Japanese MotoGP, Motegi – Sprint Race Results

*Rookie.

Jorge Martin beats Brad Binder to win the 2023 Japanese MotoGP Sprint race at Motegi, moving the Pramac Ducati rider to within 8 points of Francesco Bagnaia and the title lead.

Bagnaia slugged it out with former Ducati team-mate Jack Miller for third, levering the final podium place away from the KTM rider in the closing laps.

• Motegi Sprint: New MotoGP World Championship standings

Martin shot away from pole while Binder slotted into third behind team-mate Miller, then passed the Australian at the end of the opening lap. The leading pair pulled away but Binder, riding with the new carbon fibre chassis, couldn’t quite stay within striking distance of the Spaniard.

2022 winner Miller spent much of the race fending off Bagnaia. The Ducati star tried on the brakes with 4 laps to go, Miller successfully resisted but Bagnaia made it work under acceleration not long after.

Martin has now taken points off Bagnaia for the past six races in a row.

Third in the world championship Marco Bezzecchi lost further ground, the VR46 rider – who suffered a big accident in qualifying – dropping to sixth on lap one, then losing another place to Johann Zarco.

But the Italian fought back, re-passing Zarco and snatching fifth from a fading Marc Marquez on the brakes… But they both ran wide, allowing Zarco to cut under them both.

Bezzecchi tried again and passed Marquez on the penultimate lap, but Zarco was out of reach.

Marquez’s Repsol Honda team-mate Joan Mir was the next best Japanese machine in 13th. Fabio Quartararo was the top Yamaha in 15th, having dropped to 18th on the opening lap.

Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro retired with a technical issue, after being seen raising his hand on the back straight.

Yamaha wild-card Cal Crutchlow was given a long lap penalty for exceeding track limits.

All riders chose the hard front and soft rear tyre options, cruising to the grid to save every drop of fuel.

Senior Ducati management, including Gigi Dall’Igna, were seen gathered around Martin’s pole bike on the grid suggesting possible technical concerns.

However, they soon dispersed, apparently happy, with Dall’Igna giving an ‘all OK’ tap on the shoulder to watching MotoGP technical director Danny Aldridge.

• Japanese Moto2: Latest Results
• Japanese Moto3: Latest Results

Reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia came into the Sprint leading the standings by just 13 points over Jorge Martin after a costly fall in last Sunday’s Indian Grand Prix, where a dominant victory for Marco Bezzecchi moved the VR46 rider to within 44 points of the top.

But the inaugural Buddh event also took its toll on the full-time riders, with two more – Alex Marquez (ribs) and Luca Marini (collarbone) – suffering fractures that will see them join Enea Bastianini in missing this weekend’s Motegi round.

Alex Rins, sidelined since Mugello in May due to leg fractures, attempted a return in Friday practice before being declared unfit due to the pain in his right leg.

HRC test rider Stefan Bradl took over from Rins, with Ducati test rider Michele Pirro continuing in place of Bastianini at Ducati.

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Also on track is Yamaha test rider Cal Crutchlow, making his first official wild-card appearance since retiring at the end of 2020. The 37-year-old Englishman made ten starts as a replacement rider for Yamaha during 2021 and 2022, with a best race finish of 12th at Sepang last year.

Joan Mir will have one 2024 Honda prototype this weekend, as debuted at the Misano test, while factory KTM riders Brad Binder – fastest on Friday – and Jack Miller have the factory’s new carbon fibre chassis available.