06:56
5mins to go
Helmets go on with five minutes to go.
Ducati have won the last seven races in a row at Motegi, while Aprilia haven't had a podium.
Martin starts the race with a 12-point lead over Marquez, and Bezzecchi 42 points from the top.
Live updates for all of Saturday's action at the Japanese MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
MotoGP Japan Sprint - As it happened
Live updates from all of Saturday's MotoGP action at the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix.
Live coverage of FP2, Qualifying and the Sprint race from the 2026 Japanese MotoGP at Motegi.
Key Moments
- Marc Marquez wins from rookie Moreira: FULL RESULTS
- Martin and Bastianini lose 2nd and 3rd to penalties.
- Bagnaia and Martin hit late tyre trouble.
- Marc Marquez leads from Martin.
- Alex Marquez takes out Acosta, di Giannantonio on lap 1.
- Sprint starts at 3pm local time (7am UK).
- Jorge Martin snatches Motegi pole: FULL RESULTS
- Marc Marquez breaks lap record at start of Q2.
- Ogura, Fernandez lead Q1 - Bagnaia misses out.
- Marco Bezzecchi fastest in FP2: FULL RESULTS
- Falls for Aldeguer and Ogura after session restarts.
- FP2 red-flagged after 6mins due to an engine failure for Morbidelli.
Saturday MotoGP schedule:
10:10am (local) / 2:10am (UK) - MotoGP FP2
10:50am (local) / 2:50am (UK) - MotoGP Qualifying
3:00pm (local) / 7:00am (UK) - MotoGP Sprint
Jorge Martin holds a 12-point MotoGP title lead over Marc Marquez heading into Saturday at the Japanese MotoGP.
The pair have broken clear of Bezzecchi’s team-mate Marco Bezzecchi, who starts this weekend 42 points from the top, while Pedro Acosta climbed to fourth in the world championship with a well-deserved maiden victory at the Red Bull Ring.
Acosta also has a strong record at Motegi, leading in his rookie season, standing on the Sprint podium last year and being a frontrunner until a mistake in the grand prix.
Winner of both of last year’s Motegi races, from pole position, was Pecco Bagnaia… could he pull off some Motegi magic once again?
Maverick Vinales is back for Tech3, and Somkiat Chantra makes a surprise return at HRC.
However, Honda test rider Takaaki Nakagami has been forced to abandon a wildcard entry after being injured on the out-lap of Friday's damp FP1 at his home event.
A resurfaced Motegi means a revised Michelin tyre allocation for this weekend’s Japanese MotoGP - including the reinforced rear construction that troubled Ducati in Austria.
03 Oct 2026
06:51
Turn 1
Marc Marquez got the better of the Aprilia of Marco Bezzecchi at Aragon and the Misano Sprint. Bezzecchi held him off in the grand prix, but then fell later on in the lap.
Marquez then waited until Turn 2 to successfully attack Martin at the Red Bull Ring Sprint, before early brake issues in the grand prix.
What will happen at Turn 1 this time?
06:49
Bikes on the grid
The bikes are on the grid, all except Jack Miller's Pramac Yamaha are currently fitted with the medium front and soft rear tyre options. Miller has the medium rear.
06:41
Tyres
Medium front and soft rear tyres are set to be the overwhelming choice for the Sprint.
However, the choice for tomorrow's race will be trickier, with some riders pondering keeping the soft rear for the full distance grand prix.
06:35
25mins to the Sprint
We're now 25 minutes away from the Motegi Sprint race.
Here is a reminder of the grid:
Row 1: Jorge Martin (pole), Marc Marquez, Pedro Acosta
Row 2: Marco Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez, Fabio Di Giannantonio
Row 3: Enea Bastianini, Raul Fernandez, Diogo Moreira
Row 4: Johann Zarco, Ai Ogura, Fabio Quartararo
Row 5: Francesco Bagnaia, Franco Morbidelli, Somkiat Chantra
Row 6: Luca Marini, Brad Binder, Fermin Aldeguer
Row 7: Maverick Viñales, Jack Miller, Alex Rins
Row 8: Toprak Razgatlioglu.
