Marc Marquez makes a perfect start to a potentially title-deciding day by leading warm-up for the Japanese MotoGP.
After a runner-up finish behind rejuvenated team-mate Francesco Bagnaia in the Sprint, where Alex Marquez failed to score in tenth, the Ducati Lenovo rider can afford to lose six points to his brother and still wrap up a ninth world title.
In other words, even if Alex wins, second place is enough for Marc to champion with five rounds to spare.
Marquez moved to the top of the timesheets for the first time this weekend with an advantage of 0.356s over Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer. Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi returned from a nasty Sprint accident to claim third.
Luca Marini, Alex Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia completed the top six, as riders moved from the soft to medium rear tyre ahead of the grand prix.
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Japanese MotoGP, Motegi – Warm-up ResultsPosRiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax1Marc MarquezSPADucati Lenovo (GP25)1’43.755s5/6314k2Fermin AldeguerSPABK8 Gresini Ducati (GP24)*+0.356s4/6309k3Marco BezzecchiITAAprilia Racing (RS-GP25)+0.366s5/6314k4Luca MariniITAHonda HRC Castrol (RC213V)+0.600s5/6319k5Alex MarquezSPABK8 Gresini Ducati (GP24)+0.613s4/6314k6Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo (GP25)+0.706s5/6316k7Miguel OliveiraPORPramac Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.792s5/6315k8Joan MirSPAHonda HRC Castrol (RC213V)+0.848s5/6316k9Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.856s4/6309k10Jack MillerAUSPramac Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.973s4/6312k11Franco MorbidelliITAPertamina VR46 Ducati (GP24)+1.038s6/6313k12Pedro AcostaSPARed Bull KTM (RC16)+1.039s4/6313k13Maverick ViñalesSPARed Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16)+1.047s4/6312k14Takaaki NakagamiJPNIdemitsu Honda LCR (RC213V)+1.065s5/6313k15Johann ZarcoFRACastrol Honda LCR (RC213V)+1.101s4/6314k16Enea BastianiniITARed Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16)+1.226s6/6313k17Raul FernandezSPATrackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP25)+1.245s5/6312k18Alex RinsSPAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.272s4/6313k19Somkiat ChantraTHAIdemitsu Honda LCR (RC213V)*+1.284s5/6311k20Fabio Di GiannantonioITAPertamina VR46 Ducati (GP25)+1.301s5/6316k21Ai OguraJPNTrackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP25)*+1.414s4/6313k22Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+1.618s6/6314k
* Rookie
Official Motegi MotoGP Records:
Best lap: Pedro Acosta, KTM, 1m 43.018s (2024)
Fastest race lap: Jorge Martin, Ducati, 1m 44.461s (2024)
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Missing from the grand prix will be outgoing world champion Jorge Martin, who fractured his collarbone after triggering a turn one collision with team-mate Bezzecchi in the Sprint.
KTM’s Pedro Acosta completed the Sprint podium, just ahead of Honda’s Joan Mir, who starts between the Ducati Lenovo riders on the front row.
HRC test rider Takaaki Nakagami, who injured knee ligaments when he was taken down at Brno, is the second home rider on track this weekend.
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