MotoGP Red Bull Rookies Cup officials have released the list of riders invited to participate in this coming week’s tryouts for the 2027 program, in alphabetical order based on last name. The list includes 10 Americans, four nominated from the 2026 MotoAmerica Talent Cup class, and another six who participated in other series recognized by Rookies Cup officials.
American Mahdi Salem Abuawad is identified on the list as representing Palestine but was born, lives, and started racing in the USA, and goes by Mahdi Salem.
Derek Sanchez and Mikey Lou Sanchez are not related.
The Americans making the list include:
Mahdi Salem
Nathan Bettencourt
Julian Correa
Nathan Gouker
Mac Robert MacClugage
Kensei Matsudaira
Joshua Raymond
Derek Sanchez
Mikey Lou Sanchez
Ulises Weyrauch
The Canadians making the list include:
Eric Sergi
Lachlan Alexander
How it works:
According to Toni Sharpless, who runs youth racing programs in Canada and who is attending the try outs, “The Selection Event for the 2027 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup season takes place this coming Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Guadix, in southern Spain. 127 riders from 45 nations have been invited to try out for six available openings in the 21st Rookies Cup season. Already, 46 different nations have been represented by 277 riders in the first two decades of the Cup.
“Roughly half the riders will be on track on Day 1, the other half on Day 2. Then the 4-person Selection Committee will draw up a list of riders invited to ride again on Day 3. From those, a short list will be invited to join the Cup for 2027.”
Once they make the cut and are selected, riders generally participate in the program for three years. An example would be American Sean Dylan Kelly, who raced in Red Bull Rookies Cup for three years, signed to race in MotoAmerica with Team Hammer starting in 2019; won the 2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship; went back overseas for almost two years in Moto2; returned to the U.S. and raced in MotoAmerica Superbike in 2024, 2025 and 2026; and is continuing in MotoAmerica Superbike in 2027. Another example would be American Kristian Daniel, Jr. who finished his third year in Rookies Cup in 2026 and has been signed to race in the Moto3 World Championship with the Red Bull Tech3 team.
Overall List
(Americans and Canadians are listed in italics)
Mahdi Salem Abuawad (Palestine) (American-born Palestinian-American)
With a small break in the racing this week, you’d think we’re taking it easy. But unsurprisingly for a sport in which speed is everything, things can move quite quickly and your hosts Mat and Peter have some big things to discuss this week.
So let’s turn back the clock to last week, when Sunday’s race was immediately followed by Monday’s tests. And this is a big one, because there won’t be much time until Valencia and then the pre-season testing in December. A new bike is always exciting, but this year’s batch is extra special because we’re saying goodbye to the current 1000cc bikes and welcoming a new generation of 850cc machines. It seems a downgrade, but there’s some solid reasoning here: bikes are getting too fast, which means dangerous situations and impossible tracks. Also, it just doesn’t give us very exciting racing. So sometimes, change can be good.
There’s just one slight problem: these new bikes are really, really bleeding fast. In fact, they seem to be way faster than the current generation! While exact lap times aren’t available publicly, it appears these new machines might shave off as much as a full second. It’s ironic, but imagine the disappointment of spending potentially millions of dollars on developing a new engine – only to then discover that your racing bike is now too fast. They reduced the power, but they didn’t reduce the performance.
So what’s going on here? Are we looking at an accidental miracle of engineering? Or is there something else going on? With all due respect for the brilliant engineers working in this sport, Mat and Peter think it might be the latter that’s at fault here. But to understand that, we first need to take a look at how the performance of a bike isn’t just dependent on raw power alone. Instead, speed is a package deal. There’s tires, aerodynamics, weight, electronics and all the other things that make you fly. And all of those elements are subject to new rules and sometimes even whole new manufacturers, causing the end result to be something quite volatile and unpredictable.
Luckily, Mat and Peter are just itching to get to that whole picture and analyse it from every angle. Sounds like a good time? Yeah, I thought so too. Cheers everyone!
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The MotoGP Grand Prix at Motegi in Japan is in the books, with Marc Marquez taking the victory ahead of Jorge Martin, while Marco Bezzecchi completed the podium for Aprilia Racing. Read the teams’ post-race PR below.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Marc Márquez and the Ducati Lenovo Team conquer the Grand Prix of Japan. Francesco Bagnaia eighth.
· Ducati celebrates its 100th MotoGP win under Luigi Dall’Igna as Ducati Corse General Manager.
The Ducati Lenovo Team came out victorious in the Grand Prix of Japan with Marc Márquez, who was the absolute star this weekend at the Mobility Resort Motegi. An encouraging performance also for Francesco Bagnaia, who was eighth at the flag.
Márquez retained second place at the start and waited a few laps before applying pressure on Martín. He then overtook his rival on lap 11 and created a small lead, which he managed perfectly up to the finish line. Bagnaia had a very good start from row five and made his way up to ninth position. Pecco, courtesy of a race pace that kept improving throughout the race, managed to finish the encounter in eighth position.
As the sixteenth Grand Prix of the season draws to a close, Marc Márquez is second in the championship standings with 331 points, only two adrift of the leader. Francesco Bagnaia is ninth with 164 points. The Ducati Lenovo Team is second in the teams’ standings (495 points), while Ducati sits first in the Constructors’ Championship (469 points).
The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action on Friday, October 9th, for the opening day of the Grand Prix of Indonesia at the Mandalika International Street Circuit.
Marc Márquez (93) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Ducati.
Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st:
“I’m really happy with the 37 points we were able to score this weekend, because that was the goal. It was a difficult race, especially in the opening laps behind Jorge (Martín). Then, once in the lead, I simply managed my pace and pushed a little harder when he got closer. It’s never easy, but the feeling from the Sprint onwards was very good, and today I was able to be consistent and precise. Now let’s see how things will be in Indonesia but, generally speaking, since Aragón – Austria aside – I am feeling really well with the bike. I’m happy with Gigi’s 100 wins and to have given my little contribution. I’m taking great advantage of everything he’s built with Ducati over the years.”
Francesco Bagnaia (63) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Ducati.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 8th: “It was a tough race. We made the most of some crashes ahead of us, but generally speaking I knew that we couldn’t have gone faster than this. I tried to be as consistent as possible and during the race I tried several things to understand if I could make the difference riding-wise in any way. I couldn’t get the bike to decelerate on corner entry and then, on corner exit, I found myself in the wrong place. Often enough I need to hit the brakes ‘stoppie style’, but it’s not something I can do for the whole race because the bike becomes very nervous. The team has really done an excellent job, but we simply couldn’t have done any better this weekend.”
Luigi Dall’Igna – Ducati Corse General Manager: “The goal for the weekend was to take the win and we managed to do so. Having said that, anything can happen in motorcycle racing, so you can never be fully relaxed, especially when tyre choice is so difficult. We split the workload between our riders during warm-up and managed to understand what the right direction was, even though in some way it was already clear. Marc was simply extraordinary and in these last races he’s doing everything right, so congratulations to him and the whole team. Pecco also did a good job, despite the issues he’s experiencing.”
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing:
Double podium for Aprilia Racing in the Japanese GP.
Aprilia Racing ended the Motegi weekend with a double podium in the Grand Prix.
Starting from pole position, Jorge Martín maintained a good pace throughout the race to finish second. This is Aprilia Racing’s first-ever top-class podium at Motegi. This result also keeps the Spanish rider at the top of the championship, on 333 points.
Marco Bezzecchi got the start he needed from fourth on the grid, immediately moving into third and holding the position to the finish. This result puts two Aprilia’s RS-GPs on the Japanese GP podium for the first time in the manufacturer’s history.
Also worth noting are the results of the two SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team riders, Raúl Fernández fifth and Ai Ogura sixth, which meant Aprilia ended Sunday at Motegi with four RS-GP26s in the top six.
Jorge Martin (89) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Aprilia.
Jorge Martin: “I’m very happy because we’ve done a great job. I rode very well and kept a very strong pace right to the end. I tried to push right up to the final lap, but Márquez had something extra. I feel privileged to be leading the championship while battling Marc. I think it’s incredible, considering where I was a year ago. I’m very happy. Aprilia and I are doing a great job together, and I feel good on the bike. We have everything we need to fight right to the end.”
Marco Bezzecchi (72) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Aprilia.
Marco Bezzecchi: “I gave it everything in today’s race and came away with the best possible result. It was a really hard-earned podium, as Bastianini was very quick, especially towards the end. It was tough to keep him behind, but I enjoyed it and I’m happy with the result. I really wanted to make up for what happened yesterday. Since the injury, I’ve had to build up day by day at almost every weekend, while Jorge and Marc have been a little faster. Now I have to close that gap and take my chances when they come.”
Massimo Rivola – CEO Aprilia: “An intense weekend in which Aprilia set more records, including Jorge’s pole lap and our first-ever double podium in a race in Japan. Jorge was second on track in both the Grand Prix and the sprint, although an imaginative reading of the regulations cost him a place in the short race. Marco was also very consistent and fast, but unfortunately lost out in the sprint to a pace on the medium that was strangely much slower than in the second free practice session. There was clearly a safety issue in the sprint. Aprilia pushed harder than others to bring it to light, pressing for action to be taken. Those changes then meant every team ran the hard rear, and I think that gave us a wonderful race, run in complete safety. Now we need to keep that focus and keep giving our best.”
