Álex Márquez was the fastest rider in the session that closed Friday’s activities for the Japan GP, the 16th round of the 2026 MotoGP season. In the session held in the early hours at the Motegi circuit, the Ducati rider prepared by Gresini clocked 1:42.811, securing the best time and the first of ten direct spots to Q2 in the standings.
Second place went to Pedro Acosta, the KTM rider who was 0.076 seconds slower than Álex. Marc Márquez, aboard a Ducati, finished third, followed by Marco Bezzecchi in fourth on an Aprilia. The top five also included Enea Bastianini, the rider for Tech3, KTM’s satellite team.
Fabio Di Giannantonio, aboard a VR46 Ducati, closed the session in sixth place, ahead of Fabio Quartararo, seventh on a Yamaha. MotoGP leader Jorge Martín posted the eighth time on an Aprilia. Completing the top-10 and the direct-Q2 qualifiers are the LCR Honda riders, with Diogo Moreira ninth and Johann Zarco tenth.
The second session of the weekend saw a few interruptions. With a little over two minutes of practice completed, Álex Rins crashed his Yamaha in Turn 3 of the Japanese circuit, getting back up shortly after. At six minutes, it was Luca Marini, aboard the Honda, who tumbled at the first corner in Motegi.
Next, at eight minutes, Ai Ogura’s Aprilia, piloted by the Trackhouse rider, suffered engine trouble and forced the home rider to retire the bike. The red flag was waved with 51:39 to go. The session resumed after 12 minutes, once the track had been cleaned.
Another crash occurred in turns 13 and 14, when there were just over three minutes left in the session. Johann Zarco lost control of the LCR Honda bike, Moreira’s team, and ended up on the ground on the Japanese track. In the final minute, it was Diogo Moreira’s turn to crash.
The MotoGP schedule at Motegi continues this Friday, first with free practice at 22:10, followed by qualifying at 22:50. The Sprint is scheduled to start on Saturday at 03:00, while the Japanese GP will take place on Sunday starting at 02:00.
