Sunday MotoGP Race
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) took the Grand Prix honours on Sunday at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, poised under pressure as he got back to the business of winning in MotoGP – despite tension in the pitbox as small puffs of smoke ramped up the drama.
In second place, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) kept equally cool to take an incredible seventh MotoGP World Championship with second place, completing the greatest comeback in sporting history – 2184 days after he last ruled the most exciting sport on Earth.
In third, the headlines kept coming – Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) got back on the podium for the first time since 2021, and gave Honda a home podium to celebrate on a day for the history books at Motegi.
But back to where it started. And so, after a weekend of anticipation, it was time to get the ball rolling on the MotoGP Grand Prix to see whether Marc Marquez would clinch his seventh MotoGP title. At lights out, Bagnaia got a lovely launch again to grab the holeshot ahead of a fast-starting Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), as Marc Marquez kept hold of P3 on the opening lap. Alex Marquez was P7, one place behind Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing).
Pecco’s lead at the start of Lap 2 was 0.7s over Acosta, as Mir picked his way back up to P4 after dropping to P6 on the opening lap from the front row. And on the next lap, a 1:44.412 saw Pecco lead by 1.2s, with Marc Marquez tucked right behind his compatriot in P3.
There was an early retirement for Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) who encountered an issue on his RC213V to end another positive weekend prematurely. That meant HRC’s sole podium hopes fell into the lap of Mir, and the 2020 World Champion was less than half a second away from Marc Marquez’s rear tyre.
At the end of Lap 6, Pecco’s lead crept beyond the two second mark, while it was as you were in the podium fight – but Mir gained some time on the #93 after the champion elect made a small error at Turn 5. Then, on Lap 9 of 24, another slight error came at Turn 10. It didn’t cost Marc Marquez too much time, but this wasn’t as smooth sailing as it could have been so far as he and Mir began to reel in Acosta.
By Lap 11, Acosta’s pace was beginning to suffer and at Turn 3, Marc Marquez drew alongside the KTM and made a move for P2 stick. And straight away, Marquez was able to begin lapping a very similar pace to his teammate Pecco, who was 3.7s up the road at the start of Lap 13. Marquez, meanwhile, had put some breathing space between him and Acosta, one second of it to be exact, as the #37 began to come under plenty of pressure from Mir, with Bezzecchi sniffing a podium chance in P4.
The pressure then told as Mir made a classy Turn 7 move up the inside of Acosta to jump into P3, as we then saw smoke coming out of his Ducati. What was the problem? Was it race ending? Not for now, and he wasn’t losing time either – but this was a concern for Bagnaia and Ducati, who was leading by 4.1s.
The gap went up again by a tenth on Lap 16, so for the time being, it wasn’t a full-on issue. In the meantime, Acosta’s podium hopes were fading quickly as Bezzecchi and then Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) got the better of him.
With seven laps to go, Marc Marquez was in a title-winning position. And as comfortable as one could be in his position P2, with Mir slowly chipping away at the gap between the former HRC teammates in P3. Mir, meanwhile, was 2.4s clear of Bezzecchi as the #36 and HRC began to dream of a phenomenal return to the podium.
Acosta’s top six hopes then ended with a Turn 1 runoff, as we saw more smoke coming out of Bagnaia’s Ducati. Pensive and worried faces were plastered across the factory Ducati box and pitboard, and across millions of faces around the world, but Pecco continued on his way for now. The gap was coming down; it was now 2.8s with four laps left, but Pecco wasn’t even looking down or noticing something might be going wrong. Stange.
With two laps to go, Pecco led Marc Marquez by two seconds. As things stood, Marc Marquez just needed to guide his Ducati home for the greatest comeback to be completed. Mir was comfortable and now, a very lonely P3.
Last lap time. And history beckoned. A long look over the shoulder came on the exit of Turn 2, and it was empty space. You’re under no threat from behind Marc, that seventh MotoGP title was a minute and a half away. Bagnaia crossed the line to take his first double of the season, very much back in business, as just behind, more history was made.
Four surgeries. Four years of mostly blood, sweat and tears. But finally, for the first time since 2019, Marc Marquez stands atop the world with a seventh MotoGP World Championship – the longest wait a rider has ever had between premier class crowns.
Mir, after coming close on Saturday, completes the podium after his own journey of bad luck and a difficult run, the 2020 Champion delivering the goods for Honda on home turf.
