Sunday MotoGP Race
Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) completed a dominant weekend at Motegi with victory in the Japanese Grand Prix, cutting Jorge Martin’s (Aprilia Racing) championship lead to just two points with four rounds remaining. It was Marquez’s 79th MotoGP victory and his second win of the weekend after Saturday’s Sprint.
Martin led the field away from pole, holding Marquez behind him while Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) moved past Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). Acosta slipped further down the order on Lap 2 as Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) moved through.
Out front, Martin and Marquez quickly established a gap, with just 0.4 seconds separating them on Lap 5. Alex Marquez served his two Long Lap penalties on Laps 5 and 7, dropping from the front group to ninth.
By Lap 10, the leading pair were almost two seconds clear of Bezzecchi, and Marquez made his move on Lap 11 with a decisive pass at Turn 9. The Ducati rider immediately began extending his advantage, while Bezzecchi and Bastianini closed on Martin.
Martin responded in the middle stages, trimming Marquez’s advantage to 0.7 seconds, but Marquez answered with the fastest lap of the race, a 1:43.291, to restore a 1.2-second cushion.
Behind them, Bastianini produced a spectacular late charge, setting four consecutive fastest laps as he hunted down Bezzecchi for third. The Tech3 rider closed rapidly but ran out of laps, leaving Bezzecchi to secure his second podium of the season.
Bastianini finished fourth, 12.4 seconds ahead of Fernandez, who won a fierce battle with Ogura and Acosta for fifth. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was eighth, followed by Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol).
Brad Binder, Fabio Quartararo, Somkiat Chantra, Maverick Viñales and Franco Morbidelli completed the points scorers.
2026 Japanese MotoGP Results
| 1 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Ducati Lenovo (GP26) | 24 laps |
| 2 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | +1.363s |
| 3 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | +2.252s |
| 4 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +2.33s |
| 5 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP26) | +14.815s |
| 6 | Ai Ogura | JPN | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP26) | +15.21s |
| 7 | Pedro Acosta | SPA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +16.928s |
| 8 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP26) | +20.333s |
| 9 | Fermin Aldeguer | SPA | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP25) | +23.545s |
| 10 | Luca Marini | ITA | Honda HRC Castrol (RC213V) | +25.677s |
Moto2 Race
Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) delivered a crucial victory at Motegi to slash Manuel Gonzalez’s (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) Moto2 championship lead to 10.5 points. It was Guevara’s second consecutive victory and third of the season, while Tony Arbolino (RED Fantic Racing) ended a 34-race podium drought with second. Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team) completed the podium for his fifth rostrum of 2026.
Gonzalez’s title challenge suffered a major blow before the start when a clutch issue forced his bike off the grid. The race proceeded without him, with Gonzalez eventually leaving pit lane almost 30 seconds behind the leaders.
Guevara converted pole into the holeshot ahead of Arbolino, Salač, Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – JP Financial – MSI), David Alonso and Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team).
The leading trio remained closely matched through the middle stages, with just 0.5 seconds separating Guevara, Arbolino and Salač. Ortola and Alonso gradually lost touch, while Celestino Vietti (BETA Tools SpeedRS Team) charged forward with three consecutive fastest laps to join the battle for fourth.
Arbolino made his move at Turn 9 with three laps remaining but ran wide, allowing Guevara to immediately retake the lead. That mistake gave the Spaniard breathing room heading onto the final lap, and he held firm to the flag.
Ortola finished fourth after a late battle with Alonso and Vietti, while Deniz Öncü (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) claimed his best result of the season in seventh. Holgado was eighth, ahead of Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo).
Guevara now heads to Indonesia with the title race firmly back in play.
