turn 1 is breaking up' - track repairs needed ahead of Mandalika MotoGP race?

While the dust and dirt that blighted this weekend's inaugural Mandalika MotoGP test will surely be addressed for the March 18-20 race weekend, the new Indonesian track might also have a more complicated issue to solve.

Riders complained of being peppered by small stones, apparently breaking loose from the asphalt, when following another machine throughout the three days.

"The worst part is Turn 1 and the last corner. It's like different tarmac, and in Turn 1, you can see a stone [hit my neck]," Alex Marquez said after Friday.

"I was behind somebody, and it's unbelievable. It felt like a gun or something. Boom! On my neck. Turn 1 is the worst."

"It wasn't the nicest thing to be right behind somebody, we were getting shot with stones and dust," agreed rookie Darryn Binder.

During Sunday's final day, officials were seen inspecting the track surface during a practice start period after 1pm.

"This track, for the size of the runoff areas, is one of the best ever," World champion Fabio Quartararo said of the circuit. "But I was behind Franco [Morbidelli] and I [was hit by] a lot of small gravel on the neck and visor.

"And I was only behind Franco. So imagine if you're behind three, four, five riders during many laps...

"Especially I think from Turn 1 to Turn 7, the tarmac is going away [breaking up]. But I think for the race, they need to resurface Turn 1, because it's a total disaster there. In three days, you can see the amount of ground that is coming lower and lower.

"So for me the track is safe, just this big problem of the tarmac going [breaking] away. I think that this will be the biggest problem.

"Also I think they will clean the track before we come [for the race weekend] because it was really dirty and as soon as you go out of the racing line it's just sliding so much."