Fourth went to Bezzecchi as he made big progress, just holding off Morbidelli by the flag. Alex Marquez takes P6 after a tougher weekend for MM93’s sole remaining rival on the way in. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) and Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) completed the top ten.
2025 Japanese MotoGP Results—Sunday MotoGP Race
| 1 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP25) | 42m 9.312s |
| 2 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Ducati Lenovo (GP25) | +4.196s |
| 3 | Joan Mir | SPA | Honda HRC Castrol (RC213V) | +6.858s |
| 4 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP25) | +10.128s |
| 5 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP24) | +10.421s |
| 6 | Alex Marquez | SPA | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP24) | +14.544s |
| 7 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP25) | +17.588s |
| 8 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +21.160s |
| 9 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Castrol Honda LCR (RC213V) | +21.733s |
| 10 | Fermin Aldeguer | SPA | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP24) | +23.107s |
Moto2 Race
Hitting the front and clearing off, it was a masterful display from Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team), bagging a second win of his rookie season at Motegi. Taking over the reins on Lap 2 and pulling out a lead, he beat Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team). In the title fight, Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) had to serve a Long Lap Penalty after a collision with Celestino Vietti (Beta Tools SpeedRS Team) but finished fifth, sporting a 34-point lead to Indonesia.
It was a mega start from Moreira, who came bursting through from fifth on the grid to lead through Turns 1 and 2, getting the better of Holgado who had originally grabbed the holeshot. Polesitter Gonzalez had a tough start, dropping down to P9 by the end of the opening lap after being pushed and shoved at the start. At Turn 3 on Lap 2, Holgado took the lead back from Moreira, who was just ahead of Tony Arbolino (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) and Friday’s pacesetter Dixon.
Having dropped down to ninth, Gonzalez began to scrap with Vietti on Lap 4 but their battle boiled over. Vietti re-passed the Spaniard at Turn 9 but the Championship leader let the brakes off at Turn 10 and tangled with the #13. Vietti’s Grand Prix ended in the gravel whilst Gonzalez continued but was handed a Long Lap Penalty for causing a crash.
Moreira’s firecracker start was now over and he started dropping back, first to Arbolino at the start of Lap 6 and then to Dixon at Turn 5 on Lap 7. Whilst they battled, they hadn’t seen which way Holgado had gone as the Catalan GP winner had pulled out a lead of over three seconds. On Lap 9, ‘Manugas’ served his Long Lap Penalty, dropping him from P7 to P9 with main title rival Moreira in fourth but under attack from David Alonso (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team). A mistake at the end of Lap 10 by Arbolino allowed Dixon to come through into second but was now over four seconds adrift of runaway leader Holgado.
With five laps to go, Moreira came through on Arbolino at Turn 7, an important move in the title race with Gonzalez down in seventh. Arbolino’s afternoon then got worse as Alonso bounced through into fourth at Turn 5 a lap later, the Colombian’s quest for a podium and taking vital points away from Moreira not over yet. Neither was Gonzalez’s comeback as he took sixth from Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) at Turn 11 with three to go before getting ahead of Arbolino for fifth place on the penultimate lap.
Nobody could lay a glove on Holgado as he took a second win in three GPs ahead of Dixon, who also made it a second rostrum in three. Moreira resisted a last lap onslaught from Alonso to hold onto a podium, taking five points out of Gonzalez’s title lead with ‘Manugas’ fifth. Arbolino clinched a solid sixth ahead of Baltus, Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – FRINSA – MSI), Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) and Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in P10. In 15th, Aron Canet’s (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) title aspirations continue to fade and he’s now 49 behind Gonzalez… but it all could twist again next time out.
2025 Japanese MotoGP Results—Moto2 Race
| 1 | Daniel Holgado | SPA | CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar (Kalex) | 34m 50.326s |
| 2 | Jake Dixon | GBR | Elf Marc VDS Racing (Boscoscuro) | +1.304s |
| 3 | Diogo Moreira | BRA | Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) | +5.943s |
| 4 | David Alonso | COL | CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team (Kalex) | +5.985s |
| 5 | Manuel Gonzalez | SPA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (Kalex) | +8.426s |
| 6 | Tony Arbolino | ITA | BLU CRU PramacYamaha Moto2 (Boscoscuro) | +9.271s |
| 7 | Barry Baltus | BEL | Fantic Racing (Kalex) | +10.137s |
| 8 | Ivan Ortola | SPA | QJMOTOR – FRINSA – MSI (Boscoscuro) | +11.592s |
| 9 | Albert Arenas | SPA | Italjet Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) | +12.588s |
| 10 | Collin Veijer | NED | Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) | +12.635s |
Moto3 Race
As the saying goes, fortune favours the brave – and that was exactly the case in a classic Moto3™ encounter at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan as David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) earned a dominant win in tricky conditions. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) strung together a fantastic late race charge to finish in P2 and therefore head to Indonesia with a chance at clinching the title, as Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) fended off Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) in the final sector to collect his eighth rostrum of the year.
