Alex Marquez Smashes Lap Record — Motegi Friday Practice Delivers Thrills Across All Classes

The Mobility Resort Motegi came alive under Friday sunshine, with new track records, late drama, and championship contenders trading blows across MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3. By the time the checkered flag fell, 18 riders sat covered by less than a second in the premier class — and the home hero found himself facing an uphill battle to make Q2. Here’s the full round‑up.

MotoGP: Alex Marquez Takes Charge — Ogura Left in Q1

Early Drama and Fast Opening Stints

The session got underway but barely a handful of laps were completed before a red flag was waved. Ai Ogura’s machine suffered a mechanical failure at the exit of pitlane, bringing action to a temporary halt. Once the track was cleared, it was Marco Bezzecchi who led the way in the early running, ahead of Pedro Acosta and reigning World Champion Marc Marquez.

As the clock ticked down, the order shifted constantly. Championship leader Jorge Martin, 2025 double winner Francesco Bagnaia, and Fabio Di Giannantonio all found themselves outside the top ten at one stage. Marc Marquez briefly moved to the top, only to be overhauled by Acosta, who held P1 for a spell. Then Fermin Aldeguer stepped up to lead — but nobody was safe.

Late Crashes and Final Laps

With ten minutes remaining, the timesheets were in constant flux. Johann Zarco surged into fifth, with teammate Diogo Moreira right alongside him; Enea Bastianini rose to seventh and Fabio Quartararo into tenth. Bagnaia improved to ninth, but the track kept getting faster.

In the closing minutes, yellow flags appeared at the final corner as Zarco crashed — the Frenchman unhurt — and shortly afterwards Moreira fell at Turn 5. Both incidents compressed the window for riders needing to jump into the top ten and secure direct passage to Q2. Di Giannantonio found his pace when it mattered, climbing to sixth as the chequered flag approached.

New Record — Alex Marquez P1

It was Alex Marquez who delivered the decisive blow, laying down a blistering final lap of 1’42.811s — a brand‑new all‑time circuit record — to claim top spot. Acosta ended just 0.076s behind, with Marc Marquez a further 0.024s adrift: exactly one tenth separated the top three.

Bezzecchi finished fourth, a tenth off the leading pace, with Bastianini fifth — giving KTM two riders in the top five. Di Giannantonio held sixth, ahead of Yamaha’s Quartararo. Championship leader Martin stayed safely inside the top ten in eighth, with Moreira and Zarco completing the top ten despite their late off‑track moments.

For home fans, there was disappointment: Ogura could only manage 15th and will start in Q1 on Saturday. He is joined there by Aldeguer (11th), Bagnaia (16th) and Luca Marini (17th).

Off the track, there was lighter entertainment as Jack Miller gave Alex Rins a lift back to the pits on the back of his bike after Rins ran out of fuel — complete with a stoppie into Turn 11 for the cameras.

MotoGP Friday Top 10

What They Said

Alex Marquez — P1:

“This is a great start, but there’s still more to find. I’m going to adjust my riding style slightly to squeeze out another two or three tenths before qualifying. The lap record feels good, but we need to keep pushing.”

Pedro Acosta — P2:

“The bike feels exactly how I need it to feel. Everything is working well, so I’m confident we can fight for pole tomorrow.”

Moto2: Alonso Blazes to Record — Top Four Separated by a Hair’s Breadth

The intermediate class served up one of the tightest sessions of the day, where the leading quartet was covered by scarcely more than a tenth of a second — and a new benchmark time was set right at the front.

Early Drama and Recovery for Guevara

The afternoon got off to a rocky start for Izan Guevara. A stone kicked up into his radiator during FP1 caused a water leak and cut short his running, but the Spaniard put the issue firmly behind him in the second session. He was quick out of the box, laying down his fastest laps early in the 45‑minute window and sitting comfortably inside the top three for much of the afternoon. His lap of 1’47.568s looked solid — but it was to be bettered by two rivals in the closing stages.

Alonso Edges Clear — Record Time Confirmed

David Alonso was the man on a mission. The Colombian steadily improved with every run, saving his best for when it mattered most. With just minutes remaining, he crossed the line in 1’47.508s — a new all‑time Moto2 lap record at Motegi, shaving 0.033s off the previous best. It was a statement ride from the young CFMOTO Aspar rider, underscoring his growing confidence and consistency as the season heads toward its conclusion.

Right behind him was championship leader Manuel Gonzalez, who had led for several minutes before Alonso’s final effort. Gonzalez stopped the clock at 1’47.541s — just 0.033s adrift — and will take encouragement from sitting second, knowing he remains in the thick of the fight for the top spot. Guevara held third at 1’47.568s, while Tony Arbolino completed the leading group despite a mid‑session crash that saw him slide off at Turn 10 and return to the pits to check his machine. The Italian’s 1’47.601s meant the top four were covered by 0.093s — scarcely enough to blink at.