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3:
Sensational late run takes Bastianini to cusp of Motegi podium.
Enea Bastianini posted four successive fastest laps near the close of the Japanese Grand Prix to finish fourth, just 0.078s back of the final podium place, while Maverick Viñales capped an excellent comeback in 14th.
An enthusiastic crowd of 54,717 were present at the Mobility Resort Motegi on Sunday to watch the 24-lap MotoGP race in Japan.
After a red-hot Sprint on Saturday, all MotoGP riders were advised by Michelin to use its harder option rear tyre compound for Sunday, even if no one had tested it on the previous two days. Warm-Up was extended to 20 minutes to give the riders extra testing time on the harder rubber, which was something of an unknown over race distance.
Starting from seventh, his best qualifying position of the year, Bastianini gained a place on lap one before passing Pedro Acosta at Turn 5 the second time around. Alex Marquez’s Long Lap Penalty then saw ‘La Bestia’ rise to fourth.
In that time, the front three of Marc Marquez, Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi had escaped. However, from midrace, Bastianini started to gain ground. An incredible run from lap 20 to 23, when the Italian set four fastest laps in succession, brought him to within 0.1s of third place. Even if he just missed out, this was Bastianini’s best Grand Prix result of the season, while his gap to the victor – 2.3s – is the smallest of 2026.
Viñales ensured it was a brilliant day for all Tech3. ‘Top Gun’ had risen from 19th to 16th by lap six. The Spaniard was then engaged in an exciting scrap for 14th with Johann Zarco and Somkiat Chantra, which he won to score two points in his first Grand Prix appearance since July.
There is little chance for the team to rest before travelling to the scenic island of Lombok for the Indonesian Grand Prix at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit, which runs from 9-11 October.
Enea Bastianini (23) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Tech3.
Enea Bastianini: “I’m very happy! I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, to be able to ride like that. In Warm-Up it was a bit strange because we tried this hard rear tyre as well as the medium. The hard worked from the first lap so the choice was clear for the race. It was a complicated start as I lost a bit of time overtaking Pedro [Acosta], who wasn’t so fast in that moment. I saw Marc [Marquez], Jorge [Martin] and Marco [Bezzecchi] break clear. But from the middle of the race, I tried to push a bit more each lap. At the end I was faster than them but couldn’t pass. Anyway, I had an incredible feeling and saw the chance of a podium, which was a surprise. We found our speed again after working a lot from Spielberg, where Pedro [Acosta] was much faster than us. Now we’re back at the front, so let’s try and keep this going.”
Maverick Viñales (12) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Tech3.
Maverick Viñales: “I’m happy because I found better feelings with the bike in every session this weekend. Honestly speaking, I expected to struggle much more today. I wasn’t worried about the shoulder but more the forearm. Here it gets really tired with all the heavy braking. But I found some good speed in the middle of the race even if I couldn’t push at my absolute maximum at the very end. Still, I need to push more in the correct place but I feel like I understand the bike much more now. All weekend was positive. Of course, I want to be fighting at the front, but there is a process I need to follow. It takes time to understand this bike and I feel we’re now in a good way. I’m really enthusiastic to get to Mandalika and keep improving.”
Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager. Photo courtesy Tech3.
Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager: “I’d like to thank the whole Tech3 team for this great weekend, which has been by far the best of the season. We’ve seen a strong Enea Bastianini all through the weekend. To finish P4 in the Sprint and today’s race is a great result. It confirms that once Enea is able to qualify on the first three rows, the whole weekend changes and he’s able to fight at the front. He made another step today and amazed us by beating the race lap record four times in a row. We’ll leave the circuit with the race lap record, which is a great achievement. I’m really delighted and I hope we can carry on this momentum.
“I’d also like to say congratulations to Maverick. We know how tough it is to come back to MotoGP after some time away. Maverick’s target was to complete the whole weekend without making any mistakes and that’s what he’s done. Today the two points he scored are a reward for all his efforts over the past few weeks. Now he’s back again and I’m sure he’ll only get stronger in the last races of the year. Once again, congratulations to all the team. Let’s enjoy this evening before heading to Indonesia next week!”
More, from a press release issued by KTM:
4th for Bastianini and only fractions of a second from the podium at Japanese MotoGP.
A demanding and enduring Japanese Grand Prix proved to be another satisfactory round of 2026 MotoGP for Red Bull KTM as Enea Bastianini unveiled his best performance of the season to capture 4th place. The Italian was a whisker from a first podium appearance of the year as all four Red Bull KTM RC16s logged points at the Motegi Mobility Resort. In Moto3™ Alvaro Carpe gunned the title-winning KTM RC4 to 3rd place as 122,000 spectators watched the sixteenth date of the current campaign.
Highlights and key moments from race day at Motegi:
4th and a series of fastest laps for Enea Bastainini who shines at the super-grippy and hard-braking circuit in Japan. The Italian makes the top four to accompany his speed and P4 from the Sprint on Saturday
Pedro Acosta finishes 7th and engages in a captivating tussle for the top five
Brad Binder classifies 11th while Maverick Viñales marks his return to the Red Bull KTM Tech3 pitbox with 14th and two points
Moto3 podium spoils for Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Alvaro Carpe who grabs P3 ahead of a strong charge from Brian Uriarte in P4 as Rico Salmela also makes the top five
Motegi was overcast and cool for the 26th Grand Prix event to take place at the motorsports facility 150km north of Tokyo. Red Bull KTM lined up for the 24-lap race from 3rd (Pedro Acosta), 7th (Enea Bastianini), 17th (Brad Binder) and 19th (Maverick Viñales) slots on the grid and wary of the abrasiveness of the newly surfaced 14-corner layout that created challenges for tire durability during the Sprint on Saturday.
A confident Bastainini, who had been robbed of a Sprint podium by marginally exceeding track limits on the final lap of the chase yesterday, flew into the top five and had to find a way around Acosta. The Italian moved forwards while Acosta needed time to work temperature into the harder tires. Enea set the four fastest laps of the race with four to go while Acosta had an entertaining scrap with Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura for 5th. Bastianini made a final surge for P3 and missed out by less than a tenth of a second. P4 still represents his best result of the year (the previous highest being two P6s in the USA and the Netherlands). Pedro had to accept a hard-won P7 at the finish.
Brad Binder sliced his way towards the periphery of the top ten and was able to gain 5 points for 11th place. Maverick Viñales edged close to the top fifteen in the first laps. The Spaniard, who had missed the previous four Grands Prix to further recover from his left shoulder problem, persevered and completed the race with 14th.
MotoGP now moves south and to the island of Lombok for the Grand Prix of Indonesia at Mandalika next weekend.
Enea Bastianini, 4th and 11th in the championship: “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time! To be able to ride like that. The morning was a bit strange because we did not expect the hard to work quite good from the first lap and it was clear it was the choice for the race. I lost some time at the start to overtake Pedro but from the middle of the race until the end I always tried to push a bit more. I had an incredible feeling and saw the chance for the podium. I didn’t overtake Marco for 3rd but…it’s OK.”
Pedro Acosta (37) at Motegi. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
Pedro Acosta, 7th and 4th in the championship:“Tough one…and it feels like we haven’t had a tough one in a while! It looks like we didn’t match the bike with the tires. I don’t know why we struggled but I had difficulty stopping the bike and then also in the drive area, otherwise the bike was normal and good. Anyway. P7 is not a disaster. It was not our day…but I am happy to see another KTM bringing home a P4 and we can have some data to check.”
Brad Binder, 11th and 13th in the championship: “Much better than yesterday. The physio did a great job on me and I felt more human! We did the warm-up on the hard tire and straight out of the pits I thought ‘this thing is not bad…’. It was pretty good. The race was quite OK. We toned everything down to preserve the tire but, in the end, I think we could have done more distance on it. The best I could do today was 11th. Not a great Japan, and we were expecting better but I think I ruined it a bit when I threw myself down the road in Q1. It made the rest of the weekend more challenging. Onto the next one.”
Maverick Viñales, 14thand 22nd in the championship: “I’m happy this weekend because I found better feelings from the bike with every session. I still need to push more and in the correct place but I understand the bike a lot more. I’m really enthusiastic to get to Mandalika and keep improving. I expected to struggle more today. I was not worried about the shoulder but more the arms; here they get very tired with the heavy braking. It was good training! I found some good speed in the middle of the race. We are in a good way.”
Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Enea’s performance yesterday, today and at the end of the race was amazing but it was a tough day today. Our expectations were much higher with Pedro because we’d seen his speed early in the weekend and after the bad luck of the Sprint we were hoping for the podium but unfortunately we couldn’t make it and now we need to analyze why. In any case we have all four riders in the points. We showed we have the potential. We just need to put all the things together for Indonesia.”
More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing:
Fermin Aldeguer comes back strong in Japan, Alex Marquez’s weekend to forget.
