Marc Marquez topped MotoGP World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Mobility Resort Motegi, in Japan. Riding his Michelin-shod Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26, the Spaniard turned a lap of 1:44.073 around the 2.98-mile (4.8 km) track and led the 23-rider field.
Jorge Martin was second-best with a 1:44.172 on his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 and his teammate Marco Bezzechi was third with a lap of 1:44.206.
Alex Marquez, riding his BK8 Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP26, finished the first session fourth with a time of 1:44.334.
Johann Zarco got fifth on his Castrol Honda LCR RC213V with a lap time of 1:44.412.
motogp fp1
More, from a press release issued by MotoGP:
Marc Marquez fronts title rivals Martin and Bezzecchi in Motegi FP1. Tricky conditions to start the session, sunny to end, with the title race top three leading the way going into Practice at the Japanese GP.
A 1:44.073 lap sees Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) head into this afternoon’s important Practice session at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan as the rider to beat, but it was close between the top three. Jorge Martin, the World Championship leader, finished 0.099s behind the reigning World Champion in P2, with Aprilia Racing teammate Marco Bezzecchi third quickest in the opening stint of the weekend.
After a slightly damp and subsequently slow start, the Japanese sun slowly came out in the closing stages of FP1 to allow the riders to get some important running done on Motegi’s freshly laid new asphalt. Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) ended Free Practice 1 in P4, 0.261s away from his elder brother, while Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) led the HRC and Yamaha charges on the Japanese manufacturer’s home turf in P5 and P6.
Cruelly, home hero wildcard Takaaki Nakagami (Honda HRC) sustained a fractured left collarbone less than five minutes into the tricky FP1 conditions, when his Honda machine threw him over the handlebars. So unfortunate for the experienced Japanese star, who has been declared unfit for the rest of the weekend.
Our latest winner, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), was tenth fastest on Friday morning. Meanwhile, cruelly, home hero wildcard Takaaki Nakagami (Honda HRC) sustained a fractured left collarbone less than five minutes into the tricky FP1 conditions when his Honda machine threw him over the handlebars. So unfortunate for the experienced Japanese star, who has been declared unfit for the rest of the weekend.
