Motegi, Japan – September 26, 2025 – The opening day of the Motul Grand Prix of Japan delivered thrills, spills, and plenty of drama as Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) emerged fastest in Friday’s Practice session at Motegi. Despite crashing twice in FP1, the Italian bounced back to deny Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) top spot by just 0.066s, with Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) completing the top three after a late surge.

The day wasn’t without chaos. Bezzecchi’s teammate Jorge Martin endured two crashes, while Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) suffered a tough outing, finishing 15th and heading to Q1 for the first time in 2025—on a weekend when his brother Marc has a chance to seal the championship.

Friday Highlights: Crashes, Surprises, and Close Battles

• Early drama saw Martin crash at Turn 5 and Turn 7, with Alex Marquez also sliding out at Turn 9.
• Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) briefly led the session with a 1:44.044, before being edged out by Bezzecchi and Acosta.
• Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) climbed into the top five mid-session and eventually secured a safe passage into Q2, finishing P7.
• Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) delighted the home crowd with a stint at the top before settling for P6.
• Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) produced a late flyer to grab P4, underlining Honda’s strong showing on home soil.

In the closing minutes, the timesheets shuffled rapidly. Quartararo jumped from P15 to P8, while Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda HRC) clinched the final direct Q2 slot in P10, pushing Fermin Aldeguer to 11th.

Top 10 After Friday Practice – Japan GP 2025

1. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) – 1:43.623
2. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
3. Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team)
4. Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol)
5. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team)
6. Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol)
7. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team)
8. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP)
9. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team)
10. Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda HRC)

All Eyes on Tissot Sprint Saturday

With just a single match point standing between him and a record-breaking title, Marc Marquez’s Saturday showdown will be one to watch. The stage is set for an electrifying Tissot Sprint Saturday at Motegi, with the Q1–Q2 battles sure to add more twists before the main event.