2026 Japanese Moto2 Results
| 1 | Izan Guevara | SPA | BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 (Boscoscuro) | 34′ 14.675s |
| 2 | Tony Arbolino | ITA | REDS Fantic Racing (Kalex) | +0.419s |
| 3 | Filip Salac | CZE | OnlyFans American Racing Team (Kalex) | +1.057s |
| 4 | Ivan Ortola | SPA | QJMOTOR – JP Financial -MSI (Kalex) | +1.247s |
| 5 | David Alonso | COL | CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team (Kalex) | +1.544s |
| 6 | Celestino Vietti | ITA | Beta Tools SpeedRS Team (Boscoscuro) | +2.016s |
| 7 | Deniz Oncu | TUR | ELF Marc VDS Racing Team (Boscoscuro) | +7.037s |
| 8 | Daniel Holgado | SPA | CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team (Kalex) | +7.069s |
| 9 | Alonso Lopez | SPA | ITALJET Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) | +9.547s |
| 10 | Jose Antonio Rueda | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) | +11.517s |
Moto3 Race
David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) held off championship leader Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) in another thrilling Moto3 showdown at Motegi, securing his third victory of 2026. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the podium, with all three still mathematically in title contention.
Almansa grabbed the holeshot but Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) moved ahead on Lap 3, while Quiles and Carpe battled for the podium positions. By Lap 5, eight riders had formed the lead group, with home hero Ryusei Yamanaka (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) and Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL UP – MTA) among them.
Uriarte’s race changed dramatically on Lap 8 when he was handed a double Long Lap penalty after his team worked on his bike after the three-minute board. Almansa inherited the lead and began setting the pace, but Quiles gradually closed in.
Quiles moved into second on Lap 12 and appeared poised for another last-lap attack. A mistake at Turn 8 briefly dropped him a second behind Almansa, but he recovered to close the gap once more.
The pair went into the final lap separated by almost nothing, with Quiles looking for an opportunity through the final sector. He attacked at Turns 11, 13 and 14, but Almansa defended perfectly to secure victory.
Carpe finished third for his seventh podium of the season, while Uriarte recovered to fourth after his penalties. Salmela, Bertelle, Muñoz, Yamanaka, Joel Esteban and Adrian Cruces completed the top 10.
2026 Japanese Moto3 Results
| 1 | David Almansa | SPA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (KTM) | 32′ 45.644s |
| 2 | Maximo Quiles | SPA | CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (KTM) | +0.046s |
| 3 | Alvaro Carpe | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | +2.738s |
| 4 | Brian Uriarte | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | +3.610s |
| 5 | Rico Salmela | FIN | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (KTM) | +4.430s |
| 6 | Matteo Bertelle | ITA | LEVEL UP – MTA (KTM) | +5.584s |
| 7 | David Munoz | SPA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (KTM) | +13.080s |
| 8 | Ryusei Yamanaka | JPN | AEON Credit- MT Helmets – MSI (KTM) | +13.166s |
| 9 | Joel Esteban | SPA | LEVEL UP – MTA (KTM) | +20.962s |
| 10 | Adrian Cruces | SPA | CIP Green Power (KTM) | +21.031s |
2026 Japanese MotoGP News—Saturday
New track surface
The MotoGP teams were thrown something of a curveball by the new track surface around the Mobility Resort Motegi.
The new asphalt resulted in significantly faster times all weekend, with the lap record broken by half a second, and the Sprint race time some nine seconds quicker than 2025.
While there were a total of 29 crashes across Friday, the surface’s smoothness and added grip drew praise. “It’s good, really good,” said Alex Marquez. “The new tarmac helped me to have less front locking compared to last year, so I can stop the bike much better and the grip level is quite good.”
But problems for Michelin
Yet the new surface spelled troubles for Michelin. The French tire brand brought a harder tire allocation to Japan compared to 2025, plus an added heat resistant rear tire as a safety option.
There were strong rumors on Saturday afternoon that the safety tire would be a mandatory choice for Sunday’s race, after Pecco Bagnaia’s near terminal soft rear tire wear in the Sprint. Plus, Jack Miller’s massive drop off with the
Instead, Michelin outlawed the soft rear for Sunday, and “recommend” the hard. “The sprint race was very, very fast,” explained Piero Taramasso, Michelin’s Two Wheel Motorsport Manager. “One important point is also that in a sprint, there is no fuel consumption problem, so they have full power. Riders, they start like crazy with full gas from the lap one to the end. So this situation, it put a lot, a lot of energy on the tyre and spinning.
“Anyway, at the end of the day, we analyzed all the data, the tires, and the solution for tomorrow is that the soft rear will be not allowed to run in the race. You have the hard option with the stronger casing, and this is what Michelin recommend for tomorrow.”
