07:56
Bagnaia goes fastest with a 1m43.539s, but did he set that under yellow flags?
Marc Marquez
2025 Japanese MotoGP, Motegi: Friday Practice + reaction as it happened
Live updates from Friday practice at 2025 Japanese MotoGP at Motegi, where Marc Marquez has his first chance to win this year’s world championship.
The Ducati Lenovo rider returns to Japan, scene of past title glory with Honda, holding a 182-point lead over younger brother Alex.
While Marc Marquez can’t be crowned champion in the Sprint race, he will wrap up his first MotoGP title since 2019 if he holds an advantage of at least 185 points over Alex on Sunday afternoon.
Marc and Alex (Gresini Ducati) are now the only riders still in world championship contention, with Francesco Bagnaia slipping 275 points behind his team-mate.
The Italian – winner of last year’s Japanese Grand Prix - now has a fight on his hands to hold third place, with Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi just eight points adrift after a brilliant 1-2 (Sprint-GP) weekend in Misano.
Meanwhile, KTM's Pedro Acosta could be another contender after taking pole position as a rookie at the 2024 event, before crashing out of both races.
26 Sep 2025
07:56
Crash - Jack Miller
Miller has gone down now. Mir up to third.
07:55
Marquez is back out now but it's busy out there. Yellow flag risk is huge now.
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07:53
Marc Marquez is back in pitlane with under seven minutes to go. He and Ducati are leaving this very late.
07:52
Marc Marquez has rolled out of this lap. With eight minutes to go, he's really under pressure for a Q2 place here.
07:52
Crash - Franco Morbidelli
Morbidelli has had his second crash of the year. He's fallen at Turn 9. He's eighth at the moment with under 10 minutes to go.
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07:51
Marc Marquez crosses the line and is up to 11th. Not enough for Q2.
07:51
Alex Marquez up to fifth.
07:50
Not a brilliant lap coming from the championship leader.
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07:50
Marc Marquez is out on a new soft now. He needs a big lap here as he's 19th.
07:50
Quartararo was on a flier through sector one but had a huge moment on the brakes into Turn 9 and ran on.
07:49
Alex Marquez is 16th on this lap. Not a brilliant one.
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07:49
Acosta goes back to top spot, though, with a 1m43.557s, while Chantra is now seventh. This is the best we've seen of the LCR rookie all year.
07:48
Bezzecchi monsters the field on this lap with a 1m43.623s. Good recovery given what happened this morning!
07:47
Marini now fastest on the Honda with a 1m43.884s.
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07:47
Acosta crosses the line and is top now with a 1m43.943s from last year's polesitter.
07:46
Bagnaia going well so far, looks comfortable and strong on the brakes.
07:45
Bagnaia looks to be out now on fresh soft rubber. So, let's see what he's got.
Factory Ducati duo at risk of a first double Q1 appearance for the team since 2020.
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07:41
Jorge Martin is also ready to get going again after his second crash.
Just under 20 minutes to go.
07:40
Alex Marquez is back to the Gresini garage and has already shed his tattered leathers.
07:37
Raul Fernandez is up to seventh on the Trackhouse Aprilia after his early issues in this session.
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07:34
Crash - Alex Marquez
Alex Marquez, last on the timesheets, has gone down at Turn 9 now.
This has been a nightmare session for the only rider who can stop Marc Marquez winning the 2025 world title this weekend.
07:34
Crash - Jorge Martin
Jorge Martin has gone down again in this session. Four factory Aprilia crashes on Friday.
He lost the front at Turn 7.
07:33
With just under half an hour to go, the top three in the standings - Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia - are 13th, 23rd and 14th.
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07:32
Pramac Yamaha's Jack Miller has had a small run-off into the gravel at Turn 1 but is away again. He's just gone up to seventh.
