Marc Marquez’s pole position at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan was not only his first in almost three years, it also gives the Repsol Honda Team rider a serious shot at a real milestone. Find out just what else #93 could achieve as we go through the 10 things you need to know ahead of lights out at the Mobility Resort Motegi!
1. Marc Marquez, who is scheduled to start his 150th MotoGP™ race on Sunday, has qualified on pole for the first time since the Japanese GP back in 2019, 1071 days ago, and taken his 63rd pole in MotoGP™. This ends a sequence of 50 MotoGP™ races without a pole for him, and 25 starts for him.
2. Marc Marquez became the ninth different polesitter this season, setting a new record for the highest number of different polesitters in a premier class season (since poles began to be officially recorded in 1974).
3. This is the first MotoGP™ pole for Honda since Pol Espargaro at the British GP last year (21 races), ending the longest sequence of successive premier class races without a pole for the Japanese manufacturer since they returned to the premier class of Grand Prix racing in 1982.
4. If Marquez finishes on the podium, it will be his 100th in the Premier Class.
5. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) came from Q1 to qualify second, his fifth front row start so far this season. He is scheduled to start his 100th MotoGP™ race on Sunday, and will be aiming to take his maiden MotoGP™ win.
6. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) has taken third on the grid, making him the highest-placed KTM rider in what is a career-best qualifying result in MotoGP™. It is also the best qualifying result for KTM since Miguel Oliveira was on pole in Portugal in 2020.
7. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) has qualified sixth, which is the 11th time so far this season he has qualified on the front two rows. He will be aiming to take his second MotoGP™ win, along with Argentina this year.
8. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) has qualified ninth, which is the third time so far this year he has failed to qualify on the front two rows. This also marks the first time he has missed out on the front row in five successive MotoGP™ races. He will be aiming to win for the first time since the German GP this year.
9. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team), who is also scheduled to start his 150th MotoGP™ race on Sunday, has qualified 11th, which is his best qualifying result since he was 10th in Catalunya. He will be aiming for his first podium since he was third in Qatar.
10. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) has qualified 12th, which is the fourth time this year he has failed to qualify on the front two rows of the grid. He will be aiming to stand on the podium for the sixth successive time.