Rueda got the launch he would have been hoping for from pole, and so did Perrone from P2, as Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) pocketed an early P3 on home soil before Joel Kelso (LEVELUP – MTA), Muñoz, Quiles and Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) picked their way through the order.
Turn 5, Lap 2 – the first change for the lead. Kelso it was who shoved his way past Rueda, before Muñoz followed the Aussie through. A lap later, Quiles and Perrone demoted Rueda to P5, as David Almansa (Leopard Racing) set the fastest lap of the race to latch onto the back of the lead group having started from the back of the grid.
Spots of rain were in the air to add a little more dose of spice to this Moto3 scrap, as Quiles – on Lap 4 – grabbed the race lead baton for the first time, but P1 was changing a lot in the opening half of the race. Kelso’s victory charge became a little trickier at Turn 10 when he and Almansa had a slight bit of contact, which saw the #66 drop to outside the top 10.
By Lap 8, Muñoz was a second clear of Furusato as the rain spots got a little heavier in some parts of the circuit. The group was split now and our top two in the championship, Rueda and Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), were P10 and P9, with Perrone, Quiles and Almansa operating in the top five.
Then, disappointment for the home crowd as Furusato highsided at Turn 2 on Lap 9 out of second place, and after initially getting his Honda going, Furusato crashed again. This time on the exit of Turn 5 in the tunnel – thankfully, he was all ok.
With six laps to go, Muñoz led Perrone by 1.5s, with the Argentine 0.9s clear of Quiles. Rueda was P6 behind the two Leopard Hondas of Almansa and Adrian Fernandez, with Ryusei Yamanaka and Piqueras in tow.
Then, drama. Piqueras was down at Turn 10, but such was the rapidness of the remount, the rider second in the title race was still in P11 – but the #36 was losing more points to Rueda, who was now P5 in a Leopard sandwich.
With two to go, Almansa’s brilliant ride ended with a crash as Rueda entered the podium battle with Quiles and Perrone. Muñoz was 1.9s up the road and had a third win of the season in his hands, but only two of Quiles, Rueda and Perrone would join him on the Motegi rostrum. Rueda snatched P2 at Turn 7 and defended well down the hill into Turn 11, as Perrone launched a late attack on Quiles through Turn 13. Quiles held the outside line though, which became the inside at Turn 14, and that meant the rookie battle for P3 was won by Quiles as Muñoz strode to a phenomenal win.
Rounding out the top five was Fernandez, who finished ahead of home hero Yamanaka in P6. Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) had a double Long Lap penalty, but that didn’t stop the Italian from collecting a P7 in Japan, with Kelso forced to settle for P8. Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Dennis Foggia (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) completed the top 10, with Piqueras – despite the crash – finishing in P11 as his title hopes begin to fade.
Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech3), the returning Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP – MTA), Carpe and Stefano Nepa (SIC58 Squadra Corse) were the final point scorers. So onto Indonesia we go, and it’s a big weekend ahead for Rueda.
2025 Japanese MotoGP Results—Moto3 Race
| 1 | David Munoz | SPA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (KTM) | 33m 09.599s |
| 2 | Jose Antonio Rueda | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | +1.618s |
| 3 | Maximo Qulies | SPA | CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (KTM) | +2.203s |
| 4 | Valentin Perrone | ARG | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (KTM) | +2.336s |
| 5 | Adrian Fernandez | SPA | Leopard Racing (Honda) | +3.853s |
| 6 | Ryusei Yamanaka | JPN | FRINSA -MT Helmets – MSI (KTM) | +5.496s |
| 7 | Guido Pini | ITA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (KTM) | +5.617s |
| 8 | Joel Kelso | AUS | LEVELUP – MTA (KTM) | +5.771s |
| 9 | Luca Lunetta | ITA | SIC58 Squadra Corse (Honda) | +11.955s |
| 10 | Dennis Foggia | ITA | CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (KTM) | +21.113s |
2025 Japanese MotoGP News—Saturday
Bagnaia is back
Pecco Bagnaia put in his most commanding performance of 2025 by taking a lights to flag victory in the Sprint to suggest he is very much back to his best.
