Ducati Lenovo rider Marc Marquez set the fastest time in the opening Free Practice session for the 2026 MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix at the Mobility Resort Motegi on Friday, October 2, 2026. Marquez secured the top spot with a lap time of 1 minute 44.073 seconds, outpacing the Aprilia duo of Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi in the closing moments of the session.
This event marks the 16th round of the championship, where title leader Jorge Martin faces intense pressure from Marc Marquez, who trails by only 12 points in the standings. As the paddock gathers in Motegi, the weekend is framed by both the high-stakes battle for the world title and the inclusion of Indonesian riders Veda Ega Pratama in Moto3 and Mario Aji in Moto2, both representing Honda Team Asia.
Session Dynamics at Motegi
The practice session began under challenging conditions as light rain initially limited the number of riders on track. As conditions improved, activity increased, with Marco Bezzecchi setting the early pace. The lead changed hands several times, with Alex Marquez briefly moving to the front with a time of 1 minute 44.631 seconds, while other riders like Diego Moreira and Fabio Quartararo also cycled through the top positions. During this early phase, Marc Marquez struggled to break into the top three.
In the final five minutes, Bezzecchi reclaimed the lead with a 1 minute 44.375-second lap, followed closely by his teammate Jorge Martin. Martin surged to the top of the leaderboard with two minutes remaining, clocking 1 minute 44.172 seconds, before Marc Marquez ultimately surpassed him by 0.099 seconds to finish the session as the fastest rider.
Martin Leads Standings as Marquez Chases in Motegi
The top five in the FP1 session were rounded out by Alex Marquez in fourth and Johann Zarco in fifth. This performance comes as the championship battle intensifies, with Martin currently leading the standings and Marc Marquez trailing by 12 points. While the Motegi circuit is known for its technical “stop-and-go” characteristics, riders face additional variables this weekend, including the use of hard-casing tire allocations that have previously presented challenges for the Ducati team.
For Marquez, the circuit carries significant historical weight; it was here in 2025 that he secured his seventh world title, marking a emotional milestone following his 2020 injury. Motegi is a track that I enjoy very much. My target is to perform well and be competitive,
Marquez stated on September 30. Conversely, Jorge Martin enters the weekend aiming to secure Aprilia’s first-ever MotoGP podium at the venue. Yes, that surprises me,
Martin remarked regarding the manufacturer’s lack of a podium finish at the track, despite his own previous victory there in 2023.
Japanese Grand Prix Schedule Lists Upcoming Race Times
As the weekend progresses, teams remain wary of Motegi’s unpredictable weather, which has historically produced iconic duels. The remaining schedule for the Japanese Grand Prix (all times in WIB) continues as follows:
- Friday, Oct 2: FP (13:00 – 14:00)
- Saturday, Oct 3: FP2 (08:10 – 08:40), Q1 (08:50 – 09:05), Q2 (09:15 – 09:30), Sprint Race (13:00)
- Sunday, Oct 4: Moto3 Race (09:00), Moto2 Race (10:15), MotoGP Race (12:00)
- 1. Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo) – 1’44.073s
- 2. Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) +0.099s
- 3. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) +0.133s
- 4. Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Ducati) +0.261s
- 5. Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) +0.339s
Worth a look
