MotoGP: Back with a bang, it’s a second pole for the #63 in 2025 – but not without a strong challenge from the 2020 World Champion.
The trials and tribulations of Barcelona and Misano now seem like distant memories for Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the double MotoGP™ World Champion snatched pole position at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, continuing a weekend that has seen him back to his best. Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) put in a stunner to run the #63 close in the battle for pole too, right in contention but forced to settle for second. Still, that equals his best ever qualifying in MotoGP. Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), meanwhile, completes the front row at Motegi as he faces down Championship point on Sunday.
Q1 JUNGLE: the race to graduate, now with added late drama
Q1 was full of big names: Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), home hero Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and reigning World Champion Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) all aiming to graduate to Q2. Ogura and Morbidelli were the two provisionally going through with five minutes to go, with Alex Marquez only third.
Having gone into P2, Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) then crashed at Turn 5 and paid the price as teammate Alex Marquez moved into the top two to nab that sport. Morbidelli hauled himself back into P1 ahead of an impressive charge from Ogura, before Alex Marquez had the final say, taking P2 before more yellow flags came out. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had a fast one at Turn 12 and Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) went down at Turn 10, halting Ogura and Martin’s Q2 charge, leaving them 13th and 17th respectively, as Morbidelli and Alex Marquez headed to the pole battle.
POLE SCRAP: Pecco the favourite, Acosta with problems
As Q2 got underway, there was instant drama for Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who pulled back into the pits after his out-lap with a technical issue. As everyone’s first runs were coming to a close, they all chased Bagnaia who, having been fastest on Friday, was leading teammate Marquez and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). With the final run on the horizon though, there was plenty of time for surprises.
In the last burst of track action, a flurry of red sectors and fast lap times. Morbidelli was the first to take provisional pole before Marc Marquez snatched it away, but the surprise was Mir, who rocketed up to P1. But a career first MotoGP pole for the #36 was just usurped with less than 30 seconds on the clock as Bagnaia completed his flying lap and snatched top spot.
CHEQUERED FLAG DROPS: Pecco perfect after Mir’s mighty challenge
At the chequered flag, it was the first pole for the #63 since Brno and just his second of the 2025 season, ahead of Mir who equals his career-best grid slot of P2 and his best-ever for Honda. It’s the factory team’s first front row since 2023 and equal’s Honda’s best from this year, which was P2 in Germany with Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR). Marc Marquez’s title chances on Sunday remain undented however, as he took P3 and rounded out the front row, just 0.132s behind his pole-sitting teammate.
Acosta’s dramatic session saw him charge on late to bounce back and take P4, ahead of Quartararo who gave Yamaha their best home showing in qualifying since their Motegi front rows of 2019. Morbidelli completes the second row having been in the battle throughout, just 0.259s away from Bagnaia, whilst Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) made it two Hondas in the top seven as he heads Row 3.
Alex Marquez was only able to come up with P8, meaning he was work to do if he’s to stop the title celebrations this weekend. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) clinched ninth ahead of Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), Zarco and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team).
COMING UP: IT’S SPRINT TIME IN MOTEGI
All eyes now turn to the Tissot Sprint at 15:00 Local Time (UTC +9). Will Pecco get his first Sprint victory of the season, can Marc Marquez stop his in-form teammate when the lights go out, or will Mir and more mount a challenge? We’re about to find out!
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