MotoGP, Japan LIVE Race: Double for Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez on the podium

On Saturday in Japan, Pecco Bagnaia won an incredible Tissot Sprint at Motegi ahead of Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez, reducing the points gap to 15 while Martin failed to get on the podium. The championship gap has been reduced to 15 points, also benefiting from the fall of rookie and poleman Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) who will be keen to take his revenge this Sunday for this long race, starting from his pole position. Let's review this starting grid.

Peter Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) took its first MotoGP pole position, setting a new lap record at Motegi. This is the first KTM/GASGAS pole position since Miguel Oliveira at the 2020 Portuguese GP then on his way to winning the race. Aged 20 years and 133 days, Acosta is the third youngest poleman in the premier class after Fabio Quartararo and Marc Marquez. Victim of a fall in the sprint while he was in the lead, he will try to become the second youngest winner of the premier class after Marc Marquez (20 years and 63 days in Austin in 2013). As there was no rookie registration before Q1, Acosta is now mathematically Rookie of the Year.

Francis Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) qualified second, as in 2023 at Motegi, for his 10th top-three finish in qualifying so far this season. He won his sixth Sprint victory in 2024, and it will now aim to achieve his fourth double (Sprint and GP wins) of the season. If he wins the GP race, 2024 will be his best MotoGP season in terms of wins and he will be the first rider to win eight wins (or more) in a single MotoGP season for Marc Marquez in 2019 (12), and will join Marquez, Casey Stoner, Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo as the only riders to have won eight or more Grand Prix races in a single MotoGP season. He is second in the championship, but is now just 15 points behind Martin.

Si Ducati wins, it will be its 13th consecutive victory in MotoGP, setting a new personal record. They would be the first factory to win 13 in a row since Honda from the 2001 Pacific GP to the 2002 German GP.

Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing) qualified third, which is his sixth top-three qualifying result so far this season and the best result Aprilia in qualifying at Motegi. This is his first front row since Assen. He scored a point in the sprint, finishing P9A win would be his 11th MotoGP victory and his second with Aprilia, with COTA this season.

With Acosta, Bagnaia et Casa Particular in Viñales, this is only the second time there have been three drivers from three different manufacturers in the top three in qualifying so far this year along with Austin.

Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) qualified fourth, earning his eighth top-six qualifying finish this season. He earned his fourth Sprint podium of the year, finishing P2, and he will now aim to claim his eighth MotoGP victory in total and third of the season.

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) Qualifying Position qualified fifth for his second best qualifying so far this season after Losail, Jerez, Catalunya and Emilia Romagna where he finished fourth. He withdrew from the sprint due to a technical problem. and will aim in Japan to finish on the podium for the second time since the start of the year with Qatar (P2), or to win for the first time since Austria 2021.

Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) qualified sixth for his fifth top-six qualifying result this season. He finished P5 in the Sprint and will be aiming for his first GP podium since finishing P3 at Jerez in 2021. He came close last weekend.

Fabio DiGiannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) qualified seventh for his best qualifying result since sixth at Assen earlier this year. He finished P6 in the SprintA victory would be his second in the premier class and a podium his third.

Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) qualified eighth, missing out on the top six in qualifying for the first time since finishing 13th at Aragon. He finished P10 in the sprint and will be aiming for his first win since India last year and a second podium finish in 2024, with Jerez where he finished third.

Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) qualified P9 after his fastest lap was disallowed due to track limits. He finished P3 in the Sprint for his eighth Sprint podium of 2024. He will aim to win for the third time this year with Aragon and San Marino.

Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) qualified 10th, the eighth time he has missed the top nine in qualifying. He finished P7 in the Sprint, and he will now aim to add to his collection of podiums in the premier class (two with Honda and three with Ducati so far) or take his first MotoGP victory.

George Martin (Prima Pramac Racing qualified 11th after crashing in Q2. This is their worst qualifying result since Austria last year, where he qualified 12th. He finished P4 of the Sprint and this Sunday he will try to take his ninth MotoGP victory and his fourth of the season. He is still leading the championship, but with less than 15 points ahead of bagnaia.