Rest of the Field — Home Hope Sasaki Through to Q2

Defending Motegi race winner Daniel Holgado was fifth, within two tenths of the record and looking sharp on the circuit where he triumphed 12 months ago. Filip Salač was sixth, just 0.156s off Alonso’s pace, and will feel he can close that gap further as the weekend progresses.

Home favourite Ayumu Sasaki delivered for his local fans, securing ninth place and automatic advancement straight to Q2 — a solid result on familiar ground. He was flanked by Adrian Huertas and Alonso Lopez, who completed the top nine, while Senna Agius rounded out the top ten. The Australian has been steadily finding his rhythm since stepping up to full‑time competition and will see this as another positive step forward.

Outside the direct Q2 spots, Zonta van den Goorbergh and Jeremy Alcoba sit 11th and 12th respectively, meaning they will have to fight their way through Q1 if they want to join the front runners in the final qualifying shootout.

Moto2 Friday Top 10

What They Said

David Alonso — P1:

“The bike felt perfect all weekend. I knew I had the pace so I just focused on being smooth and saving my tyres for that final run. To take the lap record feels amazing — now we need to convert this into a good starting spot and a strong race.”

Manuel Gonzalez — P2:

“We’re right there. David did a great lap, but I’m only a few hundredths behind. The feeling is good and we’ve improved the bike compared to Austria. I’m confident we can fight for pole and the win.”

Moto3: Morelli Grabs Maiden Top Spot — Attrition Strikes as Title Contender Quiles Crashes

If Moto2 was tight, Moto3 was frantic. The session saw multiple falls, late improvements, and a home crowd favourite pushing right to the very end — but it was Marco Morelli who stole the show.

Morelli Delivers When It Counts

Marco Morelli had been inside the top five for most of the session but hadn’t quite managed to put it all together on a single lap — until it mattered most. As the clock ticked down below three minutes, the Italian unleashed a personal best of 1’55.280s to surge to the top — the first time in his Moto3 career he has finished a session as the outright fastest rider. It was a breakthrough moment for the 19‑year‑old, who has shown steady improvement across the season and now arrives at the Japanese weekend in peak form.

Right on his tail was local hope Ryusei Yamanaka, who thrilled the grandstands by setting his fastest time on the very last lap to slot into second — just 0.142s away from Morelli. Yamanaka has consistently performed well on home soil and will carry the weight of local expectation into qualifying. Brian Uriarte took third, 0.209s off the pace, continuing a solid run of form for the Red Bull KTM Ajo squad.

Crashes and Scrambles — Quiles and Muñoz Fall

The session was marred by a string of incidents, with several prominent riders hitting the deck. Alvaro Carpe was fourth fastest but was taken to the medical centre for checks after highsiding at Turn 8 — thankfully he was declared fit, though his confidence may have taken a knock. Championship leader Maximo Quiles went down at Turn 3 while pushing for a top‑three time, eventually settling for sixth. The Spaniard still holds a commanding 131‑point advantage in the standings and could mathematically seal the title this weekend, but he will want to put this incident behind him quickly.

David Muñoz fell at Turn 7 — the same corner that had seen teammate David Almansa crash three times earlier in the day. Muñoz recovered to finish seventh, while Almansa ended 10th and will also have to negotiate Q1. Valentin Perrone was a solid fifth, Veda Pratama eighth and Matteo Bertelle ninth — all securing direct passage to Q2.

Missed the cut were Hakim Danish, who suffered a huge highside at the final corner to add to his FP1 fall, and Scott Ogden, who crashed late despite strong sector times that suggested he could have challenged for the top ten. Both will start in Q1 and face an uphill battle to make the final qualifying session.

Moto3 Friday Top 10

What They Said

Marco Morelli — P1:

“I’ve been waiting for a moment like this all season. I knew the speed was there, I just had to put it all together. That last lap felt perfect — everything clicked. Now I want to keep this going through qualifying and into the race.”

Ryusei Yamanaka — P2:

“The crowd gave me so much energy. I pushed right to the end, but Marco did an amazing lap. I’m close though — I know I can find that little bit extra tomorrow. The fans deserve a podium and I’m going to fight for it.”

Maximo Quiles — P6:

“A mistake, nothing more. I was pushing hard and lost the front. The bike is good and we’re still in a strong position in the championship. I’ll reset tonight and come back fighting tomorrow.”

What’s Next

Qualifying and the Tissot Sprint take centre stage on Saturday, with action starting at 08:35 local time (UTC+9). Will Alex Marquez convert pace into pole? Can Ogura fight his way through Q1? Who will emerge from the Moto2 and Moto3 battles? Don’t miss a lap.