RACEDAY
ALEX MARQUEZ NC
FERMIN ALDEGUER 9º
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ALEX MARQUEZ 9º (158)
FERMIN ALDEGUER 10º (122)
TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
BK8 GRESINI RACING 5º (289)
Alex Marquez (73) at Motegi. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
Alex Marquez:“It was a weekend full of mistakes and one that needs to be forgotten quickly. I made two mistakes again today, one of them unforgivable in the warm-up and then another one in the race. I’m angry with myself, but fortunately we’ll be back on track again in just a few days. We were fast today, not quite fast enough to fight for the podium, but without the penalty we probably would have stayed inside the top five.”
Fermin Aldeguer (54) and Brad Binder (33) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Gresini.
Fermin Aldeguer:“I felt good today, maybe even better than yesterday. From fifth place onwards, we were lapping at pretty much the same pace, which is definitely a positive. Riding like that helps put the mistakes we made over the weekend behind us. We gained several positions and were fast. Physically, I’ve improved day by day, so we’re heading to Indonesia hoping to keep progressing and have a good weekend. I have great memories from there last year…”
More, from a press release issued by Honda HRC:
Retro-liveried Honda HRC Castrol produce solid home points.
Japanese GP fans were transported back to 1966 as The Dream. The Challenge. came alive, Luca Marini racing the classic colours to top Honda honours while Somkiat Chantra impressed and matched his best ever Premier Class result.
Adorned with the colours of Honda’s first premier class machine, the RC181, Luca Marini and Somkiat Chantra were as determined as ever to deliver their best in front of Honda HRC staff and the Japanese fans. An extended Warm Up due to the withdrawal of the soft rear tyre gave the Honda HRC Castrol team an extra opportunity to experiment before the 24-lap race.
Wearing a special helmet to accompany the livery, Luca Marini made another rapid start to the race to immediately jump into the battle for the top ten positions. As has become his trademark, consistency saw Marini hold position as those around him faltered. An intense battle with Brad Binder punctuated the final laps of Marini’s Japanese GP, the Honda rider working hard to keep the South African behind. Tenth place in the race saw the #10 cross the line as the first Honda rider and end a complicated weekend on a more positive note than it began.
Somkiat Chantra was again able to make another step in his rapid reintroduction to the Honda RC213V. More aggressive when the lights went out than Saturday, the WorldSBK regular was able to stay in the battle with Viñales and the VR46 duo – besting all three of them in an impressive manner. The final laps of the Japanese GP saw Chantra chase down Fabio Quartararo for 12th place, finishing barely half a second shy of the former World Champion after 24-laps. 13th equals Chantra’s best finish in a Grand Prix from 2025, highlighting the fantastic work done by him and the team over the weekend.
The Indonesian Grand Prix is now right around the corner, the Honda HRC Castrol squad heading to Mandalika immediately after the race to begin Round 17. One of Luca Marini’s favourite circuits, watch out for the #10 next weekend.
Luca Marini (10) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Honda HRC.
Luca Marini:“Our weekend did not start in the best way so ending with a tenth place allows us to head to Mandalika with at least a bit of a smile. It was not an amazing race, but when we think about how the weekend started, it shows that the team are working well to recover our situation. More points on the board as we look to a circuit, Mandalika, I enjoy a lot and a track where the bike has worked at well in the past. Certainly, the highlight of the weekend was the beautiful colours we had on the bike today, it was very special to wear them.”
Somkiat Chantra (15) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Honda HRC.
Somkiat Chantra:“I am so happy with how this whole weekend has gone. When I compared it to my feeling from last year, the difference is so much and to already match my best result in MotoGP after one weekend with the Honda HRC Castrol team shows how well we were working together. Already when I arrived already on Friday the setup of the bike was so good and today I started better than Saturday and it was the first time like I felt I could fight on the bike, I was pushing until the end to catch Fabio but I just missed it. Thank you to everyone who helped me this weekend, I really appreciate the faith that Honda HRC put in me, and I am so happy to give them this result.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Quartararo 12th & Rins 16th as Yamaha Complete Home GP at Motegi.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP concluded Yamaha’s home round at Mobility Resort Motegi with Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins finishing 12th and 16th respectively in Sunday’s 24-lap Grand Prix of Japan.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins wrapped up a challenging MotoGP home race for Yamaha at the Mobility Resort Motegi taking P12 and P16 in the 24-lap Grand Prix of Japan.
Quartararo started from P12 and fell back to 16th after the first three laps. He gained two positions on lap 5 due to Johann Zarco’s double long-lap penalty and Fabio Di Giannantonio losing ground. The number 20 gained another place when Diogo Moreira retired from the race on lap 9. From that moment on, Quartararo circulated in P13, but following Álex Márquez’s crash on lap 19 crossed the finish line in P12, 30.867s from the winner.
Rins commenced the race from P21 and after battling with the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP riders on the opening lap found himself in P22. The fight between the three Yamaha riders took several laps to settle, with Rins taking P20 by lap 11. In the end, he wrapped up the race in P16, benefiting from Álex Márquez’s and Zarco’s crash and making late overtakes on Di Giannantonio and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu on the final lap. He took the chequered flag 39.228s from first place.
After today’s Race, Quartararo remains 15th in the championship standings with 66 points, while Rins stays 20th with 24 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are 10th in the team classification with 90 points, and Yamaha hold 5th place in the constructor standings with 89 points.
The team now turns their attention to next week’s Grand Prix of Indonesia at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit.
Fabio Quartararo (20) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Fabio Quartararo: “It was difficult because from lap 7 onwards I had a fuel issue. So, it was not the best. I could have gone much faster, but I had to take a lot of care with the throttle. I am happy with my riding, though, and that’s the most important thing. P12 was more or less where I expected to be in this race. I think I maybe could have been in front of Brad [Binder] and Luca [Marini], but sometimes these things are part of racing.”
Alex Rins (42) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Alex Rins: “It wasn’t a very eventful race for us. We always give it our best at every track. Today it was a bit of a question mark, riding with the hard rear tyre. In Warm Up it was not bad, and in the Race it gave more performance than the medium – which was a bit surprising. We completed the race, trying to save tyre. On the last lap, I could overtake [Fabio] Di Giannantonio and Toprak [Razgatlıoğlu] to take P16, which was the best we could do today.”
Massimo Meregalli – Team Director:“This was a difficult race. Fabio fought hard after losing positions in the opening laps, but he had to control the fuel consumption for most of the race. Despite that, he managed the situation as well as possible to take P12. Álex also kept pushing throughout the race and gained several positions, finishing in P16 despite starting from near the back of the grid. We now go straight to Indonesia, which gives us an immediate opportunity to crosscheck our findings of this weekend at a different type of circuit.”
More, from a press release issued by VR46 Team:
Franco Morbidelli is fifteenth and gets a point, while Fabio Di Giannantonio was affected from a far from ideal physical form after yesterday’s crash, and finishes the Motegi race in eighteenth place.
The MotoGP Overseas didn’t kick off in the best way possible for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, which ended the Japanese GP in a bittersweet way. It was a challenging Sunday for Franco Morbidelli, who was fifteenth and got one point. Fabio Di Giannantonio had a more complicated race due to a far from ideal physical condition and crossed the finish line in eighteenth place.
Morbidelli started from the fifth row and lost three places in the opening lap, starting to bounce back in Motegi race. Franco got more and more confidence lap by lap and was able to recover some ground. The Italian-Brazilian rider crossed the finish line of the Japanese GP in fifteenth place and got one point. Morbidelli is now sixteenth in the World Standing with 57 points.
Di Giannantonio had a difficult start from the second row, losing five places in the opening lap. Fabio was worn out after yesterday’s crash in the Sprint and could not express his potential in Motegi race, in which he struggled to keep the pace. The rider from Rome lost ground throughout the race, but he was able to defend despite the difficulties, crossing the finish line in eighteenth place. Di Giannantonio is now sixth in the World Standing with 230 points.
The Japanese GP ended with an attendance record of 121,997 spectators, and now the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team flies to Mandalika, where the Indonesian GP will take place next weekend: it’s the third home race for the Team after the Italian ones, and the Tavullia-based squad will reveal a surprise on Tuesday 6th October in Jakarta.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (49) at Motegi. Photo courtesy VR46 Team.
Fabio Di Giannantonio: “I am not in a great shape, I was expecting to be better after tonight. But this morning I struggled to be naturally at ease on the bike, especially on the right side, where I got hit yesterday. The pain is still there both in the ribs and in the hip. I was struggling even to do the classical moves, so the race was tough. Now, we must recover as fast as we can, it won’t be easy with this strict Overseas schedule. But we’ll do the maximum to be closer to the top shape in Mandalika, which is a very important race for the team. We will do our best in front of the Indonesian fans, it’s a kind of home race for the Team.”
Franco Morbidelli (21) at Motegi. Photo courtesy VR46 Team.
Franco Morbidelli: “The day started in a complicated way because we had to make a three-days schedule work in twenty minutes to change everything with the tyres to use and arriving to the race with things okay. In some ways, we did it and Sunday was quite good. The feeling in the race was not the one I was expecting, but then it improved from the second half of the race and I could do fast laps. Now we focus right away on Mandalika race, which is very important for us as one of the home race GP for the Team.”
Pablo Nieto: “Of course, this is not the result we were aiming for at the start of the Overseas. Fabio made a strong start to the weekend and, if it hadn’t been for yesterday’s crash, he had the potential to fight for a podium. The accident changed everything and prevented him to get some points, and he was worn out in today’s race. Now, it’s important for him to recover physically for next week in Mandalika, which is one of our home races. As for Franco, it wasn’t an easy weekend for him either, after missing Q2 for a little time both Friday and Saturday. However, both in the Sprint and today, the last laps were interesting, so we must keep working to complete a good race from the start to the end.”
