MotoGP™ has arrived for Round 16 of the season at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) landing the top spot in a cloudy start to proceedings. There was rain in the air during FP1, and once it began to fall, nobody was able to improve on the reigning World Champion's 1:45.209. Bagnaia ended the morning with a 0.109s advantage over title rival Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), who looked confident at the iconic stop-and-go Mobility Resort Motegi. The #89 leads the Championship heading into the weekend and ended the session in front of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), with the Italian setting just eight times throughout the session.
👊 @PeccoBagnaia tops a rain-disrupted FP1 in Motegi 🌧️@88jorgemartin and @FabioDiggia49 follow 💨#JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/fmkSk9xkWt
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 4, 2024
Claiming fourth in FP1 was Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), with the eight-time World Champion unveiling a special helmet for the Japanese GP. The #93 was just 0.572s adrift from Martin’s benchmark as the rain began to fall. Meanwhile, Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) rounded out the top five spots in a strong morning for the Aussie, who has experienced plenty of success at Motegi. It was a strong start to the GP for Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in sixth and Repsol Honda Team’s Joan Mir, who took seventh.
Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) landed eighth as the Frenchman continued to impress, finishing ahead of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing). The #12 was the top Aprilia rider as Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) grabbed the final spot inside the top 10, with ‘The Beast’ receiving plenty of support from the Japanese fans. Further back, Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) was down in 18th, while Lorenzo Savadori (Trackhouse Racing) took 22nd, with the #32 replacing the injured Miguel Oliveira this weekend as Remy Gardner (Yamaha Factory Racing Team) returned as a wildcard, finishing FP1 in 23rd.
We welcome @GardnerRemy back on track in #MotoGP! 🙌
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 4, 2024
The Australian rider will be wildcarding with the Yamaha Factory Racing Team #JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/7r7ZJNIccE
The action continues at Motegi, so make sure you join us for a crucial and busy Practice session at 15:00 local time (UTC +9), where the premier class stars will fight for direct entry to Q2!
Top 10:
1 | Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) | 1:45.209 |
2 | Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) | +0.109 |
3 | Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) | +0.380 |
4 | Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) | +0.572 |
5 | Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) | +0.573 |
6 | Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) | +0.705 |
7 | Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) | +0.726 |
8 | Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) | +0.740 |
9 | Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) | +0.750 |
10 | Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) | +0.759 |