Despite suffering from abrasions following his lap one incident with Marc Marquez at the Aragon Grand Prix, championship leader Fabio Quartararo expects to be at his best for this weekend’s Japanese MotoGP at Motegi.
Marc Marquez produces another dominant display to demonstrate his 2019 MotoGP world title credentials with victory at Honda’s home round to wrap up the world constructors’ championship.
Jorge Lorenzo feels the Japanese MotoGP acts as definite progress to his recent Repsol Honda struggles after his mid-season injury despite still failing to finish inside the points positions.
Cal Crutchlow feels fifth place at the Japanese MotoGP acted as his maximum for LCR Honda given his current battles with his 2019-specification RC213V. The British rider recorded his best result since Brno at Honda’s home event after having to manage his pace in the opening stages.
Marc Marquez may have looked in complete control on his way to victory at the Japanese MotoGP but he has admitted he was on the edge with his fuel consumption – having stopped on the cooldown lap for the second time this season.
Fabio Quartararo has wrapped up the MotoGP top rookie honour with three races to spare as he continues his stunning second half of the season with another rostrum for Petronas Yamaha in Japan.
Andrea Dovizioso has been left bemused by his lack of pace “when the grip was good” at the start of the race before charging up the order to record the 100 th podium of his career.
Franco Morbidelli has given credit to both team-mate Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha for recent performance gains as he secures a first front-row start since the Catalan round back in June.
Fabio Quartararo concedes he beat his own expectations by qualifying on the front row for the Japanese MotoGP as he maintains his front-running momentum in mixed conditions.
Tito Rabat has been handed a five-second plus pit lane start penalty for the Japanese MotoGP for exceeding engine allocations. The Avintia Ducati rider sat out FP4 and qualifying in Motegi after a heavy fall during the wet FP3 session.
Despite securing a record-breaking pole position at Motegi, Marc Marquez is already expecting a difficult Japanese MotoGP after struggling with his Repsol Honda.
Valentino Rossi overcame a late brake issue with one of his Monster Yamaha bikes during the closing minutes of FP2 to start his final soft tyre run and secure a provisional Q2 spot ahead of the Japanese MotoGP.
Pol Espargaro fears Red Bull KTM’s charge at the Japanese MotoGP is restrained by the cooler conditions compared to its rivals as poor weather takes hold at Motegi.
Maverick Vinales has been buoyed by a productive Friday practice with his Monster Yamaha at Motegi in preparation for the Japanese MotoGP and feels confident regardless of what weather conditions he faces tomorrow.
Pol Esparagaro says he’s eager to see how Johann Zarco performs while standing in at LCR Honda for the final three rounds compared to his Red Bull KTM exploits but accepts he will be “another rider on the grid that is competitive”.
Maverick Vinales says open and honest trust with new crew chief Esteban Garcia has been the biggest change to his Yamaha team setup having made the switch last winter.