Lap record gained, lap record lost and one pretty costly crash: Saturday morning serves up a storm in Japan.
A rookie on pole with a new lap record, track limits for an eight-time World Champion and a crash for the Championship leader make the headlines overflow after qualifying at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, with a fascinating grid set for our showdowns at Round 16.
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), just hours after being mathematically confirmed as Rookie of the Year, takes a maiden pole in MotoGP™ with a new lap record. He’s the first KTM/GASGAS rider to start from pole since Portugal 2020, and heads reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) after the #1 stayed cool to move up from P12. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) completes the front row as Aprilia get back in the mix at the front, making it three factories one Row 1.
Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) put in what seemed like a pole lap before it was dramatically scrubbed off for track limits, demoting him down the order onto Row 3, and it was an even more costly session for Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) as he crashed out – rider ok – but is now set to start from P11 for the Tissot Sprint and Grand Prix in Japan
Q1
With the threat of rain in the air and some drops on the track, Q1 seemed like it could all be about timing after the first runs, which had left Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) top. But there was margin to improve as the field headed back out, and Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) took nearly half a second off the benchmark to take over. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) then slotted into second, and in the final push, Miller, Quartararo and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) were the three really threatening to take a place in Q2. But there weren’t any huge improvements late on, meaning Morbidelli and Quartararo moved through.
Q2
It was action stations from the off in Q2 as most of the field stormed out of pitlane to put in their laps as fast as possible. That put Acosta on top but Bagnaia down in P12 as he didn’t set a flying lap straight off, but as the clock ticked down the red sectors came in thick and fast.
Bagnaia, despite a twitch on one lap, was able to slot into second just thousandths off Acosta as the second attempts started to come in. Next time round the reigning Champion knocked some tenths off to take over on top again, before an absolute stormer came in from Marc Marquez. Or did it? It stood for a couple of minutes before the lap suddenly disappeared – the eight-time World Champion had been outside track limits at Turn 4. So marginally, but MotoGP™ is a sport of fine margins.
In the meantime, more drama had already lit up the Mobility Resort Motegi. Under some pressure to move up the order, Championship leader Martin then suddenly slid out at Turn 9 – rider ok but qualifying over and ultimate grid position left in the hands of his rivals.
The crucial lap from Acosta was underway by then. The rookie slammed in his own new lap record, becoming the only rider to go faster than Martin’s 2023 best after Marquez’ effort was scrubbed off, and taking his first pole position in MotoGP™ right on the heels of mathematically securing that Rookie of the Year title.
Bagnaia sits alongside the rookie on the front row, with a quietly impressive weekend at Motegi getting much louder from the rider in third on the grid: Viñales.
THE GRID
Behind Acosta, Bagnaia and Viñales, Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) heads Row 2 ahead of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Morbidelli, the latter up from Q1.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and teammate Marco Bezzecchi are at the head of Row 3 with some high profile company: Marc Marquez. The #93’s second best after his fastest was scrubbed off sees him start P9.
His teammate Alex Marquez takes P10, just ahead of the Championship leader: Martin. Then #89 will be looking for a lot more once the lights go out as he aims to minimise the damage to that 21-point advantage, with Quartararo alongside after he didn’t manage to quite create the magic of his second row start last time out.
Another week and yet more drama… will there be more twists and turns when the lights go out? We’re about to find out!
SATURDAY
TISSOT SPRINT: 15:00 (UTC +9)
SUNDAY
GRAND PRIX: 14:00 (UTC +9)
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