Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) topped Q1 at Motegi, with Octo Pramac Yakhnich rider Scott Redding joining the Spaniard in Q2. Bautista’s teammate Stefan Bradl will line up in P13 after crashing out on a hot lap near the end of the session.
Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) was P14 as he gets back on track, whilst Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) sat out much of the session as he returns from injuring his knee at the Oschersleben 8H - but put in enough to line up in P15 on his comeback.
Local hero Katsuyuki Nakasuga (Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing) lines up in sixteenth, with Yonny Hernandez (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) P17 and Tito Rabat (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) P18.
Eugene Laverty (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) will start nineteenth, after a big crash on Friday saw the Irishman sit out FP3 and then get declared fit to race.
Mikes Jones (Avintia Racing) impressed on his MotoGP™ debut riding in place of Hector Barbera, qualifying comfortably and set to line up in P21 –just behind recuperating, temporary teammate Loris Baz. Dani Pedrosa’s replacement at Repsol Honda, Hiroshi Aoyama, will line up in P22.