More, from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP looks to leave a difficult Motegi weekend behind.
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP endured another challenging race at the Twin Ring Motegi, with Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Jack Miller finishing 17th and 19th respectively after a difficult weekend from the opening sessions.
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP brought a difficult Japanese Grand Prix to a close at the Twin Ring Motegi, with Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Jack Miller unable to turn their race pace into the result they had been hoping for. After struggling to find the right balance throughout practice, qualifying and Saturday‘s Sprint, both riders faced another demanding race and were unable to fight for the positions they had been targeting.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu once again showed that his race pace was stronger than his starting position suggested, but starting from 22nd made any recovery extremely difficult. The Turkish rider made progress during the race but also made a mistake that cost him several positions, forcing him to restart his recovery. Despite maintaining a competitive pace, he was unable to make up enough ground and eventually finished 17th.
Jack Miller spent much of the race fighting with his teammate, remaining close to Razgatlıoğlu until the 20th lap. The Australian then made a mistake that resulted in a crash. He was able to rejoin the race and complete the final laps, crossing the finish line in 19th and last position, more than 20 seconds behind the rider ahead.
The Japanese Grand Prix was therefore a weekend the team will be keen to put behind it, but the data and experience gathered throughout the three days will now be analysed as part of the ongoing development of the YZR-M1. Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP will now turn its attention to the next round of the championship, next week in Mandalika, Indonesia with the objective of making a positive step forward.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (07) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Pramac Yamaha.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: “I had the same problem again with the tyres and with stopping the bike. In the first six laps I was struggling a lot, but then I found a better rhythm and started to do 1:44s. The pace was much better, but it was still difficult because I was always riding close to the limit and pushing hard to stop the bike. I can see that Fabio is able to stop the bike more easily because he has much more experience with the Yamaha. I‘m still learning how to use the front and rear tyres together under braking, and this is an area where I need to improve. When I can stop the bike properly at the right point, I know I can make a big step in lap time. The positive thing is that I was improving lap by lap during the race, so I‘m learning more every time I ride. Today was better than yesterday, but I still need to find a way to ride the bike more comfortably and with more confidence. We are not fighting for the positions we want, but the important thing for me is to understand what I can improve. I really enjoyed the track this weekend. It was my first time riding here, and before this I had only experienced Motegi on the video game, so it was great finally to ride a MotoGP bike here. I enjoyed learning the circuit, even if the race itself was difficult.”
Jack Miller (43) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Pramac Yamaha.
Jack Miller:“I started the race reasonably well, but immediately I was struggling with the tyre pressure and locking the front a lot. The bike became quite difficult to ride, and I was losing time because I couldn‘t brake the way I wanted. The frustrating thing is that this morning, with the same front tyre from the Sprint and the new hard rear, I could run 1:44s all day and did my best lap at the end in 1:44.1. In the race, I couldn‘t get close to that pace and was stuck around the 1:45s. The biggest thing we need to improve is the consistency between the sessions and the race. We need to understand how to manage the tyre better, especially when starting from so far back and riding in traffic, because the pressure builds up very quickly. Even after the crash, the last few laps were actually the best the bike had felt all race, when the tyres had settled down again. The positive is that we learned a lot about the hard rear today. We had been unsure about it because historically it hasn‘t always been the best option, but this morning it worked really well and gave us strong pace. That is useful information for the next races, and hopefully we can make the most of the same casing in Mandalika. The last couple of races have been challenging for us, but we‘ll keep working and stay positive. We know there are areas where we need to make a big step, particularly in the way we use and load the tyres, and that‘s what we‘ll focus on.”
Gino Borsoi – Team Director:“It is clear that this was another difficult weekend for both riders. The main positive from today is that Toprak was able to find a really interesting race pace, not too far from Quartararo‘s, despite Fabio starting much further ahead. Once again, Toprak was able to make a step forward during the race, and that is something positive we can take from today. The priority now is to become more competitive from the first day of the weekend, so that both riders can start further forward and we can have a more consistent race pace from the beginning. That is the area we need to focus on and improve as we move towards the end of the season.”
More, from a press release issued by Castrol Honda LCR:
Castrol Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco crashed during Sunday’s race at Motegi.
Starting from 10th on the grid, Frenchman Zarco had to serve a double Long Lap penalty after attempting to restart his bike during the Warm Up following a crash at Turn 9, while riding in the opposite direction.
The rider made a solid start and was fighting for a top-ten position before serving the double Long Lap penalty. After carrying out the sanction, he began his comeback and fought his way into the points.
Unfortunately, with five laps remaining, he crashed. He managed to rejoin the race and crossed the finish line in 20th position, two laps down. After a weekend of ups and downs, it’s time to head to Mandalika and try again next week!
Johann Zarco (5) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Honda LCR.
Johann Zarco 20th:“It’s a pity. I had some fun during the race and had some good fights. I was able to try to overtake and felt strong. Unfortunately, I had to serve the double Long Lap penalty, and afterwards I had lost some grip, which made it difficult to overtake. I made a small mistake; I had done my maximum to stay there, but then I crashed. It’s part of racing, I guess. I’ll take the positives, and now we head to Mandalika!”
More, from a press release issued by Pro Honda LCR:
Pro Honda LCR rider Diogo Moreira crashed on Sunday at Motegi.
Starting from 9th on the grid and motivated by Saturday’s podium finish, Moreira had set a top-eight result as his goal for today’s race.
However, on the eight lap, he suffered a crash at Turn 9 after losing the front. Fortunately, he was unhurt, but the incident brought his race to an early end.
Despite today’s outcome, it has been the best weekend of the season so far for Diogo Moreira and the Pro Honda LCR team, providing further proof of the potential they have built together since the beginning of the season.
Diogo Moreira (11) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Honda LCR.
Diogo Moreira DNF:“I didn’t expect the crash. I was feeling good and trying to manage everything, as we could have been fighting for a top-eight finish, but then I lost the front and crashed. This is part of racing, and in any case, we’ve had a very positive weekend. Now it’s time to head to Mandalika, a circuit that I really like. Let’s see!”
Marc Marquez won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday afternoon at Mobility Resort Motegi, in Japan. Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26 on Michelin control tires, the seven-time MotoGP World Champion won the 24-lap race by 1.363 seconds.
Jorge Martin was the runner-up on his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 and his teammate, Marco Bezzecchi, placed third.
Enea Bastianini crossed the finish line fourth on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 RC16.
Raul Fernandez took fifth on his SuperFile Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP26.
Jorge Martin leads the championship with 333 points, 2 ahead of Marc Marquez who has 331 points. Marco Bezzecchi is third with 284 points.
Two points in it: Marc Marquez doubles up at Motegi to reel in Martin. The reigning World Champion beats his chief championship rival in Japan to see the duo head to Indonesia split by a slender two-point margin.
The master of Motegi for the fourth time. And now, just two points away from the championship lead. The 2026 Motul Grand Prix of Japan delivered a scintillating double victory for Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), who battled past title rival Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) on Sunday afternoon to chop the standings lead back down to that ultra-slim margin ahead of a trip to Indonesia. It was the 2024 World Champion, Martin, who collected a vital 20 points to hold onto the title race lead, while teammate Marco Bezzecchi kept his cool under intense late pressure from a charging Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) to pick up a podium.
THE START
The hot pre-Grand Prix topic: hard rear Michelin, or medium? The answer, across the board, was the recommended hard rear option. Every rider in the same boat. An incredibly tough one to call with so little running on the hard rear option through the weekend. A journey into the unknown. A huge 24 laps ahead.
And soon enough, it was lights out time at the Mobility Resort Motegi. From pole, Martin grabbed the holeshot to keep Marc Marquez behind him, as Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) – who had to serve a double Long Lap penalty – picked off Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). The Austrian GP winner was shuffled down to P5 from the outside of the front row.
That was soon P8 on Lap 2 though as Bastianini, Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team), and the #25’s home hero teammate Ai Ogura demoted Acosta to the lower ends of the top 10.
MARTIN AND MARC MARQUEZ STRETCH CLEAR
Clicking onto Lap 5 of 24, 0.4s split Martin and Marc Marquez as both threw down 1:43.6s, with Bezzecchi 0.6s away from the tailpipes of the reigning World Champion. Alex Marquez took the first of his two Long Laps on Lap 5, which saw the #73 drop to P5, promoting Bastianini to P4, while his second completed Long Lap on Lap 7 dropped Alex Marquez to P9, one spot behind Tissot Sprint podium finisher Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR).
By Lap 10, Martin and Marc Marquez’s pace seemed too much to handle for Bezzecchi at this stage of the Grand Prix. 1.9s was now the gap between the top two in the title race and the Italian. The #89 and #93, winners of the 2024 and 2025 World Championships, traded fastest laps of the Grand Prix before the first move from Marquez came on Lap 11 at Turn 9.
MM93 MAKES HIS MOVE
A lunge up the inside, Marquez parked his Ducati on the apex to cement his move on Martin, as we now pondered what the response would be from Martin.
