MotoGP rookie sensation Pedro Acosta claimed his first pole position in a thrilling qualifying session for the Japanese Grand Prix. The session saw Marc Marquez have his pole position stripped away and championship leader Jorge Martin qualify a disappointing 11th due to a crash.
Despite the anticipated rain at Motegi only resulting in a brief drizzle, Marquez initially navigated the tricky conditions impressively, recording a lap of 1m42.868s that put him four tenths ahead of his competitors. However, this time was disqualified after he brushed the track limits sensors exiting the Turn 4 left-hander, pushing him down to ninth place amidst considerable frustration for the Gresini team.
In contrast, Martin fell victim to a crash at the Turn 9 left-hander, leaving him to start the race from 11th position. This allowed his championship rival Pecco Bagnaia to move up to second following Marquez’s time penalty. Bagnaia demonstrated potential dominance early on, briefly holding a close provisional second to Acosta, but fell short of matching the pace of Marquez and Acosta later in the session, making a small error on his final lap.
Ultimately, Acosta not only secured his first MotoGP pole but also achieved the first pole for the KTM brand since Miguel Oliveira’s pole at Portimao at the end of 2020.
Starting Grid:
- Pedro Acosta (Tech3 GasGas)
- Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati)
- Maverick Vinales (Aprilia)
- Enea Bastianini (Ducati)
- Brad Binder (KTM)
- Franco Morbidelli (Pramac Ducati)
- Fabio di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati)
- Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Ducati)
- Marc Marquez (Gresini Ducati)
- Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati)
- Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati)
- Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha)
- Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia)
- Jack Miller (KTM)
- Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia)
- Johann Zarco (LCR Honda)
- Joan Mir (Honda)
- Augusto Fernandez (Tech3 GasGas)
- Alex Rins (Yamaha)
- Luca Marini (Honda)
- Taka Nakagami (LCR Honda)
- Lorenzo Savadori (Trackhouse Aprilia)
- Remy Gardner (Yamaha)
Maverick Vinales delivered a strong performance for Aprilia, securing a front-row start ahead of Bagnaia’s teammate, Enea Bastianini, and the top works KTM rider, Brad Binder.
Morbidelli, who initially struggled during Q1, managed to advance after the rain cleared and finished sixth in Q2. Fabio Quartararo also progressed through Q1 with Morbidelli but could only qualify 12th in Q2.
Raul Fernandez and Jack Miller looked set to progress from Q1 during the rain but ended up qualifying 13th and 14th as the track dried. LCR’s Johann Zarco experienced a significant crash at the end of practice yet still managed to qualify as the top Honda in 16th.
In his final appearance as a full-time MotoGP rider in Japan, Taka Nakagami fell short of qualifying expectations, finishing 21st on the grid ahead of Lorenzo Savadori and wildcard Remy Gardner.
Qualifying Results:
| Pos | Name | Car | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pedro Acosta | KTM | 1m43.018s | ||
| 2 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati | 1m43.264s | ||
| 3 | Maverick Viñales | Aprilia | 1m43.441s | ||
| 4 | Enea Bastianini | Ducati | 1m43.539s | ||
| 5 | Brad Binder | KTM | 1m43.661s | ||
| 6 | Franco Morbidelli | Ducati | 1m43.746s | 1m43.828s | |
| 7 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | Ducati | 1m43.998s | ||
| 8 | Marco Bezzecchi | Ducati | 1m44.073s | ||
| 9 | Marc Marquez | Ducati | 1m44.136s | ||
| 10 | Alex Marquez | Ducati | 1m44.263s | ||
| 11 | Jorge Martin | Ducati | 1m44.303s | ||
| 12 | Fabio Quartararo | Yamaha | 1m44.005s | 1m44.497s | |
| 13 | Raul Fernandez | Aprilia | 1m44.122s | ||
| 14 | Jack Miller | KTM | 1m44.193s | ||
| 15 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | 1m44.202s | ||
| 16 | Johann Zarco | Honda | 1m44.302s | ||
| 17 | Joan Mir | Honda | 1m44.498s | ||
| 18 | Augusto Fernandez | KTM | 1m44.547s | ||
| 19 | Alex Rins | Yamaha | 1m44.552s | ||
| 20 | Luca Marini | Honda | 1m44.648s | ||
| 21 | Takaaki Nakagami | Honda | 1m44.886s | ||
| 22 | Lorenzo Savadori | Aprilia | 1m45.422s | ||
| 23 | Remy Gardner | Yamaha | 1m45.594s |