“A big relief after one of the hardest periods in my career,” said Bagnaia of his dominant Saturday performance. “What we did in Misano has helped me a lot to feel good again on braking, feel good again on entry, and controlling. Today, when I decided to do the pole lap, I did a pole lap. So this is what I was able to do in the past. you know where to control.”
Asked to specify what changes were made to his GP25, Bagnaia said, “I don’t really know, but a bit yes, because the difference is huge. In the test in Misano, I was riding 0.7 faster, so quite a huge difference.”
Honda’s resurrection continues
In keeping with the second half of 2025, Honda’s resurrection continued apace at its home race with Joan Mir taking a brilliant second place in qualifying before just missing out on a podium finish.
“We have to be satisfied and happy with the work we’re doing,” said Mir, the first Honda factory rider that wasn’t Marc Marquez to qualify on the front row since Pol Espargaro in August, 2021. “We were waiting for results like this one for a lot of time. We showed today what we can do. In terms of confidence, for my mind, this is super important.”
“We improved the top speed which had been a big request for us in the past. So I’m happy with that.”
Martin KO’d – again
The factory Aprilia riders’ races were over before they started on Saturday. And Jorge Martin is facing yet another spell on the sidelines after he took out team-mate Marco Bezzecchi at the race’s first turn, fracturing his right collarbone along the way.
“The X-rays revealed a displaced fracture of the right collarbone,” read an official team statement that came soon after the race. It was quickly determined that he would return to Spain on Sunday morning to undergo surgery “for the reduction and fixation of a fracture of the right collarbone” by Dr Xavier Mir. Racing in Indonesia next weekend appears highly unlikely.
Despite being a bit beaten up, a contusion to his right leg was the extend of Bezzecchi’s problems. He’ll be fine to compete on Sunday.
MotoGP Sprint Race
Francesco Bagnaia: back in business. Ducati Lenovo Team’s double MotoGP World Champion returned to form with an almighty bang as the Italian cruised to a Tissot Sprint gold medal at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, beating teammate Marc Marquez by 1.8s. The latter, meanwhile, takes a huge stride towards being crowned 2025 MotoGP World Champion on Sunday with that P2, because Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) finished P10, meaning no points were scored in the blue corner. And after a slightly dramatic day, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) salvaged a Saturday P3 for the Austrian manufacturer.
Bagnaia earned the holeshot from pole position with Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) keeping hold of P2, as a double dose of drama unfolded for Aprilia Racing’s Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin as both crashed out at Turn 1. Replays showed Martin got it all out of shape on the brakes and unfortunately tumbled into the pack, with Bezzecchi the unlucky rider to also go down in the incident. Unfortunately, the crash saw Martin sustain a broken collarbone, ruling him out of Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Elsewhere, Marc Marquez lost a place to Acosta and at the end of Lap 1, Pecco led the field by 0.6s. Alex Marquez was P9 at the end of Lap 1, and remember, he’s the only rider who can stop Marc Marquez from clinching the title at the close of play on Sunday. Acosta, on the move once more, pinched P2 from Mir at Turn 5.
Back-to-back fastest laps of the Sprint saw Pecco edge his advantage up to 0.8s by the end of Lap 3, with teammate Marc Marquez still sitting behind third place Mir. And that stayed like it was as the Sprint clocked onto Lap 6, with Marquez’s two attempts at passing his former HRC teammate not coming off so far.
Up front, Pecco’s lead was now 1.6s as the Italian set a commanding pace. Acosta was lapping 0.5s ahead of the Mir, Marc Marquez battle, with Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) 0.8s in arrears in P5
Then, Marc Marquez did make a move stick on Mir – and it was an aggressive one too. Turn 10 was the spot, a block pass on the Honda rider, but it was a harsh move that stuck as the #93 moved into the bronze medal spot with four laps to go. Up next: Acosta.
And with three laps left, Turn 10 – again – saw Marc Marquez carve up the inside of Acosta to shuffle into P2, as Alex Marquez dropped to P10 behind home hero Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team). As things stood, he was gaining nine points on his title rival, and if that remains the same tomorrow, the 2025 MotoGP crown would be his.