The immediate response was seeing the #93 edge his lead up to 0.8s by the start of Lap 15, with Bezzecchi and Bastianini now quicker than Martin. In fact, they were both quicker than Marquez too. 1.3s was the gap between Martin and Bezzecchi, while Bastianini sat 1.9s off third place.
The first time Martin notched up a lap quicker than Marquez in a while was on Lap 16. Just over a tenth was taken out of Marquez’s lead, 0.7s the gap now, and on the next lap it was marginally quicker again. 0.7s isn’t a realistic striking distance, but Martin was at least keeping the pressure on here in Japan.
FASTEST LAPS GALORE ON THE RUN TO THE FLAG
Pressure? What pressure? Responded Marc Marquez. A 1:43.291 was slammed in for the eight-time MotoGP World Champion to give himself an added slice of breathing room, and the advantage grew to 1.2s on the next lap.
It then came back down to 0.9s, as Bezzecchi and Bastianini fired in fastest laps of the race. Bastianini was 1.2s away from Bezzecchi’s rear Michelin, then a flat second, as Bastianini dropped another fastest lap. And then the hat-trick! Bezzecchi was quickly coming under increasing pressure from ‘The Beast’ as we entered the final lap of the Japanese Grand Prix.
Marquez led by 1.2s and was in a relatively comfortable position. So too was Martin. But it was anything but comfortable for Bezzecchi. Bastianini set a fourth consecutive fastest lap of the Grand Prix to reel in Bezzecchi, but it wasn’t quite enough.
Just two seconds up the road from the Italians, Marc Marquez completed the double in Japan to notch up his 79th victory. And after the disappointment of Austria, the reigning Champion responded on the soil where he clinched the 2025 title a year ago to close the gap to two points to second-place Martin, who picks up his sixth P2 of the year to limit the damage done. A successful weekend for the top two in the title race.
YOUR MOTEGI POINT SCORERS
Some seriously impressive late-race pace from Bastianini closes out a very good weekend for the Tech3 Italian, with the gap to fifth-place Fernandez, who won the ferocious fight for top-five honours between home favourite Ogura and Acosta, sitting at 12.4s.
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was 3.4s behind the Fernandez, Ogura, Acosta battle in P8, with Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Luca Marini for Honda HRC Castrol in their backyard completing the top 10.
The other points scorers in Japan? Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) in P11, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) in P12, Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC Castrol) in P13, the returning Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) in P14, and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in P15.
TWO POINTS IN IT HEADING TO LOMBOK
Martin’s 333 points plays Marc Marquez’s 331, with Bezzecchi now 49 points adrift in P3 as a trip to an Aprilia-favoured venue appears over the Indonesian horizon.
Lombok. The Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit. We’re coming.
Ryde delivers at Donington Park with race one victory.
Kyle Ryde claimed the opening British Superbike Championship race win of the weekend at his home round of Donington Park as the defending champion refused to settle in his quest for a historic third title, taking victory from Ryan Vickers and Bradley Ray.
At the start of the race, Ryde had had dropped down to fifth off the line on the opening lap as Ray snatched the lead from Vickers and Scott Redding.
Cook was into fifth by the second lap and then attacked Ryde to move ahead on the AJN Steelstock bimota, but the reigning champion wasn’t giving an inch and he reclaimed the position just a few corners later.
A lap later and Ryde was pushing to make his next move, this time on his closest title rival Redding; first attempting a move at the Fogarty Esses. The Hager PBM Racing Team rider was defending hard but at the Melbourne Loop, he made the move stick, with the pair making contact.
Vickers had stolen the lead from Ray on the fourth lap, but behind Ryde was closing down after making another move on Bradley Ray with a decisive pass into Coppice. The championship leader then had the Honda Racing UK contender ahead of him and he again wasn’t prepared to settle for anything less than victory in front of his home crowd.
Ryde then executed another determined move for the lead, passing Vickers into Schwantz and then kept the Honda Racing UK rider behind him with a sequence of rapid laps to bridge the gap in the closing stages.
Vickers celebrated a podium return in second place ahead of Ray, whilst Redding just missed out on the podium in fourth place as Max Cook completed the top five on the AJN Steelstock bimota.
Leon Haslam overcame issues from earlier in the weekend to claim sixth place, just ahead of Danny Kent and Storm Stacey with Joe Talbot and Christian Iddon completing the top ten.
British Superbike Championship, Donington Park, Race 1 result:
“It feels great to win here. I’ll be the first to admit that I was kind of flustered on the first couple of laps. Max caught me napping into the Old Hairpin and at one point, I was fifth, so I just thought that I’d have enough pace to keep up and fight at some point. But it was just the first five laps that it was worrying me with people behind and it all kind of gaggled up into the hairpin.
“As soon as Max came past me it actually helped as I thought, ‘right you can’t be sat in fifth here, you’ve had more pace all weekend’ and then it was hard to get to the front to be honest.
“I had to make some moves that were difficult as everyone was fighting for positions. I can’t remember where I passed Max but with Scott, I think we banged bars twice. He rode round the outside of me at the chicane and then I passed again at the hairpin, and he leant on me and my handlebar got stuck on his leg, so it was difficult!
“Once I got into third and Scott was behind me, I tried my best to put a bike in between us and to pass Brad safely and I went back into second and got a bike in between me and Scott and then I was able to relax.
“It was difficult to pass Ryan and I tried to pass him into Craner and eventually passed him at Starkey’s and from then on I just got my head down and did what I could do.
“It has been a great day. I got pole position and won that first race, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Izan Guevara won the FIM Moto2 World Championship race Sunday afternoon at Mobility Resort Motegi, in Japan. Riding his BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Boscoscuro on Pirelli control tires, the Spaniard won the 19-lap race by 0.419 second.
Tony Arbolino was the runner-up on his REDS Fantic Racing Kalex.
Filip Salac was a close third on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Ivan Ortola finished fourth on his QJMOTOR – JP Financial – MSI Kalex.
David Alonso took fifth on his CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team Kalex.
American Joe Roberts finished Sunday’s race 20th on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Manuel Gonzalez leads the championship with 245.5 points, 10.5 ahead of Izan Guevara who has 235 points. Ivan Ortola is third with 181.5 points.
Flawless Guevara clinches seismic Japan win as drama unfolds for Gonzalez. The championship gap goes from 35.5 points to 10.5 points as pre-race problems for Gonzalez sees him notch up zero points, while Arbolino and Salač earn rostrums.
A huge day in the ever-changing Moto2 2026 title chase unfolds at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan as Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) capitalises on Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) scoring zero points to reduce the gap between the championship front-running pair to a slender 10.5 points. Guevara’s second win on the spin, his third of the season, was one clinched under immense pressure after second-place finisher Tony Arbolino (REDS Fantic Racing) shadowed the Spaniard all the way. The latter earns his first podium of the season, with third-place finisher Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team) collecting his fifth of the campaign.
Before the lights even went out, huge drama unfolded on the front row of the grid as Gonzalez threw his hand up with a clutch issue, which meant the title race leader was wheeled off the grid. The race start wasn’t paused either – we got underway with the Moto2 Japanese Grand Prix without Gonzalez, who eventually fired out of pit lane nearly 30s away from the race leader.
Which was? Guevara. Gonzalez’s chief title threat grabbed the holeshot from pole position to lead Arbolino, Salač, Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – JP Financial – MSI), and the CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team pair of David Alonso and Daniel Holgado.
On Lap 9 of 19, the top five were 1.4s clear of a fading Holgado, with no changes in the above order for now, but the threat of passes was certainly lingering. 0.5s split Guevara, Arbolino, and Salač on the road, with Ortola and Alonso losing touch ever so slightly – the Spaniard and Colombian were 0.9s adrift of the front three halfway around Lap 10.
A hat-trick of fastest laps of the race saw Celestino Vietti (BETA Tools SpeedRS Team) reel in Ortola and Alonso, who were now 1.3s adrift of the podium scrap. And that fight was still bubbling away nicely, with Arbolino and Salač maintaining some serious pressure on Guevara.
The first attempt at making a move on Guevara came at Turn 9 with three to go. It was optimistic and didn’t work. Arbolino was up the inside, but in hot and wide on the exit to allow Guevara to sweep back through and keep the lead, but it was a warning shot from the Italian.
It was a move that gave Guevara a relatively comfortable – by Moto2 standards – lead going onto the final lap though. 0.5s was the advantage, with Arbolino also 0.5s clear of Salač, who was coming under increasing pressure from the Ortola, Alonso, and Vietti trio.
Moto2 podium with, from left to right, Tony Arbolino, Izan Guevara and Filip Salac. Photo courtesy Pirelli.
But in the end, no late attacks came. A flawless, metronomic performance from Guevara inflicts maximum damage on Gonzalez’s championship lead, leaving the gap at just 10.5 points from 35.5 pre-race, as we strap in for a trip to Indonesia. Huge.
Arbolino’s 34-race streak without a podium ends in fine style, with Salač collecting another rostrum in 2026 to continue his fine run of form. Ortola held off Alonso and Vietti across the line in the top six scrap, with Deniz Öncü (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) earning his best finish of the season in P7. Holgado slipped to P8 at the chequered flag to finish ahead of Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – the Spaniards complete the top 10 in Japan.