06:16
Ghost mode: Aprilia vs Ducati
Marc Marquez vs Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi on the TNT ghost mode video:
05:31
Martin, Marquez, Acosta talk Motegi qualifying
Jorge Martin springs surprise Motegi pole after Marc Marquez "mistakes"
Jorge Martin, Marc Marquez, qualifying, 2026 Japanese MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
04:25
Qualifying Report
Jorge Martin snatches Japanese MotoGP pole from Marc Marquez
Jorge Martin, 2026 Japanese MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
03:44
Motegi MotoGP: Qualifying Results
Japanese MotoGP, Motegi - Full Qualifying Results
Jorge Martin, 2026 Japanese MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
03:40
Marquez misses out, Martin pole!
Marc Marquez is left 0.110s short of Martin, who takes pole position.
Acosta holds third for KTM.
Marco Bezzecchi leads row two,in fourth.
03:39
Acosta 3rd
The KTM rider takes a place on the front row
03:39
Last lap
Marc Marquez is on the attack to try and regain pole from Martin.
03:37
Johann Zarco crash
Johann Zarco has fallen at Turn 5.
03:37
Marc Marquez mistake
Marc Marquez runs wide and through the gravel. He might get one more lap.
03:36
Martin to pole!
Title leader Jorge Martin jumps from 5th to pole position with 2mins to go.
03:34
Final run
The final run begins...
03:30
Times
Halfway through Qualifying 2...
1. Marc Marquez 1m 42.481s
2. Alex Marquez +0.065s
3. Marco Bezzecchi +0.269s
4. Pedro Acosta +0.410s
5. Jorge Martin +0.433s
6. Johann Zarco +0.437s
7. Diogo Moreira +0.597s
8. Enea Bastianini +0.602s
9. Fabio Di Giannantonio +0.634s
10. Fabio Quartararo +1.042s
11. Raul Fernandez +1.062s
Ai Ogura is now heading out for his first Qualifying 2 run.
03:28
Marc Marquez lap record
But brother Marc Marquez smashes Alex's record with a 1m 42.481s!
03:27
Alex Marquez close to own lap record
Alex Marquez, quickest on Friday with a new lap record of 1m 42.811s, sets a 1m 42.878s on his opening time attack.
03:24
Qualifying 2 begins
The 15-minute Qualifying 2 pole position shootout begins at Motegi.
03:18
Qualifying 2 line-up
Ai Ogura and Raul Fernandez join these top ten riders from Friday in Qualifying 2:
Alex MARQUEZ
Pedro ACOSTA
Marc MARQUEZ
Marco BEZZECCHI
Enea BASTIANINI
Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO
Fabio QUARTARARO
Jorge MARTIN
Diogo MOREIRA
Johann ZARCO
03:16
Qualifying 1 Results
1. Ai Ogura 1m 42.883s
2. Raul Fernandez +0.001s
3. Francesco Bagnaia +0.124s
4. Franco Morbidelli +0.253s
5. Somkiat Chantra +0.313s
6. Luca Marini +0.395s
7. Brad Binder +0.516s
8. Fermin Aldeguer +0.536s
9. Maverick Viñales +0.722s
10. Jack Miller +0.928s
11. Alex Rins +1.013s
12. Toprak Razgatlioglu +1.148s
03:15
Chantra P5
Somkiat Chantra, in his first MotoGP qualifying of the year, takes P5 in Qualifying 1 and 15th on the grid.
He's also faster than full-time HRC rider Luca Marini - ouch!
03:13
Bagnaia out of Qualifying 2
Bagnaia has backed off. He won't be able to respond to Fernandez, meaning the 2024 and 2025 double Motegi winner will start just 13th on the grid.
03:12
Fernandez P2
Fernandez will be grateful for the low tyre wear, he gets another fast lap and grabs second place back from Bagnaia.