2025 Japanese Moto3 - Friday Practice Results

Friday at the Japanese Moto3 Grand Prix weekend, round seventeen of the championship, saw David Munoz move directly to Q2 with the top time after his time remained unchallenged in practice.

The Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP rider coped best with the humid and sticky conditions, locking in behind championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda in the final four minutes, to go top with a 1m 55.234s lap, which held on at the top of the timesheets to the end of the session.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider went second at the time ahead of Munoz and he too remained in position to the chequered flag, finishing 0.168s slower, also on a KTM.

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There were several riders who fell on their way to their best time, with home rider Ryusei Yamanaka, falling at turn nine, with twenty minutes remaining, the bike so deep in the gravel that the marshals also fell while rescuing it.

The hard fall saw the Japanese rider go to the medical centre for a check-up, return to track and post the third fastest time for Frinsa - MT Helmets - MSI.

Angel Piqueras left it late to climb to fourth on his final solo lap for the same team, passing another faller, early session leader David Almansa, holding on to be the top Honda after a late second off at their home track for Leopard.

Valentin Perrone learned the track behind fellow Red Bull rider Rueda to place the Tech 3 bike sixth, the top rookie in the session,

Adrian Fernandez had an early crash at Victory Corner, leaving enough time to get back on track on the second Leopard for seventh.

Joel Kelso posted the eighth best time for LevelUP - MTA ahead of the other home rider in Moto3, Honda Team Asia’s Taiyo Furusato.

Rookie Guido Pini did enough to complete the top ten on the second Dynavolt entry.

Matteo Bertelle was passed fit on Thursday, making his return at Motegi, which will be his first race since Austin, after injuring himself on a training accident back in April ahead of the Qatar round. The LevelUP -MTA rider got off to a tentative start in 17th in FP1 but showed a hint of his early form, pushing for an automatic Q2 slot late in the session, to finish eleventh.

Luca Lunetta showed no ill effects from his earlier fall to bounce back for twelfth for SIC58 Squadra Corse with the final progression spots going to Maximo Quiles, testing the limits of a new track on his Aspar in 13th, ahead of teammate Dennis Foggia in 14th.

Scott Ogden slipped out of the progression slots, just missing out for CIP Green Power.

FP1 started the day of action, with Moto3 first out on track, and Fernandez getting to grips with the return to Japan quickest to lead the way with an early lap.

Piqueras improved to second right at the end of the session, with Rueda third and Kelso fourth, Almansa completed the top five, just ahead of Ogden who made huge late gains following Rueda in sixth.

Pini was the top rookie in the session in seventh.

There was a late FP1 fall at the chequered flag for Lunetta, who limped away from the turn ten hairpin. The only other rider to test the gravel was Munoz, who remained upright, running through after finding the limit.

The LevelUP - MTA rider was 17th in the first session, in front of several regular riders,

The return of Bertelle means the only rider absent fro the usual roster in Japan is Tatchakorn Buasri, with Honda Team Asia sticking with Arbi Aditama (26th)  as his replacement.