Bagnaia shot onto the last lap with a 2.4s lead over Marquez, with Acosta clinging onto P3 bu 0.5s over Mir. Is the #63 back to his best? Well, today he was. Vintage Bagnaia stood up on Tissot Sprint Saturday to collect his first gold medal of the season, as Marc Marquez took a giant leap towards becoming a seven-time MotoGP World Champion in Japan with P2. Acosta held off Mir for P3, 0.6s the gap between the Spaniards over the line.
Mir’s P4 rounded off a very successful day for the 2020 MotoGP World Champion and HRC on home turf, as Morbidelli completed the top five. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) kept Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) behind him as the Frenchman and Italian earned P6 and P7 ahead of Raul Fernandez and Trackhouse teammate Ogura, with the Japanese rider beating Alex Marquez to the final Sprint point.
2025 Japanese MotoGP Results—MotoGP Sprint Race
| 1 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP25) | 20m 59.113s |
| 2 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Ducati Lenovo (GP25) | +1.842s |
| 3 | Pedro Acosta | SPA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +3.674s |
| 4 | Joan Mir | SPA | Honda HRC Castrol (RC213V) | +4.300s |
| 5 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP24) | +5.130s |
| 6 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +8.913s |
| 7 | Luca Marini | ITA | Honda HRC Castrol (RC213V) | +9.102s |
| 8 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP25) | +10.334s |
| 9 | Ai Ogura | JPN | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP25)* | +10.480s |
| 10 | Alex Marquez | SPA | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP24) | +11.487s |
MotoGP Qualifying
The trials and tribulations of Barcelona and Misano now seem like distant memories for Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the double MotoGP™ World Champion snatched pole position at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, continuing a weekend that has seen him back to his best. Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) put in a stunner to run the #63 close in the battle for pole too, right in contention but forced to settle for second. Still, that equals his best ever qualifying in MotoGP. Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), meanwhile, completes the front row at Motegi as he faces down Championship point on Sunday.
Q1 was full of big names: Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), home hero Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and reigning World Champion Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) all aiming to graduate to Q2. Ogura and Morbidelli were the two provisionally going through with five minutes to go, with Alex Marquez only third.
Having gone into P2, Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) then crashed at Turn 5 and paid the price as teammate Alex Marquez moved into the top two to nab that sport. Morbidelli hauled himself back into P1 ahead of an impressive charge from Ogura, before Alex Marquez had the final say, taking P2 before more yellow flags came out. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had a fast one at Turn 12 and Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) went down at Turn 10, halting Ogura and Martin’s Q2 charge, leaving them 13th and 17th respectively, as Morbidelli and Alex Marquez headed to the pole battle.
As Q2 got underway, there was instant drama for Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who pulled back into the pits after his out-lap with a technical issue. As everyone’s first runs were coming to a close, they all chased Bagnaia who, having been fastest on Friday, was leading teammate Marquez and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). With the final run on the horizon though, there was plenty of time for surprises.
In the last burst of track action, a flurry of red sectors and fast lap times. Morbidelli was the first to take provisional pole before Marc Marquez snatched it away, but the surprise was Mir, who rocketed up to P1. But a career first MotoGP pole for the #36 was just usurped with less than 30 seconds on the clock as Bagnaia completed his flying lap and snatched top spot.
At the chequered flag, it was the first pole for the #63 since Brno and just his second of the 2025 season, ahead of Mir who equals his career-best grid slot of P2 and his best-ever for Honda. It’s the factory team’s first front row since 2023 and equal’s Honda’s best from this year, which was P2 in Germany with Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR). Marc Marquez’s title chances on Sunday remain undented however, as he took P3 and rounded out the front row, just 0.132s behind his pole-sitting teammate.
Acosta’s dramatic session saw him charge on late to bounce back and take P4, ahead of Quartararo who gave Yamaha their best home showing in qualifying since their Motegi front rows of 2019. Morbidelli completes the second row having been in the battle throughout, just 0.259s away from Bagnaia, whilst Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) made it two Hondas in the top seven as he heads Row 3.
Alex Marquez was only able to come up with P8, meaning he was work to do if he’s to stop the title celebrations this weekend. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) clinched ninth ahead of Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), Zarco and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team).