David Almansa won the FIM Moto3 World Championship race Sunday morning at Mobility Resort Motegi, in Japan. Using his Pirelli-shod Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM, the Spaniard won the 17-lap race by just 0.046 second.
Maximo Quiles was the runner-up on his CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Alvaro Carpe was third, 2.738 seconds behind race winner Almansa, and his teammate Brian Uriarte crossed the finish line fourth.
Rico Salmela got fifth on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 machine.
Maximo Quiles leads the championship with 326 points, 127 ahead of David Almansa who has 199 points. Alvaro Carpe is third with 191 points.
Almansa makes stunning last stand to deny Quiles at Motegi. They duked it out again but unlike at Misano, it went the way of the #22 who moves back into P2 overall whilst Quiles’ title celebrations are put off for at least a week.
Resisting late pressure to notch up a third win of 2026, David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) held on in another head-to-head battle with Championship leader Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) at Motegi. The two pulled clear in the closing stages but despite the best efforts of the #28, it was Almansa who took honours. Behind, Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was a solid third, all three still chasing the title.
Out the traps fast, Almansa grabbed the holeshot and despite a Lap 1 duel at Turn 5 with fellow fast-starter Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo), he held the advantage. David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) was up in third whilst Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) was battling for fourth as he faced his first match-point for the title. With the Grand Prix settling down, Uriarte hit the front on Lap 3 at Turn 3. Almansa had teammate Muñoz close behind, although the #64 was duffed up himself by Quiles and Carpe, the latter of which was soon third. A mistake at the end of Lap 4 from Quiles left him with seven tenths up to the lead three, all of whom were the riders out to put his title celebrations on ice.
By Lap 5, eight riders formed a lead group with Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3) now in fifth. Behind, home-hero Ryusei Yamanaka (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) and Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL UP – MTA) rounded out the group. Almansa was pushed back into third when Carpe came by at Turn 9 and teammate Muñoz was also being beaten up, back to eighth when Yamanaka and Bertelle came through in quick succession.
On Lap 8, disaster struck for race leader Uriarte who was handed a double Long Lap Penalty after his team were working on the bike on the grid after the three-minute board was displayed. That released Almansa, who had got himself back into P2, into free air as he inherited the race lead. Almansa set back-to-back fastest laps but still couldn’t break free from Carpe’s grasp, whilst Quiles kept a watching brief in third but was edging ever closer and by Lap 12, was firmly in the battle for victory, getting into P2 at Turn 5 to clear Carpe.
With five to go, Quiles made a mistake at Turn 8 and that dropped him a second away from Almansa and back into the clutches of Carpe. However, the #28 hadn’t stopped thinking in a tenth victory yet, getting the gap back down to half a second to Almansa whilst Carpe was now a distant but safe third. It was all going to come down to a last lap fight once again between the top two in the class, Quiles right with Almansa.
There was nothing between them as they danced their way through the final sector and into Turn 11, Quiles looked but couldn’t outbrake Almansa, who was inch perfect into the hard-braking right hander. Then, another opportunity arose at Turns 13 and 14 but again, Almansa placed his KTM perfectly to block off any attack and held on to the line to take a third victory of 2026. Quiles will have another opportunity to take the title in a week’s time in Indonesia after a fine P2 whilst Carpe’s third brings him a seventh podium of 2026.
After his double Long Lap Penalty, Uriarte recovered to an impressive fourth ahead of Salmela, who equals a career-best fifth place. Bertelle completed the top six ahead of Muñoz and Yamanaka, the Japanese rider with his best result of the season at home. Joel Esteban (LEVEL UP – MTA) and Adrian Cruces (CIP GreenPower) completed the top ten.
Gouker, Matsudaira, Sanchez and Bettencourt To Take Part in Selection Event At Circuito de Guadix In Spain.
Irvine, CA – Four of MotoAmerica’s rising Talent Cup stars – Nathan Gouker, Nathan Bettencourt, Kensei Matsudaira, and Derek Sanchez – are set to take the next step toward the world stage, having earned coveted invitations to the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup selection event. The American contingent will take part on day two of the tryout.
For these young riders with Grand Prix dreams, there is no bigger audition. The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup has launched the careers of countless Grand Prix stars, with alumni climbing through Moto3 and Moto2 all the way to the MotoGP World Championship. Now, four of MotoAmerica’s brightest talents get their shot to join that lineage.
“I’m really excited for our young riders who earned invitations to the Selection Event in Spain,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “Racing in Europe is a completely different experience, and going up against the best young talent in the world will show them exactly where they stand. This is what the Road to MotoGP is all about, and I can’t wait to see how our riders stack up.”
Gouker arrives in Spain fresh off of the 2026 MotoAmerica Talent Cup title where he smashed lap records on his way to nine wins across 13 podium appearances. The 15-year old from Lexington, North Carolina, carries an edge in adaptability on machinery he has seen before.
Nathan Gouker took top honors in Talent Cup at NJMP last weekend. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
“I’ve always been very good at learning new tracks,” said Gouker. “It’s a bike that I’m familiar with — the Moriwaki. I’ve been training on one since I was like nine. We took a little bit of a break on it this year, but we’re ready. Should be no problem getting back used to it.”
The past two seasons have seen Gouker based in Spain, training alongside riders who have come through the Rookies Cup program — experience he believes has him prepared for what the Selection Event demands. He’ll make the trip solo, with his parents flying over ahead of the Selection Event itself.
“It’s always fun racing under a new culture, and we haven’t been down where we’re going,” said Gouker. “It’ll be fun to learn what it is.”
Matsudaira arrives in Guadix as one of America’s brightest prospects. The Team Roberts rider finished as runner-up in the 2026 MotoAmerica Talent Cup, pushing champion Nathan Gouker all season long and briefly seizing the championship lead with a dominant double at his home round at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Matsudaira at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (2026). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to go to the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection again this year,” exclaimed Matsudaira. “I learned a lot throughout this year fighting for the championships in MotoAmerica Talent Cup and Moto4 Latin Cup. I know I’ll be able to show that I’m ready to take the next step in my career and I’m looking forward to the event.”
The Selection Event is in familiar territory for Matsudaira, who advanced to the final day at Guadix a year ago and has since honed his craft in Europe, including time at Jorge Martinez’s Aspar KSB Sports Academy in Valencia under the guidance of former Moto2 rider Sergio Gadea. That blend of domestic success and European experience makes him one of the American riders to watch.
Talking to Sanchez, the approach is straightforward: learn, progress and earn it session-by-session.
“Be smart, learn, and progress every session that they put me out on, and learn from all the experienced guys over there,” said Sanchez. “A lot of MotoGP riders have been through the Red Bull Rookies. It’s something to go and learn from. I feel like me going there will improve my riding, the way I ride, way more — they’ll teach me stuff. The main goal is to go learn and progress and hopefully make it.”
Derek Sanchez (#23) spent much of the 2026 Talent Cup season just off the lead group, chasing riders like Sam Drane (#59-Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing) and Matsudaira (#74-Team Roberts). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Sanchez, who has been riding since the age of four, has leaned on friends already in the Rookies Cup to understand what to expect from the smaller, sharper machinery. Back home, the Real Steel Honda rider has spent the season learning from veterans Hayden Gillim and Andrew Lee, and he already has an eye on the next step: A move up to the Twins Cup class.
“It’s the next similar type of equipment,” said Sanchez. “The goal always is to go to the top level as far as you can.”
Bettencourt, who heads to the Selection Event for the first time, is savoring every last moment of it. After competing in MotoAmerica Talent Cup in 2025, the now 16-year-old knows how lucky he is and wants to make every bit of this opportunity count.
16-year-old Nathan Bettencourt competed in MotoAmerica Talent Cup in 2025, capturing a P3 finish at the final race in New Jersey. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
“I am extremely thankful and excited for this opportunity,” said Bettencourt. “This will be my first time trying out and I’m looking forward to the experience. I want to thank MotoAmerica and everyone that supported me along the way — my parents, friends, family and sponsors.”
For more information on the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event, CLICK HERE
For updates and results from the Selection Event, CLICK HERE
Ticket Presale Registration Opens on Tuesday, October 6.
All Dates and Venues for 28-Round Regular Season Featuring Monster Energy Supercross and Pro Motocross Championship Announced.
ELLENTON, Fla. / MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Today, the SMX League® revealed the complete 2027 Monster Energy SMX World Championship regular season schedule, comprised of the 17-race Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the 11-race Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. Additionally, registration for the ticket presale for all 28 rounds will open for preferred customers starting on Tuesday, October 6, at 10 a.m. ET. Interested parties can sign up for preferred access at SupercrossLIVE.com and ProMotocross.com. Fans can also sign up for SMX Texts to receive the latest information and updates coming from the SMX League.
The 17-race Supercross schedule will once again visit 16 cities spanning 13 different states from early January to mid-May, from West Coast staples like California, Arizona, and Washington, to Midwest and East Coast stalwarts like Texas, Florida, and Indiana. The 2027 schedule will also see the addition of two new destinations, with the sport’s first visits to the famed Alamodome in San Antonio and M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The championship will also make anticipated returns to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The 56th season of the Pro Motocross Championship will maintain its iconic slate of celebrated Nationals, featuring the most storied venues in all off-road motorcycle racing. The 11-race campaign will consist of 22 grueling motos and will travel to 10 different states over the course of the summer, beginning on Memorial Day weekend and ending the final weekend in August. The journey will feature celebrated traditions like Father’s Day weekend at the High Point National in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, and Independence Day at the RedBud National in Buchanan, Michigan.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the Monster Energy SMX World Championship Playoffs & Final will host three postseason rounds following Labor Day weekend. Those cities and venues will be announced in January.