Starting grid for the Japanese Grand Prix:

Sprint Race Results MotoGP

MotoGP General Ranking

What will this have in store for us? Japanese Grand Prix ? Before you know it, here is the table that summarizes the facts known so far.

MotoGP™ Japan, Motegi	2023	2024
FP1	1'45.192 Jorge Martin (See here)	1'45.209 Francesco Bagnaia (See here)
Practice	1'43.489 Brad Binder (See here)	1'43.436 Brad Binder (See here)
FP2	1'44.622 Marco Bezzecchi (See here)	1'44.569 Francesco Bagnaia (See here)
Q1	1'43.997 Marc Marquez (See here)	1'43.746 Franco Morbidelli (See here)
Q2	1'43.198 Jorge Martin (See here)	1'43.018 Pedro Acosta (See here)
Sprint	Martin, Binder, Bagnaia (See here)	Bagnaia, Bastianini, Marc Marquez
Warm Up	1'46.047 Jack Miller (See here)	(See here)
Course	Martin, Bagnaia, M. Marquez (See here)	Bagnaia, Martin, Marc Marquez
All time lap record	1'43.198 Jorge Martin (See here)	1'43.018 Pedro Acosta (See here)

Welcome to the Motegi track!!

It's race day, we're ready, are you?

Here is the rain mode atmosphere for the Japanese public!

Grid...

The local stopover…Nakagami!

It's time to make your predictions...

Martin is ready!

Drivers will have 24 laps to complete

A few drops of rain are falling...

The leading drivers set off on medium tires…21° in the air and 26° on the track, the sky is threatening.

warm up lap

They are launched and it is Bagnaia who takes the lead ahead of Acosta, Binder, Bastianini and MMarquez. Martin, 6th, turns into 4th position very quickly.

Fall of AMarquez, fall of Mir

After 1 round, the top10 is as follows: Bagnaia, Acosta, Binder, Martin, Miller, MMarquez, Bastianini, Morbidelli, AEspargaro and Bezzecchi

Acosta's fall!

This suits Martin, who gets rid of Binder and takes 2nd position. 1.430s separate him from Bagnaia.

There are 20 laps left, and in front Bagnaia is making an effort to break away from his pursuer...this is what Martin is also doing to get back...the battle is about to begin...1.100s separate the 2 drivers.

Behind MMarquez, Binder and Bastianini complete the top 5

Fall of Afernandez

There are 18 laps left and the gap between Bagnaia and Martin is melting like snow in the sun...0.999s...These two are responding to each other with their time trials...

Touch…touch!!

Bestia is on Binder…impossible to overtake “the beast”!! He passes but is caught right away!!

White flag waved...riders can change bikes if they wish.

With 14 laps to go, the top10 is made up of: Bagnaia, Martin, MMarquez, Bastianini, Binder, Morbidelli, Bezzecchi, Miller, Di Giannantonio and AEspargaro

Vinales Falls

Bagnaia makes the effort to drop Martin, 1.233s separate the 2 men.

10 laps remain and the positions ahead do not change: Bagnaia manages his race ahead of Martin (1.532s), MMarquez, Bastianini, Binder, Morbidelli, Bezzecchi, Di Giannantonio, Miller and AEspargaro

Acosta gives up..

Bagnaia controls… his race

Martin makes the effort…at 4 laps, 1.094s separate him from Bagnaia…the sun is out…the gap is melting as the turns go by…0.921s with 3 laps to go..

Bagnaia catches up on Martin…at 2 laps, 1.469s separate the 2 drivers…

Last round….

Bagnaia wins ahead of Martin and MMarquez

10 points now separate the two men in the championship.

Zarco finishes 11th, Quartararo 12th

An emotional moment for Nakagami, whose last MotoGP race this was before his announced retirement next year.

And once again… Mark on the podium…

Full ranking:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MotoGP, Japan Race: ranking