2025 Japanese MotoGP Results—MotoGP Qualifying
| 1 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP25) | 1’42.911s |
| 2 | Joan Mir | SPA | Honda HRC Castrol (RC213V) | +0.092s |
| 3 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Ducati Lenovo (GP25) | +0.132s |
| 4 | Pedro Acosta | SPA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.158s |
| 5 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.244s |
| 6 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP24) | +0.259s |
| 7 | Luca Marini | ITA | Honda HRC Castrol (RC213V) | +0.348s |
| 8 | Alex Marquez | SPA | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP24) | +0.360s |
| 9 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP25) | +0.412s |
| 10 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP25) | +0.442s |
Moto2 Qualifying
Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) hit back in style in Japan, taking pole to lead a duo of rookies as closest challenger Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) was forced to settle for fifth.
Equal on points with Moreira but with one less win, Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) has an even bigger challenge as he failed to make it up from Q1 and starts P22
Dani Holgado and David Alonso make it a CFMoto Power Electronics Aspar Team P2 and P3, the former pipping the latter late on.
Celestino Vietti (Beta Tools SpeedRS) is in fourth ahead of Moreira, with Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) next up.
Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing) is next up, making his way through from Q1 and just ahead of home hero Ayumu Sasaki (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP).
2025 Japanese MotoGP Results—Moto2 Qualifying
| 1 | Manuel Gonzalez | SPA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (Kalex) | 1m 47.925s |
| 2 | Daniel Holgado | SPA | CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar (Kalex) | +0.132s |
| 3 | David Alonso | COL | CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team (Kalex) | +0.204s |
| 4 | Celestino Vietti | ITA | Beta Tools SpeedRS (Boscoscuro) | +0.207s |
| 5 | Diogo Moreira | BRA | Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) | +0.228s |
| 6 | Jake Dixon | GBR | Elf Marc VDS Racing (Boscoscuro) | +0.293s |
| 7 | Barry Baltus | BEL | Fantic Racing (Kalex) | +0.321s |
| 8 | Ayumu Sasaki | JPN | RW – Idrofoglia Racing GP (Kalex) | +0.392s |
| 9 | Collin Veijer | NED | Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) | +0.636s |
| 10 | Izan Guevara | SPA | BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 (Boscoscuro) | +0.659s |
Moto3 Qualifying
Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is back on top at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, taking pole position by just under quarter of a second as he looks to hammer home his advantage ahead of a looming championship point in Indonesia. Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) impressed once more to take second place following his pole in Misano, with Joel Kelso (LEVELUP – MTA) completing the front row after getting denied late on.
Angel Piqueras (MT Helmets – FRINSA – MSI) is just off the front row as the #36, second in the standings, lines up fourth.
Home hero Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) leads the Honda charge in P5, just ahead of Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) completing Row 2.
Friday’s fastest David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Intact GP) edged out rookie Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) for P7.
2025 Japanese MotoGP Results—Moto3 Qualifying
| 1 | Jose Antonio Rueda | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | 1m 54.826s |
| 2 | Valentin Perrone | ARG | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (KTM) | +0.238s |
| 3 | Joel Kelso | AUS | LEVELUP – MTA (KTM) | +0.254s |
| 4 | Angel Piqueras | SPA | FRINSA -MT Helmets – MSI (KTM) | +0.268s |
| 5 | Taiyo Furusato | JPN | Honda Team Asia (Honda) | +0.361s |
| 6 | Adrian Fernandez | SPA | Leopard Racing (Honda) | +0.394s |
| 7 | David Munoz | SPA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (KTM) | +0.422s |
| 8 | Maximo Qulies | SPA | CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (KTM) | +0.436s |
| 9 | David Almansa | SPA | Leopard Racing (Honda) | +0.492s |
| 10 | Dennis Foggia | ITA | CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (KTM) | +0.618s |
2025 Japanese MotoGP News—Friday
‘Minimizing risk’ key to Marquez’s comeback
It was impossible for Marc Marquez to escape talk surrounding his impeding coronation as MotoGP World Champion for the first time since 2019.
While the years that followed his terrible arm injury in 2020 were difficult professionally, the Catalan stated they had been a useful period for self-reflection.
Asked what his biggest lessons were in that time, he replied “Minimize the risk! It’s not necessary in the personal and professional life always to find the limits. I’m a guy that I like to find adrenaline everywhere. Of course, respecting your body in another thing, this will be the target number one, respect the injury times, but then the second thing will be minimize the risk.”
Alex Marquez rewarded with full factory Ducati
Friday didn’t quite go to plan for Alex Marquez, as he faces his first trip through Q1 of the season. Yet the double World Champ was buoyed by news he will receive a full factory Ducati for 2025 after his sterling campaign.