Complete 2027 Monster Energy SMX World Championship Schedule, presented by iHeartRadio.
After an offseason that will bring one of the most significant amounts of change in recent memory with many new faces in different places, the biggest and most high-profile athletes in the sport will line up on the starting gate to kick off the regular season inside the hallowed grounds of Southern California’s Angel Stadium for the Anaheim Opener in January. The premier 450SMX Class will be led by reigning Supercross Champion Ken Roczen [Germany], who will be joined by fellow champions in Jason Anderson, Jett Lawrence [Australia], Chase Sexton, and Cooper Webb. This decorated group will be complemented by an impressive contingent of challengers, spearheaded by last season’s runner-up Hunter Lawrence[Australia], as well as Justin Barcia, Aaron Plessinger, and Malcolm Stewart, all of whom are former Main Event winners. It will also signify the rookie campaign for rising star Haiden Deegan.
Ken Roczen after winning his first Monster Energy Supercross Premier Class Championship at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. Photo courtesy SMX.
The outdoor season will also begin in Southern California, from the sprawling landscape of Fox Raceway at Pala. There, defending champion Hunter Lawrence will lead fellow titleholders Jett Lawrence and Sexton against the same elite lineup of championship hopefuls, headlined by Deegan and newly crowned SMX World Champion Jorge Prado [Spain].
Hunter Lawrence after winning his first Pro Motocross Premier Class Championship at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Photo courtesy SMX.
Jorge Prado after winning the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship title at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Missouri. Photo courtesy SMX.
While the 250SMX Class field will ultimately be divided into Eastern and Western Divisional Championships for Supercross, the smaller displacement is brimming with ascending talent and budding superstars, with defending Eastern Divisional Champion Cole Davies at the top of that list. Additionally, the likes of Max Anstie [Great Britain], Julien Beaumer, Pierce Brown, Seth Hammaker, Chance Hymas, Cameron McAdoo, Jo Shimoda, Nate Thrasher, and newly crowned SMX World Champion Levi Kitchen are all former Main Event winners expected to challenge for their first title, regardless of which division they line up for.
Davies will remain the rider to beat for the Pro Motocross campaign, where he’ll look to defend his crown against former championship runners-up in Kitchen and Shimoda and former winners like Beaumer, Hammaker, and Hymas.
The 2027 SMX regular season will also welcome the highly anticipated U.S. debut of Belgian twins Lucas and Sacha Coenen. The siblings have become two of the sport’s most rapidly rising stars in MXGP and if their guest appearances in the Pro Motocross Championship this past summer are any indication, they’ll be instant title contenders. Lucas will compete in the 450SMX Class, while Sacha will race in the 250SMX Class, already with a win to his credit from Southwick in June.
The always popular FanFest is currently planned for all Supercross rounds except Detroit (Round 7). The expansive outside footprint features unprecedented access to the sport’s biggest stars with an up-close and intimate view of their racing machines and team rigs. As the name implies, FanFest is a festival for the fans and has become a major part of the Supercross experience where fans can jump back and forth between the paddock and the stadium to also watch practice and qualifying.
For information about the Monster Energy SMX World Championship, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
Two Legendary American Brands Restore Iconic Collaboration, Celebrate American Craftsmanship with Limited-Edition Motorcycles & Expanded Merchandise Collection.
GOLDEN VALLEY, MN — Indian Motorcycle, America’s First Motorcycle Company, and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey®, America’s First Registered Distillery, have reunited in a multi-year partnership – bringing together two iconic American brands with a mutual commitment to independence, originality and American craftsmanship that dates back more than a century. The partnership will reintroduce a beloved V-Twin collab series of highly exclusive, custom-inspired motorcycles. The partnership will also expand co-branded merchandise and continue collaboration around relevant events and activations.
The Indian Motorcycle and Jack Daniel’s partnership revives a past collaboration that spanned from 2016 to 2023, where the two American brands collaborated with Klock Werkssm Kustom Cycles of Mitchell, South Dakota. Built and designed around various Indian Motorcycle models, each collab featured a compelling nod to the American craftsmanship and grit each brand was founded on. The collaboration quickly became one of Indian Motorcycle’s most sought-after limited-edition series, with demand so strong that the 2018 Jack Daniel’s Indian® Scout® Bobber sold out in less than 10 minutes.
“Indian Motorcycle and Jack Daniel’s® share deep-rooted American heritage and unwavering commitment to quality, craftsmanship and authenticity,” said Mike Kennedy, CEO of Indian Motorcycle. “We’re excited to reunite with Jack Daniel’s® and build on what we’ve previously created together and look forward to an exciting new chapter ahead.”
United by their unmistakable American identities, Indian Motorcycle and Jack Daniel’s share a rich heritage rooted in craftsmanship, authenticity and the spirit of the open road. Together, Indian Motorcycle and Jack Daniel’s continue to celebrate these shared values through limited-edition motorcycles that blend distinctive design, exclusivity and the American heritage of two iconic brands.
“Indian Motorcycle and Jack Daniel’s have always been more than just products. Each brand embodies the American spirit and a passion for quality and craftsmanship,” said Greg Luehrs, Jack Daniel’s Director of Events and Sponsorships. “Since our previous collaboration, fans have asked when the limited-edition series will return. Today, we’re excited to say that day is coming.”
Indian Motorcycle-Jack Daniel’s co-branded merchandise will be available at authorized Indian Motorcycle dealerships nationwide and at the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. The collection offers fans a unique way to experience the partnership and celebrate the shared heritage, craftsmanship and American spirit of two iconic brands.
The merchandise collection will be available beginning Friday, October 2 at the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee while supplies last. Additional details about the limited-edition motorcycles will be shared at a later date.
To learn more about Indian Motorcycle and stay up to date on the latest information surrounding this collaboration, riders can visitIndianMotorcycle.com or follow along on Facebook, X,Instagram, andYouTube.
ABOUT JACK DANIEL’S:
Officially registered by the U.S. Government in 1866 and based in Lynchburg, Tenn., the Jack Daniel Distillery is the first registered distillery in the United States and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Jack Daniel’s is the maker of the world-famous Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, Gentleman Jack Double Mellowed Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Blackberry, Jack Daniel’s Bonded, Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select and Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola. Today, Jack Daniel’s is a true global icon found in more than 170 countries around the world and is the most valuable spirits brand in the world as recognized by Interbrand. Visit www.jackdaniels.com for more information.
Please Drink Responsibly. Never Drink and Ride. Bottles and Throttles Don’t Mix.
Indian Motorcycle is America’s First Motorcycle Company. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.
American Kristian Daniel Jr. (70) just finished his third year in the Red Bull Rookies Cup program and has signed to race in the 2027 Moto3 World Championship with Tech3 . Photo courtesy Red Bull.
MotoGP Red Bull Rookies Cup officials have released the list of riders invited to participate in this coming week’s tryouts for the 2027 program, in alphabetical order based on last name. The list includes 10 Americans, four nominated from the 2026 MotoAmerica Talent Cup class, and another six who participated in other series recognized by Rookies Cup officials.
American Mahdi Salem Abuawad is identified on the list as representing Palestine but was born, lives, and started racing in the USA, and goes by Mahdi Salem.
Derek Sanchez and Mikey Lou Sanchez are not related.
The Americans making the list include:
Mahdi Salem
Nathan Bettencourt
Julian Correa
Nathan Gouker
Mac Robert MacClugage
Kensei Matsudaira
Joshua Raymond
Derek Sanchez
Mikey Lou Sanchez
Ulises Weyrauch
The Canadians making the list include:
Eric Sergi
Lachlan Alexander
How it works:
According to Toni Sharpless, who runs youth racing programs in Canada and who is attending the try outs, “The Selection Event for the 2027 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup season takes place this coming Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Guadix, in southern Spain. 127 riders from 45 nations have been invited to try out for six available openings in the 21st Rookies Cup season. Already, 46 different nations have been represented by 277 riders in the first two decades of the Cup.
“Roughly half the riders will be on track on Day 1, the other half on Day 2. Then the 4-person Selection Committee will draw up a list of riders invited to ride again on Day 3. From those, a short list will be invited to join the Cup for 2027.”
Once they make the cut and are selected, riders generally participate in the program for three years. An example would be American Sean Dylan Kelly, who raced in Red Bull Rookies Cup for three years, signed to race in MotoAmerica with Team Hammer starting in 2019; won the 2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship; went back overseas for almost two years in Moto2; returned to the U.S. and raced in MotoAmerica Superbike in 2024, 2025 and 2026; and is continuing in MotoAmerica Superbike in 2027. Another example would be American Kristian Daniel, Jr. who finished his third year in Rookies Cup in 2026 and has been signed to race in the Moto3 World Championship with the Red Bull Tech3 team.