Alex Marquez scuppers rivals
Alex Marquez was handed a double Long Lap Penalty for taking down Fabio Di Giannantonio and Pedro Acosta in the opening of the Sprint.
The Gresini rider missed his braking marker for Turn 4 and careered into the other two names before later conceding the penalty was “deserved.”
Despite some time laying in the gravel, Di Giannantonio was given the all-clear from doctors.
“I got a big hit on the right side, on the ribs and the hip,” he said. “Luckily, they checked and it seems everything is fine. But for a moment I remained in the gravel because it was difficult to breathe. I saw one rider coming really hot. I tried to open the door a bit. I thought I saved it but then I got completely hit by this guy. It was a bit unexpected but I’m OK. That’s the most important thing.”
MotoGP Sprint Race
Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) dominated the Tissot Sprint at Motegi, taking victory ahead of Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR), who claimed his first MotoGP Sprint podium and became the first Brazilian to finish on a Saturday rostrum. Championship leader Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) completed the podium after late track-limits penalties shuffled the order.
Marquez narrowly held the holeshot from Martin, who attempted to go around the outside before settling into second. Drama struck behind at Turn 3, where Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) made contact with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), sending all three out. All riders were okay, while Alex Marquez was handed a double Long Lap penalty for Sunday.
At the front, Marc Marquez began edging clear of Martin, while Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) initially held third ahead of Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3). Bastianini moved through on Lap 3 before Moreira and home hero Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) joined the fight.
Moreira made a decisive move to pass both Bezzecchi and Ogura, while Ogura then dispatched Bezzecchi to move into fourth. By halfway, Marquez led Martin by around one second, with Bastianini third and the podium seemingly settled.
That changed dramatically in the closing laps. Martin began struggling for rear grip, allowing Bastianini and Moreira to close rapidly. Martin eventually found himself under pressure for second, although neither rider could make a move before the flag.
The bigger drama came afterward, when both Martin and Bastianini were penalized one position for final-lap track-limits violations. Moreira was therefore promoted to second, with Martin third and Bastianini fourth.
Ogura finished fifth ahead of Bezzecchi, Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR), Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team), Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP).
2026 Japanese MotoGP Results—MotoGP Sprint Race
| 1 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Ducati Lenovo (GP26) | 20m 50.376s |
| 2 | Diogo Moreira | BRA | Pro Honda LCR (RC213V)* | +2.754s |
| 3 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | +2.466s |
| 4 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +2.508s |
| 5 | Ai Ogura | JPN | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP26) | +5.992s |
| 6 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | +6.984s |
| 7 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Castrol Honda LCR (RC213V) | +8.088s |
| 8 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP26) | +8.817s |
| 9 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +10.586s |
| 10 | Fermin Aldeguer | SPA | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP25) | +11.129s |
MotoGP Qualifying
Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) claimed a stunning pole position at Motegi, setting a new lap record of 1:42.371 to beat Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) by 0.110 seconds. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completed the front row, edging Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) into fourth.
Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) starred in Q1, topping the session ahead of teammate Raul Fernandez. Fernandez closed to within 0.001 seconds on his final lap but could not deny Ogura top spot. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashed during the session but was okay.
Martin laid down the benchmark early in Q2, producing a perfect final sector to establish the new all-time lap record. Marc Marquez twice ran off at Turn 3 while attempting to respond, leaving him needing a clean final effort.
Bezzecchi and Acosta both mounted late challenges, with Acosta using Bezzecchi’s slipstream to jump ahead of the Aprilia and secure third. Marc Marquez finally navigated Turn 3 cleanly on his last lap and came close to Martin, but his 1:42.481 was only good enough for second.
Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) qualified fifth ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), with Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) seventh for his best qualifying result of the season.
Raul Fernandez was eighth, followed by Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) and Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR), who crashed but was okay.
Ogura qualified 11th on home soil, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) 12th. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), the 2024 and 2025 Motegi winner, was the first rider eliminated in Q1 and starts 13th.
