2026 MotoGP Japan, Motegi - Friday Practice Results

Marc Marquez gets the edge over Aprilia title rivals Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi at the end of Free Practice 1 for the 2026 Japanese MotoGP at Motegi.

Rain spots at the start of the 45-minute session caused a scare for Marco Bezzecchi, then a brutal highside for HRC wildcard Takaaki Nakagami at the same Turn 11.

The Japanese walked away holding his upper left arm and was later diagnosed with a fracture to his left collarbone and has been declared unfit for the weekend.

The one-hour Practice session, which will decide the top ten places for direct Qualifying 2 access, will start at 3pm local time (7am UK).

* Rookie

Official Motegi MotoGP Records:

Best lap: Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati, 1m 42.911s (2024)

Fastest race lap: Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati, 1m 44.412s (2025)

Marc Marquez returns to the scene of his 2025 title triumph chasing Jorge Martin by 12 points in this year’s world championship, after being beaten by the Aprilia rider in both Red Bull Ring races.

However, the pair have both broken clear of Bezzecchi’s team-mate Marco Bezzecchi, who starts this weekend 42-points from the top.

The biggest threat to Martin and Marquez could well come from KTM’s new MotoGP winner Pedro Acosta, who climbed to fourth in the world championship with a well-deserved maiden victory at the Red Bull Ring.

The young Spaniard 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.

The former double champion finally found a sweet spot with the GP25 in Japan, but it proved a flash in the pan, scoring points in just two of the remaining ten races.

Bagnaia returns holding ninth in the world championship, with his only race win this season a Sprint victory at Brno.  The #63 hasn’t been seen on a podium since Brno in June, but could he pull off some Motegi magic once again?

Replacements and wildcards

Maverick Vinales is back for Tech3 KTM after missing the last four rounds due to his ongoing shoulder injuries.

However, Joan Mir remains absent. The HRC rider is continuing his ‘recovery and observation period following medical concerns first raised after the San Marino GP’.

Honda test rider Takaaki Nakagami, who replaced Mir at the Red Bull Ring, is taking part as a wildcard this weekend.

As such, Honda WorldSBK rider Somkiat Chantra, who raced in MotoGP with LCR last season, has been given a surprise call-up to ride alongside Luca Marini in the HRC team this weekend.

Honda will use a special 60th anniversary livery on Sunday.

Tyres

Motegi has been completely resurfaced ahead of the 2026 event.

As Michelin has no real-world data from the new asphalt, its engineers have prepared this year’s expanded tyre allocation (three fronts and three rears) ‘using simulations and information collected during previous editions’.

“At the front, the Soft, Medium and Hard retain the same level of stiffness as last year and all use symmetrical compounds,” explained Piero Taramasso, Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Competition Manager.

“The Hard, however, features a specific reinforced construction. This is a solution particularly well suited to certain Asian circuits and one that we will also offer at Mandalika.

“At the rear, we have selected a higher level of stiffness than in 2025 to give us an additional margin in view of the uncertainties associated with the new asphalt.

“The Soft and Medium use our standard casing, while the Hard features the reinforced casing that we already offered in Austria.

“We will need to learn very quickly from Friday onwards and carefully monitor how the track evolves. The weather could also play an important role, with relatively cool temperatures forecast and the possibility of rain.”