Qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix delivered drama, lap records, and strategic showdowns across Q1 and Q2.
Pole Position & Lap Record
Francesco Bagnaia clinched pole in spectacular fashion, setting a new lap record in the process. He edged out Honda’s Joan Mir by just 0.092 seconds. Top Qualifiers
Third on the grid is title favorite Marc Marquez, narrowing the gap to his brother Alex (who qualified further back). Pedro Acosta rebounded well after earlier technical trouble to take P4. He’ll be flanked on Row 2 by Fabio Quartararo (P5) and Franco Morbidelli (P6).
Rounding out the top ten:
Luca Marini (P7), Alex Marquez (P8), Marco Bezzecchi (P9), and Raúl Fernández (P10).
Q1 & Q2 Notes
Alex Marquez had to battle through Q1 to reach Q2. Morbidelli also emerged from Q1 to secure a spot in Q2 and a top-6 grid berth.
Championship Implications
With this strong qualifying, Marquez is in prime position to press his title bid. He leads his younger brother by 182 points entering the weekend. To clinch the 2025 world title here in Japan, he needs to leave the weekend with at least a 185-point margin over Alex — meaning every point counts.
Sprint Race — Saturday
Expected Highlights / Likely Outcomes
With Bagnaia on pole and strong qualifying form, he would have been a frontrunner for the sprint.However, history tells us this track has seen late drama — in previous seasons, Pedro Acosta crashed out while leading, handing Bagnaia the sprint win. Ducati’s depth also means a strong possibility of multiple factory machines contesting the top spots.
Championship Stakes
Though the sprint does not decide the title, Marquez can close the gap if Alex misplaces or suffers a weak result. But no matter what happens Saturday, the title cannot be sealed yet — even a perfect sprint won’t be enough unless Sunday results further shift the math.
Race Day — Sunday,
Motegi :What to Watch
Can Marquez convert his front-row advantage into a race-winning performance while maintaining enough gap to Alex to close out the championship?
Will Bagnaia or one of the other Ducati riders upset the script? Ducati has historically been strong at Motegi — they’ve won every race there since Marquez’s 2019 victory with Honda. Will late laps, tire degradation or strategy shifts influence the outcome?
Historical Context
In last year’s Japanese GP, Bagnaia led from lights to flag to take the win (with Jorge Martin second) — demonstrating the value of a clean start and strong race pace. Also, Ducati managed a lockout of the top seven in the 2024 sprint, showing how dominant they’ve been at Motegi.
Why This Weekend Matters (Beyond the Checkered Flag)
If Marquez can outscore Alex Marquez by at least 3 additional points over the weekend, he’ll wrap up his first MotoGP title with Ducati — a crowning achievement in recalibrating his career.
The title battle has narrowed: Bagnaia (now well behind his own teammate) has to fight to retain third, with Marco Bezzecchi breathing down his neck in the standings.
For Yamaha, this is a home GP, and both Quartararo and Álex Rins have extra motivation to show strong results in front of their domestic crowd.