Rather than running three new bikes and three year-old machines, like in 2025, Ducati will add an extra full factory machine to its roster for 2026. “Really excited,” said Alex of the news. “I think it’s a reward for the team, especially. If you see historically from Gresini with Ducati, from the first year with Enea (Bastianini), second one with me and with Diggia (Fabio Di Giannantonio) that won a race, also with Marc, this year with me, so unbelievable what a small team can do. We will have a factory bike to approach and to have the same things as the factory riders.”
Interestingly, VR46 Team Manager Pablo Nieto said Franco Morbidelli was first offered next year’s full factory bike but declined.
Casey helping Bagnaia’s return?
There have been as many false dawns as disappointments in Pecco Bagnaia’s 2025 campaign. But the Italian was much-improved on Friday thanks to a full day of testing at Misano after the previous race.
There was speculation Bagnaia had reverted to almost every part from last year’s bike apart from the engine, with some believing his ride height device was the 2024 version on Friday. The three-time champ also had Casey Stoner in his box, which he claimed was a help.
“To have Casey in my garage was something great. Also because he was giving to the technicians, to the engineers another point of view. It’s true that in the test also, him and Manuel [Poggiali – Performance Analyst] worked a lot together because they were arriving in the garage saying the same things. But having Casey that is someone outside of Ducati was helpful. Because he was saying different kinds of things that was helping a lot. And we also spent time together in the days after, with go kart, and at the ranch, speaking a lot, and it was super helpful.”
Friday MotoGP
After a mad dash for Q2 in the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, there’s lots to talk about on Friday. Despite two crashes in FP1, it’s Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) who heads into Saturday as the rider to beat. The Italian denied Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) the top in Practice, with Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) claiming a late P3 after sitting outside the top 10 for most of the hour-long stint.
In addition, on the first match point weekend, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) is Q1-bound for the first time in 2025 after a P15 finish that throws a little extra spice on qualifying…
After Bezzecchi’s double crash in FP1, Aprilia Racing’s Practice didn’t get off to an ideal start either as Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) went down unhurt at Turn 5, as we saw the top three from the opening session of the weekend sitting in P20, P21 and P22 with 15 minutes gone – Marc Marquez and Bagnaia sandwiching the reigning World Champion.
Midway through Practice, the factory Ducati pair had climbed the timesheets into P11 and P13, with Alex Marquez now sitting P23 and last. Elsewhere, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was setting the pace with a 1:44.044, Bezzecchi was 0.051s behind in P2, with Acosta third as Yamaha led Aprilia and KTM. Then, another crash – and it was Martin again. Turn 7 caught the #1 out this time before Alex Marquez was in the gravel at Turn 9. And at this stage, with 25 minutes to go, the #73 was still in P23.
Heading into the final quarter of an hour, both Marquez brothers and Bagnaia remained outside the top 10, but that changed as the latter leapt to P5. Up the road, Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) then shot to P1 on HRC’s home turf before Bezzecchi moved the goalposts – a 1:43.623 was now the benchmark time. Not for long though. Acosta responded to beat the Italian by 0.066s, while Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) promoted himself into the top 10.
As we dipped into the final 10 minutes, Alex Marquez hauled himself into P5 and right behind him on track, Martin shot to P4. Marc Marquez’s first time attack lap, meanwhile, was only good enough for P11. Teammate Bagnaia, on his second time attack outing, went from P9 to P1, as full focus turned to the other red Ducati. Three and a half minutes left, P14… that equalled uncharted territory for the #93.
Two red splits were followed by a personal best through Sector 3, and across the line, Marquez climbed to P3 as top spot changed three times. First, Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) was P1 before Acosta and Bezzecchi traded Friday afternoon honours, as we then saw the #37 KTM crash at Turn 1 to end his session prematurely.
So where did that leave us? Well, with 30 seconds to go, Alex Marquez was P13, Martin was P12 and Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) was P11 – all three had set the exact same time. And on his final attempt, Alex Marquez’s lap disappeared and for the first time in 2025, the #73 was Q1-bound on a weekend where Marc Marquez had his first match point.
Were there any late changes for the top 10? Two managed to make moves: Quartararo launched a late attack to go from P15 to P8, as fellow Frenchman Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda HRC) clinched P10 right at the end of the session to demote Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) to P11.
Mir’s brilliant late pace earned the 2020 World Champion P4 ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), an unsung hero of the timesheets on Friday, with Marini ending Practice in P6. Bagnaia slipped to P7 by the end of the session but it’s job done in terms of getting straight into Q2 for the Italian, as Quartararo, Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and Zarco complete 10 of the 12 Q2 runners. The remaining two will be decided in Qualifying 1 on Saturday morning.