2026 Japanese MotoGP Results—MotoGP Qualifying
| 1 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | 1’42.371s |
| 2 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Ducati Lenovo (GP26) | +0.110s |
| 3 | Pedro Acosta | SPA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.122s |
| 4 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | +0.159s |
| 5 | Alex Marquez | SPA | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP26) | +0.175s |
| 6 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP26) | +0.257s |
| 7 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +0.298s |
| 8 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP26) | +0.370s |
| 9 | Diogo Moreira | BRA | Pro Honda LCR (RC213V)* | +0.545s |
| 10 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Castrol Honda LCR (RC213V) | +0.547s |
Moto2 Qualifying
A frustrating but, in the end, very successful Moto2 Q2 at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan played out for title-chasing Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2), who collects a fourth pole position of the season in a fiercely contested 15 minutes on Saturday afternoon. It’s all set up nicely for Sunday’s Grand Prix with Austrian GP podium finisher Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team) pinching a late P2 despite an early crash, as World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) earns an important front row in P3.
Salač’s crash came at Turn 1 early on when the Czech rider hadn’t yet set a time, with Guevara making a couple of small errors in his first run as tempers rose under the lid, with chatter once again plaguing the Austrian GP winner. Both responded superbly though to front the grid at the Mobility Resort Motegi, with Gonzalez a threat throughout for P3.
Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) lines up at the spearhead of Row 2 in P4 ahead of Tony Arbolino (REDS Fantic Racing) and the Spaniard’s teammate David Alonso. The gap between the top six? Just 0.252s.
2026 Japanese MotoGP Results—Moto2 Qualifying
| 1 | Izan Guevara | SPA | BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 (Boscoscuro) | 1’46.851s |
| 2 | Filip Salac | CZE | OnlyFans American Racing Team (Kalex) | +0.051s |
| 3 | Manuel Gonzalez | SPA | LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP (Kalex) | +0.110s |
| 4 | Daniel Holgado | SPA | CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team (Kalex) | +0.116s |
| 5 | Tony Arbolino | ITA | REDS Fantic Racing (Kalex) | +0.193s |
| 6 | David Alonso | COL | CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team (Kalex) | +0.252s |
| 7 | Ivan Ortola | SPA | QJMOTOR – JP Financial -MSI (Kalex) | +0.438s |
| 8 | Adrian Huertas | SPA | Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) | +0.453s |
| 9 | Celestino Vietti | ITA | Beta Tools SpeedRS Team (Boscoscuro) | +0.536s |
| 10 | Senna Agius | AUS | LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP (Kalex) | +0.555s |
Moto3 Qualifying
David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) claimed his seventh Moto3 pole of the season at Motegi, setting a new all-time lap record with a 1:54.572. The Spaniard edged Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) by 0.045 seconds, while Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the front row.
Uriarte initially set the pace with a 1:54.617 before Almansa responded on his fourth lap with the pole-winning effort. The closing stages were dramatic, with Uriarte crashing while chasing another improvement. The Spaniard quickly recovered and returned to action, but could only get within 0.072s of his best.
Carpe also had a moment in the gravel before producing a 1:54.647 on his final lap to secure his second consecutive front-row start.
Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) qualified fourth, heading the second row ahead of Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL UP – MTA) and David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP).
Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Marco Morelli (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) occupy row three, with home hero Ryusei Yamanaka (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) completing the top 10.
Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) suffered a highside and finished 18th.
2026 Japanese MotoGP Results—Moto3 Qualifying
| 1 | David Almansa | SPA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (KTM) | 1′ 54.572s |
| 2 | Brian Uriarte | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | +0.045s |
| 3 | Alvaro Carpe | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | +0.075s |
| 4 | Maximo Quiles | SPA | CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (KTM) | +0.282s |
| 5 | Matteo Bertelle | ITA | LEVEL UP – MTA (KTM) | +0.346s |
| 6 | David Munoz | SPA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (KTM) | +0.575s |
| 7 | Rico Salmela | FIN | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (KTM) | +0.675s |
| 8 | Valentin Perrone | ARG | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (KTM) | +0.882s |
| 9 | Marco Morelli | ARG | CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (KTM) | +0.897s |
| 10 | Ryusei Yamanaka | JPN | AEON Credit- MT Helmets – MSI (KTM) | +0.945s |
2026 Japanese MotoGP News—Friday
Viñales is back – and keen to continue
Maverick Viñales made his return to MotoGP action after a four-race absence when he desperately worked to recover his troublesome left shoulder.
