2022 Japanese MotoGP, Motegi – Qualifying (1) Results

• Japanese MotoGP full Qualifying results

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Pramac Ducati team-mates Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin lead Qualifying 1 and advance to Qualifying 2 for the Japanese MotoGP, where they will join the ten fastest riders after FP2.

The others, including Aragon winner and outside title contender Enea Bastianini, will start in the above order from 13th on the grid onwards.

Bastianini fell in the closing minutes to end his Q2 hopes, with Takaaki Nakagami, Darryn Binder and Raul Fernandez also caught out during the session.

FP3 was cancelled due to a thunderstorm and torrential rain, with MotoGP qualifying scheduled to start an hour later than planned at 4pm.

But intensifying rain at the end of the restarted Moto2 Q2, saw MotoGP Q1 delayed again, finally getting underway at 4:10pm.

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Just 17 points cover Fabio Quartararo, Francesco Bagnaia and Aleix Espargaro at the top of the MotoGP World Championship standings as the series head into the unknown with its first Asian and Australian races since 2019.

Quartararo’s opening lap accident with Marc Marquez at Aragon, combined with Bagnaia’s second place behind Enea Bastianini, has put the factory Ducati star just 10 points from the Monster Yamaha rider, with Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro also back in the hunt in third.

Home star Takaaki Nakagami has been passed fit to ride despite requiring surgery for injuries to his fingers in last Sunday’s clash with Marquez at Aragon.

The absence of Motegi from the calendar in both 2020 and 2021, due to Covid restrictions, means ten of the full-time riders have never raced at the circuit in the premier class: Brad Binder, Alex Marquez, Jorge Martin, Enea Bastianini, Luca Marini, plus this year’s rookies Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio di Giannantonio, Darryn Binder, Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez.

Also on track this weekend will be Suzuki test rider Takuya Tsuda and Honda test rider Tetsuta Nagashima. Both have been entered as wild-cards in front of their home fans this weekend, although Tsuda will now technically be replacing the injured Joan Mir.

Following Andrea Dovizioso’s retirement, Yamaha test rider Cal Crutchlow will be starting his second weekend at RNF, where he will complete the season alongside Darryn Binder. Unlike most of the grid, Crutchlow has some private testing experience at Motegi this year.

Friday September 23rd 

05:15 – 05:55am Moto3 FP1

06:10 – 06:50am Moto2 FP1

07:05 – 08:20 MotoGP FP1

Saturday September 24th

01:00 – 01:40 Moto3 FP2

01:55 – 02:35 Moto2 FP2

02:50 – 03:35 MotoGP FP2

04:35 – 04:50 Moto3 Q1

05:00 – 05:15 Moto3 Q2

05:30 – 05:45 Moto2 Q1

05:55 – 06:10 Moto2 Q2

06:25 – 06:55 MotoGP FP3

07:05 – 07:20 MotoGP Q1

07:30 – 07:45 MotoGP Q2

Sunday September 25th 

02:00 – 02:10 Moto3 Warm Up

02:20 – 02:30 Moto2 Warm Up

02:40 – 03:00 MotoGP Warm Up

04:00 Moto3 Race

05:20 Moto2 Race

07:00 MotoGP Race