MotoGP Japan LIVE Qualifying: A new circuit record for Michelin!

One of the oldest lap records in the MotoGP category no longer exists thanks to an exceptional performance from Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) at the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday, the South African shattering MotoGP legend Jorge Lorenzo's 2015 record by more than three tenths after the KTM rider saw his tests AND his best Q1 results erased in India.

During this 14th round of the championship at the Mobility Resort Motegi, Francis Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) finished the day 0.029 behind the KTM, with third place going to Alex Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), which also exceeded the best time of Jorge Lorenzo in 2015. Against all expectations, the Aprilia RS-GP had an excellent first day on the Motegi circuit, where braking is very hard. The RS-GP number 41 was indeed ranked just ahead George Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team).

As for the top three in the championship, Francis Bagnaia looked behind for most of the day before a wild lap at the end of practice, and he said he had resolved some of his recent braking issues. George Martin destroyed the opposition in FP1, but then crashed and took fourth place in the afternoon, and Marco Bezzecchi came close to finish practice in fifth position.

Fabio DiGiannantonio, the Gresini Racing MotoGP rider, delivered an impressive performance. The #49 was the first driver to break 1'43 in Japan, and with sixth place on the timesheet, the Italian secured his only second Q2 appearance of the season. Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) will be present in Q2 for the first time this year, after setting the ninth time of the day behind Johann zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) and the second RS-GP of Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing).

Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), winner in 2022 at Motegi and now wearing orange leather, completes the top 10 of the day. The Australian crashed earlier in the session, but managed to advance to Q2 with his final effort. A few late yellow flags also played their part, due to the second crash of the day of Raul fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team).

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) lost a lap and ultimately did not make the cut, as he was one of the last to fall at Motegi, with the eight-time World Champion crashing out of turn 1 while looking with a quick turn. Instead, he will face Q1, just like the 2021 world champion fabio quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), who crashed at turn 6 earlier in the session and suffered a sprained foot. On the Honda and Yamaha grounds, it will be a hell of a fight to get through…

In summary, Brad Binder, Francesco Bagnaia, Aleix Espargaro, Jorge Martin, Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Johann Zarco, Maverick Vinales, Pol Espargaro and Jack Miller are therefore pre-qualified directly for Q2 while Miguel Oliveira, Joan Mir, Fabio Quartararo, Marc Marquez and the others will have to go through Q1 this morning.

But against all expectations, and contrary to weather forecasts, it is not raining this morning. It is therefore for the moment under cloudy skies but with a dry track and temperatures of 22° in the air and 35° on the ground, that the 21 drivers are preparing for qualifying in the land of the rising sun.

What will these qualifications hold for us? Before you know it, here is the table that summarizes the facts known so far...

Motegi MotoGP™	2019	2022
FP1	1'44.509 Jack Miller (See here)	1'45.192 Jorge Martin (See here)
Practice	1'55.232 Marc Marquez (See here)	1'43.489 Brad Binder (See here)
FP2	CANCELLATIONDUE TO RAIN (See here)	1'44.622 Marco Bezzecchi (See here)
Q1	1'55.300 Johann Zarco (See here)	1'43.997 Marc Marquez (See here)
Q2	1'45.763 Marc Márquez (See here)	1'43.198 Jorge Martin (See here)
Warm up	1'45.850 Jorge Martin (See here)
Course	Miller, Brad Binder, Martin (See here)
All time lap record	1'43.790 Jorge Lorenzo (2015)	1'43.198 Jorge Martin (See here)

Qualification-1:

When the red lights go out...we wait impatiently Marc Marquez and Fabio Quartararo, two of the headliners who could be drafted and join their 10 other comrades in Q2. The two men are also the first to take to the track, the Yamaha ahead of the Honda. Coincidence?

The first lap launched shows us Fabio Quartararo in 1'44.679 and, a few tens of meters further, Marc Márquez in 1'44.364.

But this is only an appetizer and five drivers are improving on the next pass, Marc Márquez registering 1'43.997 ahead of the French driver, then Augusto Fernandez, Franco Morbidelli and Raul Fernandez.

This is followed by an improvement of the Aprilias Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez in fourth and fifth positions, and it's already the end of the first run.

On the resumption, as if by chance, Marc Márquez is found exactly in the wheel of Fabio Quartararo...

This does not disturb the Frenchman, but in the meantime Raul fernandez lights the first three sectors in red, before starting the second phase. Fabio Quartararo ends up cutting his effort anyway, and Marc Márquez does the same, knowing that he is drafted.

fabio quartararo then begins a timed lap but it is invalidated for passing into the green part. During this time, Marc Márquez produced his effort in the Frenchman's wheel, thus pulling the chestnuts out of the fire of a game where the Yamaha rider was trapped like a blue...

Finally, Marc Marquez and Raul Fernandez will join Q2 while fabio quartararo will start from 14th position.

Results of qualifying-1 of the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix in Motegi:

Qualification-2:

From the launch lap of this 15-minute session, we feel a certain tension on the track. A few seconds later, Marco Bezzecchi suffered a very violent fall at 180 km/h.

The VR46 rider gets up as if nothing had happened and rushes to his box to collect his second motorcycle.

Meanwhile, George Martin registered 1'43.638 ahead Marc Márquez then explodes the track record in 1'43.198!

After these two fast laps, it's already back to the box to change the rear tire. The hierarchy is then composed of Jorge Martin, Jack Miller, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Marc Márquez, Brad Binder, Pol Espargaro, Johann Zarco, Francesco Bagnaia, Raul Fernandez, Maverick Vinales, Aleix Espargaro and Marco Bezzecchi who of course did not record any time.

Upon resumption, we note that Francis Bagnaia serves as a hare Marco Bezzecchi...

Francis Bagnaia then performs the second beat and Marco Bezzecchi, more cautious, still recorded the fourth time.

The 11th pole position of George Martin in MotoGP does not seem in danger, and the session ends with this classification.

We remind you that the Ducati Desmosedici GP23 of Francesco Bagnaia et George Martin have a new Holeshot Device which gives them a certain advantage: the start of the Sprint at 8 a.m. is likely to be stratospheric!

Results of qualifying-2 of the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix in Motegi:

Classification credit: MotoGP.com