The Catalan is aiming to gradually build up his confidence and finished Friday in 22nd out of 22 riders. Curiously, Viñales is on the look out for opportunities for 2027, even if he failed to secure a spot on the MotoGP grid full-time.
“I’m not done yet here,” he said. “I have many objectives to achieve. Obviously, there is no more space. Unfortunately, with the move of KTM, they left me out and it was too
late. I could not have any chance, but you never know in the future. Here, many things happen, maybe a door can open. My first objective is to recover, to be fully in shape that I can push at the maximum, and then we’ll see. I am not ready to give up.”
Nakagami out
After a stirring 13th place in Austria, where he successfully deputized for Joan Mir, Takaaki Nakagami was ruled out of his home grand Prix wildcard appearance after breaking his collarbone in a crash at the start of FP1.
A light shower of rain coupled with the new track surface failing to show up damp spots contributed to the Japanese rider’s fall. While disappointing to miss Honda’s home Grand Prix, Nakagami’s injury is a disaster for the two months ahead, when the factory was hoping its test rider could perform extensive work on its 2027 850cc machine.
“He broke the collarbone in not a really nice way,” said Alberto Puig. “It was the first lap. It was a little bit wet. Taka can only be unlucky. It’s a pity – not only because it’s his home GP, for him, as a rider, as a person. Regarding our project, Taka is a crucial person in our development so this was not expected. He will need four or five weeks to recover—that is, if the operation goes well. Aleix is also in the program. He’s not 100% fit also. But he’ll try to do his best also. It’s not the perfect scenario but we have to go with what we have.”
Miller causes Rins to “s**t my pants”
Jack Miller gave fellow Yamaha rider Alex Rins a scare at the close of Practice when he attempted some hijinks with the Spaniard on the back of his bike.
Rins’ Yamaha M1 had come to a stop at the end of the session and Miller was only too happy to give him a ride back to the box. Only thing was, the Australian tried to get his knee down with his pillion aboard, as well as perform a massive stoppie. “I s**t my pants,” said Rins after.
“I was hoping he was going to have his knee down, but then I looked at it back and I thought, “Ah, fuck.” He didn’t have footpegs,” said Miller. “I was a bit nervous when I was doing the stoppie. It came up remarkably well, and I was like, ‘Oh, fuck, but by that time I’d sort of slowed down too much.’ It looked good, had some people laugh, that’s what we’re here for.”
Friday MotoGP
Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) stole the headlines at Motegi on Friday, setting a new lap record to top Practice ahead of Austrian GP winner Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and reigning World Champion Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team).
The session was barely underway when a red flag appeared after Ai Ogura’s (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) bike suffered a blow-up at pitlane exit. After a brief cleanup, Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) led Acosta and Marc Marquez, but the order changed constantly as the session progressed.
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) initially found themselves outside the top 10, but the improving track surface produced a flurry of red sectors. Marc Marquez moved to the top before Acosta and then Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) briefly took over.
Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) and teammate Diogo Moreira surprised with strong late-session pace, while Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) also moved into the top 10. Zarco crashed at the final corner with four minutes remaining, followed shortly afterward by Moreira at Turn 5. Both riders were okay.
With the pressure mounting, Di Giannantonio improved to sixth, while Alex Marquez delivered the decisive lap. His 1:42.811 established a new Motegi lap record and put him 0.076 seconds clear of Acosta, with Marc Marquez just 0.024 seconds further back. Bezzecchi was fourth, followed by Bastianini, Di Giannantonio, Quartararo, Martin, Moreira and Zarco.
Ogura endured a difficult home session, finishing 15th and facing Q1, while Aldeguer was 11th, Bagnaia 16th and Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) 17th.
The session ended with a memorable Yamaha taxi ride. Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) ran out of fuel, leaving Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) to provide a lift back to the pits, complete with a stoppie into Turn 11.
