The MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix was not a qualifying session for the faint of heart, with intermittent rain falling more to disturb the riders’ peace of mind than to wet the asphalt of the Motegi circuit. And in these very difficult conditions, Pedro Acosta’s first career pole position arrived, with the rookie of the GasGas Tech3-branded KTM who, in spite of a very complicated situation, also managed to set the new Japanese track record in 1 ’43″018.
Many see an heir to Marc Marquez in the “Shark of Mazarron” and it is probably not a coincidence that his pole position arrived precisely in the conditions that the eight-time world champion loves so much, when you almost have to throw your heart beyond the obstacle . Indeed, to be honest, the Gresini Racing driver had done even better, even managing to get below the 1’43” barrier, but then he saw his best lap canceled due to track limits at turn 4 and therefore he will line up in ninth position.
It seemed like a very complicated qualifying for Pecco Bagnaia, who after the first run was actually last in Q2, but in the end the reigning world champion made a good effort, climbing up to second place. The Piedmontese brought the pit stop early, again complaining about a rear tire that made him feel as if the track was wetter than it actually was. A sensation that evidently found confirmation, because as soon as he returned to the track Pecco set a 1’43″264 which earned him second place.
All this while, on the other hand, his rival in the title race experienced a qualifying that started well and ended in the gravel of the escape route of turn 9. The world championship leader probably exaggerated in an attempt to improve with the second tire and the he paid a heavy price, because this slip relegated him to 11th place on the starting grid, thus forcing him to look for two great comebacks this weekend so as not to give up too many points to Bagnaia.
After two good races in Mandalika, Maverick Vinales was calling for a good qualifying for his Aprilia and he found it in Motegi, managing to place himself on the front row, four tenths from Acosta’s pole position. A good performance for the driver from Roses, especially considering that he is the only representative of the Noale manufacturer to have slipped into the first four rows.
Opening the second is Enea Bastianini’s Ducati, which therefore seems to have recovered well from yesterday afternoon’s bad fall and precedes the other KTM of Brad Binder. Sixth time then for a good Franco Morbidelli, who managed to make a good climb up the rankings after being forced to go through Q1 with his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati.
The third row is all Ducati, with the two GP23s of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 preceding that of the aforementioned Marc Marquez with Fabio Di Giannantonio seventh and Marco Bezzecchi eighth in that order. In tenth position we find Alex Marquez, who during the first attempt also saw himself hit by Martin who, as mentioned, will start alongside him from 11th place.
After a difficult Friday, in Q1 Fabio Quartararo managed to find a good move to give Yamaha their fourth consecutive Q2. In any case, the fact remains that the brilliant performances of the latest releases still seem like a distant memory, because “El Diablo” finished 12th, but with a delay of 1″4.
At the end of a Q1 which must not have been easy to run, with a few drops of rain falling here and there on the visor and the fairing, the first of those excluded was Raul Fernandez, left out for just over a tenth with the Trackhouse Racing Aprilia.
However, the Spaniard fared better than the RS-GP of Aleix Espargaro who seems unable to exit the tunnel he recently entered and will actually start 15th in the two races of the Japanese weekend.
Between the two Aprilias there is the KTM of Jack Miller who once again failed to find a way to place himself in the first four rows of the grid. Instead, you have to go down to sixth to find the first of the Hondas, which is again that of Johann Zarco, despite the Frenchman also being the protagonist of a fairly disastrous crash during the last free practice session.
Behind the Team LCR standard bearer is the other RC213V of Joan Mir, who however was almost two tenths slower. Instead, you have to go down to 20th place on the grid to find Luca Marini, who also finished behind Augusto Fernandez’s GasGas Tech3 and Alex Rins’ Yamaha.
The last qualification as a full-time driver in the home race for Takaaki Nakagami was not unforgettable, because the Japanese only placed behind the two riders who are not regular presences on the grid of the premier class, namely Lorenzo Savadori, who replaces on the ‘Aprilia Trackhouse the injured Miguel Oliveira, and the Yamaha wild card, the Australian Remy Gardner.
Q2 ranking
Q1 ranking
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