Marc Marquez led the opening practice session at the Mobility Resort Motegi with a lap time of 1’44″073, edging out Jorge Martin by 99 millesimi during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, according to reports from Sky Sport and La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Morning Rain Creates Tricky Conditions on the New Motegi Surface
The 16th round of the 2026 MotoGP season opened under tricky weather conditions at Motegi. Motorsport.com reported that a light drizzle fell just as the premier class riders headed out for the morning session, dampening the track and prompting a cautious opening fifteen minutes. Teams faced an added variable heading into the weekend: the entire circuit was resurfaced ahead of the 2026 event. Michelin Motorsport’s two-wheel competition manager Piero Taramasso noted that the manufacturer arrived without real data for the new asphalt, relying entirely on simulations and historical information to select three front and three rear tire specifications, including a reinforced hard rear casing to cope with the stop-and-go layout’s heavy braking zones.
Marquez Sets the Pace as Aprilia Chases Closely
Once the track dried out and regular running resumed, Marc Marquez topped the timesheet aboard his factory Ducati with a benchmark of 1’44″073. Motorsport.com noted that Jorge Martin slotted his Aprilia into second place, just 99 thousandths of a second behind the Spaniard. Marco Bezzecchi completed the top three on the second factory Aprilia RS-GP, finishing 133 millesimi off the pace. Alex Marquez placed fourth on the Gresini Racing Ducati, followed by Johann Zarco’s LCR Honda and Fabio Quartararo’s factory Yamaha.
Bagnaia Fights for Top Ten While Local Rider Ogura Trails
Francesco Bagnaia opened his weekend with the eighth-fastest time on the factory Ducati, trailing just over six tenths of a second off his stablemate’s pace and sitting directly behind Trackhouse Racing’s Raul Fernandez. La Gazzetta dello Sport recorded Fabio Di Giannantonio in ninth with the VR46 Ducati, while Austrian Grand Prix winner Pedro Acosta rounded out the top ten for KTM. Home rider Ai Ogura finished 13th on his Trackhouse Aprilia, positioned behind Diogo Moreira and Franco Morbidelli. Further down the order, Enea Bastianini managed only 19th for KTM Tech3, while Luca Marini struggled to 20th on the factory Honda, sitting behind substitute rider Somkiat Chantra.
Gonzalez and Yamanaka Set Fastest Times in Practice
In the Moto2 class, Kalex machinery locked out the top five positions, with Manuel Gonzalez setting the pace in 1’47″551 ahead of Filip Salac and David Alonso, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport. Tony Arbolino secured the fifth-fastest time. Meanwhile, Moto3 practice saw KTM dominate the top ten positions, where local rider Ryusei Yamanaka set the morning benchmark at 1’55″676 ahead of David Muñoz and Alvaro Carpe, leaving Adrian Fernandez as the sole Honda rider inside the top six in sixth place.
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