2026 Japanese MotoGP Results—Friday MotoGP
| 1 | Alex Marquez | SPA | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP26) | 1:42.811s |
| 2 | Pedro Acosta | SPA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.076s |
| 3 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Ducati Lenovo (GP26) | +0.100s |
| 4 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | +0.218s |
| 5 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +0.349s |
| 6 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP26) | +0.386s |
| 7 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.419s |
| 8 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | +0.464s |
| 9 | Diogo Moreira | BRA | Pro Honda LCR (RC213V)* | +0.495s |
| 10 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Castrol Honda LCR (RC213V) | +0.574s |
Friday Moto2
David Alonso (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) set the pace in Moto2 Practice at Motegi, establishing a new class lap record with a 1:47.508. The Colombian edged Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) by 0.033 seconds, with championship leader Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) another 0.027s back in third.
Guevara bounced back from a frustrating FP1, where a stone penetrated his radiator, to set the early benchmark in the afternoon. His time remained competitive until the closing stages, when Alonso and Gonzalez moved ahead. Tony Arbolino (RED Fantic Racing) also showed strong pace to finish fourth despite crashing during the session.
2025 Motegi winner Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) ended the day fifth, giving Aspar two riders inside the top five. Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team), fresh from his runner-up finish at the Austrian GP, was sixth and just 0.156s off Alonso’s record-setting pace.
Adrian Huertas (Italtrans Racing Team) was seventh, followed by Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2), while home hero Ayumu Sasaki (Momoven Idrofoglia RW Racing Team) secured ninth and a direct passage into Q2.
Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) completed the top 10, setting up a competitive Saturday as the Moto2 field heads into qualifying.
2026 Japanese MotoGP Results—Friday Moto2
| 1 | David Alonso | COL | CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team (Kalex) | 1′ 47.508s |
| 2 | Manuel Gonzalez | SPA | LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP (Kalex) | +0.033s |
| 3 | Izan Guevara | SPA | BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 (Boscoscuro) | +0.060s |
| 4 | Tony Arbolino | ITA | REDS Fantic Racing (Kalex) | +0.093s |
| 5 | Daniel Holgado | SPA | CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team (Kalex) | +0.151s |
| 6 | Filip Salac | CZE | OnlyFans American Racing Team (Kalex) | +0.156s |
| 7 | Adrian Huertas | SPA | Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) | +0.422s |
| 8 | Alonso Lopez | SPA | ITALJET Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) | +0.431s |
| 9 | Ayumu Sasaki | JPN | Momoven Idrofoglia RW Racing Team (Kalex) | +0.478s |
| 10 | Senna Agius | AUS | LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP (Kalex) | +0.510s |
Friday Moto3
Marco Morelli (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) topped a dramatic Moto3 Practice session at Motegi, setting a 1:55.280 on his final flying lap to claim his first-ever Moto3 session victory and secure a place in Q2.
Ryusei Yamanaka (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) enjoyed a strong home round opener in second, with Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) third. Uriarte’s teammate Alvaro Carpe was fourth despite a highside at Turn 8 that sent him to the medical centre.
Championship designate Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) recovered from a Turn 3 crash to finish sixth, while David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) was seventh after falling at Turn 7. Teammate David Almansa also crashed at the same corner and suffered three falls during the session, finishing 10th.
Valentin Perrone, Veda Pratama and Matteo Bertelle completed the top 10.
Hakim Danish suffered another huge highside at the final corner, while Scott Ogden also crashed late and missed out on Q2.
2026 Japanese MotoGP Results—Friday Moto3
| 1 | Marco Morelli | ARG | CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (KTM) | 1:55.280s |
| 2 | Ryusei Yamanaka | JPN | AEON Credit- MT Helmets – MSI (KTM) | +0.016s |
| 3 | Brian Uriarte | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | +0.084s |
| 4 | Alvaro Carpe | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | +0.113s |
| 5 | Valentin Perrone | ARG | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (KTM) | +0.132s |
| 6 | Maximo Quiles | SPA | CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (KTM) | +0.229s |
| 7 | David Munoz | SPA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (KTM) | +0.281s |
| 8 | Veda Pratama | INA | Honda Team Asia (Honda) | +0.317s |
| 9 | Matteo Bertelle | ITA | LEVEL UP – MTA (KTM) | +0.336s |
| 10 | David Almansa | SPA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (KTM) | +0.350s |