2025 Japanese MotoGP Results—Friday MotoGP
| 1 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP25) | 1’43.193s |
| 2 | Pedro Acosta | SPA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.136s |
| 3 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Ducati Lenovo (GP25) | +0.167s |
| 4 | Joan Mir | SPA | Honda HRC Castrol (RC213V) | +0.168s |
| 5 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP25) | +0.198s |
| 6 | Luca Marini | ITA | Honda HRC Castrol (RC213V) | +0.310s |
| 7 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP25) | +0.346s |
| 8 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.401s |
| 9 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP25) | +0.473s |
| 10 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Castrol Honda LCR (RC213V) | +0.541s |
Friday Moto2
Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) just edged out home hero Ayumu Sasaki (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP) on Friday in Japan, taking to the top in Moto2™ Practice by a tenth and a half late on after the #71 set the pace for much of the session. Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) completes the top three, earning a place after the session following a tyre pressure infringement that scrubbed off the best lap for Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2).
Third in the Championship, Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) is much further down the order, suffering a crash in the session and now heading for Q1, as is his teammate Barry Baltus, who holds P4 in the Championship and also crashed.
Second in the standings, Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team), took P7 on Friday in a solid start to the weekend. He’s equal on points with Canet but has one more win so technically leads the Spaniard.
Tony Arbolino (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2), rookie Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) and Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing) slot into fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
Zonta den van Goorbergh (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP) is P8, with rookie Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Misano winner Celestino Vietti (Beta Tools SpeedRS Team) completing the top ten.
2025 Japanese MotoGP Results—Friday Moto2
| 1 | Jake Dixon | GBR | Elf Marc VDS Racing (Boscoscuro) | 1m 48.679s |
| 2 | Ayumu Sasaki | JPN | RW – Idrofoglia Racing GP (Kalex) | +0.149s |
| 3 | Izan Guevara | SPA | BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 (Boscoscuro) | +0.236s |
| 4 | Manuel Gonzalez | SPA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (Kalex) | +0.266s |
| 5 | Tony Arbolino | ITA | BLU CRU PramacYamaha Moto2 (Boscoscuro) | +0.290s |
| 6 | Daniel Holgado | SPA | CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team (Kalex) | +0.319s |
| 7 | Joe Roberts | USA | OnlyFans American Racing Team (Kalex) | +0.321s |
| 8 | Diogo Moreira | BRA | Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) | +0.342s |
| 9 | Zonta van den Goorbergh | NED | RW – Idrofoglia Racing GP (Kalex) | +0.368s |
| 10 | Collin Veijer | NED | Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) | +0.375s |
Friday Moto3
David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) takes top honours on Friday, edging out Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) by ove a tenth and a half – a similar gap to the one behind the duo to the chasing pack. That pack was led by home hero Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), who suffered a crash but then headed back out to improve his best laptime.
Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) made a move up the timesheets to end the session in P4 as he looks to try and cut the gap to Rueda. But the #99 is homing in on a first Championship point in Lombok.
David Almansa (Leopard Racing) takes P5, with Red Bull KTM Tech3 rookie Valentino Perrone splitting him from teammate Adrian Fernandez.
Joel Kelso (LEVEL-UP MTA) slots into P8 ahead of home hero Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) and rookie Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP).
Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL-U MTA) returns from a long injury layoff with an impressive P11, straight to Q2.
2025 Japanese MotoGP Results—Friday Moto3
| 1 | David Munoz | SPA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (KTM) | 1m 55.234s |
| 2 | Jose Antonio Rueda | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | +0.168s |
| 3 | Ryusei Yamanaka | JPN | FRINSA -MT Helmets – MSI (KTM) | +0.356s |
| 4 | Angel Piqueras | SPA | FRINSA -MT Helmets – MSI (KTM) | +0.392s |
| 5 | David Almansa | SPA | Leopard Racing (Honda) | +0.438s |
| 6 | Valentin Perrone | ARG | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (KTM) | +0.514s |
| 7 | Adrian Fernandez | SPA | Leopard Racing (Honda) | +0.547s |
| 8 | Joel Kelso | AUS | LEVELUP – MTA (KTM) | +0.555s |
| 9 | Taiyo Furusato | JPN | Honda Team Asia (Honda) | +0.592s |
| 10 | Guido Pini | ITA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (KTM) | +0.752s |
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