This Friday will open the Japanese Grand Prix, the fourteenth round of the MotoGP season. It will take place on the Motegi circuit which has hosted MotoGP since 1999. However, the track was only given the official Japanese Grand Prix title permanently when Suzuka was no longer deemed safe enough following the fatal accident. by Daijiro Kato in 2003. The circuit is located about 120 kilometers north of Tokyo. It was built by Honda in the mid-1990s.
The record winners of the 17 Twin Ring races so far are Loris Capirossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa et Marc Marquez with three successes each in the premier category. Capirossi won three times in a row Ducati of 2005 2007 to. Lorenzo entered the list of winners in 2009, 2013 and 2014. Pedrosa stood on the top step of the podium in 2011, 2012 and 2015. Marc Marquez won in 2016 and in the 2018 and 2019 editions. In 2004, Makoto Tamada took the last victory to date by a Japanese in a major Grand Prix class race.
On the manufacturer side, the winning hierarchy is as follows: Honda 10 – Ducati 6 – Yamaha 4 – Suzuki 2. Honda took nine MotoGP victories at Motegi, including victories with Marc Marquez in 2016, 2018 and 2019. The other premier category victory for Honda here is the victory of Valentino Rossi in 500cc in 2001.
The weather in Japan will still be feared in Motegi
Ducati took six MotoGP victories at Motegi, the last of which with Jack Miller in 2022 for his most recent victory. The other three pilots Ducati to have won on the Japanese track are Andrea Dovizioso (2017) Loris Capirossi (2005, 2006, 2007) and Casey Stoner (2010). Two pilots Ducati qualified in pole position at Motegi: Loris Capirossi (2005 and 2006) and Andrea Dovizioso (2014 and 2018).
Yamaha won the MotoGP race at Motegi four times, one with Valentino Rossi (2008) and three with Jorge Lorenzo (2009, 2013, 2014). The last podium for Yamaha in Motegi dates back to 2019, fabio quartararo having taken second place. The last pole position for Yamaha came with Johann zarco in 2017.
KTM stood on the podium once at Motegi, finishing P2 in 2022 with Brad Binder. The best result ofAprilia en MotoGP at Motegi is P7, won by Alvaro Bautista in 2016, Aleix Espargaro and in 2017 Maverick Vinales in 2022.
8 riders on the grid have already reached the Japanese MotoGP podium: M. Marquez (6), Viñales (1), Alex Rins (1), Quartararo (1), Binder (1), Miller (1), Jorge Martin (1). ) and the now wild card Cal Crutchlow (1). 2 took pole position: Marc Marquez (2) and Johann Zarco (1).
The presentations made, here is the program so as not to miss anything from a completely relaunched championship.
Japanese Grand Prix (14/20): timetables
Friday 29 September:
02:00 – 02:35: Moto3 – FP1
02:50 – 03:30: Moto2 – FP1
03:45 p.m. - 04:30 p.m .: MotoGP – FP1
06:15 – 06:50: Moto3 – FP2
07:05 – 07:45: Moto2 – FP2
08:00 – 09:00: MotoGP – Testing
