Bagnaia Secures Pole Position at Japanese MotoGP, Marquez Inches Closer to Championship
Francesco Bagnaia demonstrated a formidable return to form by claiming pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix, while Marc Marquez advanced closer to his ninth MotoGP championship title by securing a front-row start. The qualifying session at the renamed Motegi Mobility Resort was a showcase of skill and strategy, culminating in Bagnaia’s record-breaking performance.
Bagnaia, riding for factory Ducati, delivered a blistering lap time of 1m42.911s, setting a new record for the Motegi circuit. This exceptional performance placed him nearly a tenth of a second ahead of Joan Mir from Honda, who impressively secured his best qualifying result for the team, finishing in second place. Marc Marquez, a dominant force in the sport, qualified third. This strong showing is particularly significant for Marquez, as his closest title rival, Alex Marquez, could only manage an eighth-place start, providing a considerable advantage for the championship leader.
The qualifying session, specifically Q2, kicked off with Marc Marquez laying down an initial marker with a time of 1m43.413s on his factory Ducati. However, his lead was short-lived. As Marquez returned to the pits, Bagnaia seized the opportunity, narrowly surpassing his time by seven hundredths of a second. Fabio Quartararo on his Yamaha then briefly took third place, pushing Marco Bezzecchi, who had been the fastest in Friday practice, down to fourth. Alex Marquez, after successfully navigating through Q1, found himself trailing in eighth place after the initial runs.
The intensity escalated in the latter half of the session as riders, equipped with fresh tires, pushed their limits. Franco Morbidelli, Marc Marquez, and even Mir each took turns at the top of the leaderboard, indicating the fierce competition. Yet, it was Bagnaia who ultimately stole the show in the final moments. With just 20 seconds remaining, he unleashed a stunning performance, recording the first sub-1m43s lap at Motegi. This decisive lap solidified his pole position, making it his first since the Czech GP in July.
Mir's exceptional second-place finish, just 0.092 seconds behind Bagnaia, marked a personal best qualifying performance for him with Honda, a fitting achievement on their home ground. Despite qualifying third, Marc Marquez, being 0.132 seconds off the pace, is in an excellent position to clinch his ninth world championship, and seventh in MotoGP, during Sunday's race, especially given his brother Alex's lower grid position. Pedro Acosta of KTM also delivered a commendable performance, qualifying fourth despite facing a suspected ride-height device issue that limited him to a single run. He will share the second row with Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli, who advanced from Q1 to secure sixth place. Luca Marini on the factory Honda took seventh, ahead of Alex Marquez, while Aprilia faced a challenging session, with Marco Bezzecchi being their highest-placed rider in ninth. Raul Fernandez rounded out the top 10 for Trackhouse Aprilia. Johann Zarco and Fabio di Giannantonio of LCR and VR46, respectively, secured 11th and 12th positions. The Q1 session saw Ai Ogura from Trackhouse Racing start 13th after yellow flags, caused by crashes involving Alex Rins and Brad Binder, hindered his progression to Q2. Pramac’s Jack Miller was 14th, followed closely by Gresini rookie Fermin Aldeguer in 15th, who also crashed at Turn 15 after setting his fastest lap. Miguel Oliveira, Miller’s teammate, managed 16th, while reigning champion Jorge Martin from factory Aprilia had a tough day, finishing 17th. Three KTM riders, including Binder (18th) and Tech3 duo Enea Bastianini (21st) and Maverick Viñales (23rd), were eliminated in Q1.
The qualifying results at the Japanese Grand Prix have set the stage for an exhilarating race, with several riders demonstrating strong potential and the championship battle heating up. Bagnaia's impressive pole position, coupled with Marc Marquez's strategic third-place start, highlights the competitive nature of the MotoGP season.