Overall List
(Americans and Canadians are listed in italics)
Mahdi Salem Abuawad (Palestine) (American-born Palestinian-American)
With a small break in the racing this week, you’d think we’re taking it easy. But unsurprisingly for a sport in which speed is everything, things can move quite quickly and your hosts Mat and Peter have some big things to discuss this week.
So let’s turn back the clock to last week, when Sunday’s race was immediately followed by Monday’s tests. And this is a big one, because there won’t be much time until Valencia and then the pre-season testing in December. A new bike is always exciting, but this year’s batch is extra special because we’re saying goodbye to the current 1000cc bikes and welcoming a new generation of 850cc machines. It seems a downgrade, but there’s some solid reasoning here: bikes are getting too fast, which means dangerous situations and impossible tracks. Also, it just doesn’t give us very exciting racing. So sometimes, change can be good.
There’s just one slight problem: these new bikes are really, really bleeding fast. In fact, they seem to be way faster than the current generation! While exact lap times aren’t available publicly, it appears these new machines might shave off as much as a full second. It’s ironic, but imagine the disappointment of spending potentially millions of dollars on developing a new engine – only to then discover that your racing bike is now too fast. They reduced the power, but they didn’t reduce the performance.
So what’s going on here? Are we looking at an accidental miracle of engineering? Or is there something else going on? With all due respect for the brilliant engineers working in this sport, Mat and Peter think it might be the latter that’s at fault here. But to understand that, we first need to take a look at how the performance of a bike isn’t just dependent on raw power alone. Instead, speed is a package deal. There’s tires, aerodynamics, weight, electronics and all the other things that make you fly. And all of those elements are subject to new rules and sometimes even whole new manufacturers, causing the end result to be something quite volatile and unpredictable.
Luckily, Mat and Peter are just itching to get to that whole picture and analyse it from every angle. Sounds like a good time? Yeah, I thought so too. Cheers everyone!
Want more? Visit our website or support us on Patreon. With big thanks as always to Brad Baloo from The Next Men and Gentleman’s Dub Club for writing our theme song. Check out The Nextmen for more great music!
Oh, and a quick word in regards to sponsors:
If you’re interested in connecting with a really unique MotoGP audience — we’re working with Smash Brand Group out of Sydney to manage partnerships. Curious? Just head to smashbrandgroup.com.au and get in touch!
Marc Marquez (93) and Jorge Martin (89) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Michelin.
The MotoGP Grand Prix at Motegi in Japan is in the books, with Marc Marquez taking the victory ahead of Jorge Martin, while Marco Bezzecchi completed the podium for Aprilia Racing. Read the teams’ post-race PR below.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Marc Márquez and the Ducati Lenovo Team conquer the Grand Prix of Japan. Francesco Bagnaia eighth.
· Ducati celebrates its 100th MotoGP win under Luigi Dall’Igna as Ducati Corse General Manager.
The Ducati Lenovo Team came out victorious in the Grand Prix of Japan with Marc Márquez, who was the absolute star this weekend at the Mobility Resort Motegi. An encouraging performance also for Francesco Bagnaia, who was eighth at the flag.
Márquez retained second place at the start and waited a few laps before applying pressure on Martín. He then overtook his rival on lap 11 and created a small lead, which he managed perfectly up to the finish line. Bagnaia had a very good start from row five and made his way up to ninth position. Pecco, courtesy of a race pace that kept improving throughout the race, managed to finish the encounter in eighth position.
As the sixteenth Grand Prix of the season draws to a close, Marc Márquez is second in the championship standings with 331 points, only two adrift of the leader. Francesco Bagnaia is ninth with 164 points. The Ducati Lenovo Team is second in the teams’ standings (495 points), while Ducati sits first in the Constructors’ Championship (469 points).
The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action on Friday, October 9th, for the opening day of the Grand Prix of Indonesia at the Mandalika International Street Circuit.
Marc Márquez (93) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Ducati.
Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st:
“I’m really happy with the 37 points we were able to score this weekend, because that was the goal. It was a difficult race, especially in the opening laps behind Jorge (Martín). Then, once in the lead, I simply managed my pace and pushed a little harder when he got closer. It’s never easy, but the feeling from the Sprint onwards was very good, and today I was able to be consistent and precise. Now let’s see how things will be in Indonesia but, generally speaking, since Aragón – Austria aside – I am feeling really well with the bike. I’m happy with Gigi’s 100 wins and to have given my little contribution. I’m taking great advantage of everything he’s built with Ducati over the years.”
Francesco Bagnaia (63) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Ducati.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 8th: “It was a tough race. We made the most of some crashes ahead of us, but generally speaking I knew that we couldn’t have gone faster than this. I tried to be as consistent as possible and during the race I tried several things to understand if I could make the difference riding-wise in any way. I couldn’t get the bike to decelerate on corner entry and then, on corner exit, I found myself in the wrong place. Often enough I need to hit the brakes ‘stoppie style’, but it’s not something I can do for the whole race because the bike becomes very nervous. The team has really done an excellent job, but we simply couldn’t have done any better this weekend.”
Luigi Dall’Igna – Ducati Corse General Manager: “The goal for the weekend was to take the win and we managed to do so. Having said that, anything can happen in motorcycle racing, so you can never be fully relaxed, especially when tyre choice is so difficult. We split the workload between our riders during warm-up and managed to understand what the right direction was, even though in some way it was already clear. Marc was simply extraordinary and in these last races he’s doing everything right, so congratulations to him and the whole team. Pecco also did a good job, despite the issues he’s experiencing.”
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing:
Double podium for Aprilia Racing in the Japanese GP.
Aprilia Racing ended the Motegi weekend with a double podium in the Grand Prix.
Starting from pole position, Jorge Martín maintained a good pace throughout the race to finish second. This is Aprilia Racing’s first-ever top-class podium at Motegi. This result also keeps the Spanish rider at the top of the championship, on 333 points.
Marco Bezzecchi got the start he needed from fourth on the grid, immediately moving into third and holding the position to the finish. This result puts two Aprilia’s RS-GPs on the Japanese GP podium for the first time in the manufacturer’s history.
Also worth noting are the results of the two SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team riders, Raúl Fernández fifth and Ai Ogura sixth, which meant Aprilia ended Sunday at Motegi with four RS-GP26s in the top six.
Jorge Martin (89) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Aprilia.
Jorge Martin: “I’m very happy because we’ve done a great job. I rode very well and kept a very strong pace right to the end. I tried to push right up to the final lap, but Márquez had something extra. I feel privileged to be leading the championship while battling Marc. I think it’s incredible, considering where I was a year ago. I’m very happy. Aprilia and I are doing a great job together, and I feel good on the bike. We have everything we need to fight right to the end.”
Marco Bezzecchi (72) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Aprilia.
Marco Bezzecchi: “I gave it everything in today’s race and came away with the best possible result. It was a really hard-earned podium, as Bastianini was very quick, especially towards the end. It was tough to keep him behind, but I enjoyed it and I’m happy with the result. I really wanted to make up for what happened yesterday. Since the injury, I’ve had to build up day by day at almost every weekend, while Jorge and Marc have been a little faster. Now I have to close that gap and take my chances when they come.”
Massimo Rivola – CEO Aprilia: “An intense weekend in which Aprilia set more records, including Jorge’s pole lap and our first-ever double podium in a race in Japan. Jorge was second on track in both the Grand Prix and the sprint, although an imaginative reading of the regulations cost him a place in the short race. Marco was also very consistent and fast, but unfortunately lost out in the sprint to a pace on the medium that was strangely much slower than in the second free practice session. There was clearly a safety issue in the sprint. Aprilia pushed harder than others to bring it to light, pressing for action to be taken. Those changes then meant every team ran the hard rear, and I think that gave us a wonderful race, run in complete safety. Now we need to keep that focus and keep giving our best.”
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3:
Sensational late run takes Bastianini to cusp of Motegi podium.
Enea Bastianini posted four successive fastest laps near the close of the Japanese Grand Prix to finish fourth, just 0.078s back of the final podium place, while Maverick Viñales capped an excellent comeback in 14th.
An enthusiastic crowd of 54,717 were present at the Mobility Resort Motegi on Sunday to watch the 24-lap MotoGP race in Japan.
After a red-hot Sprint on Saturday, all MotoGP riders were advised by Michelin to use its harder option rear tyre compound for Sunday, even if no one had tested it on the previous two days. Warm-Up was extended to 20 minutes to give the riders extra testing time on the harder rubber, which was something of an unknown over race distance.
Starting from seventh, his best qualifying position of the year, Bastianini gained a place on lap one before passing Pedro Acosta at Turn 5 the second time around. Alex Marquez’s Long Lap Penalty then saw ‘La Bestia’ rise to fourth.
In that time, the front three of Marc Marquez, Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi had escaped. However, from midrace, Bastianini started to gain ground. An incredible run from lap 20 to 23, when the Italian set four fastest laps in succession, brought him to within 0.1s of third place. Even if he just missed out, this was Bastianini’s best Grand Prix result of the season, while his gap to the victor – 2.3s – is the smallest of 2026.
Viñales ensured it was a brilliant day for all Tech3. ‘Top Gun’ had risen from 19th to 16th by lap six. The Spaniard was then engaged in an exciting scrap for 14th with Johann Zarco and Somkiat Chantra, which he won to score two points in his first Grand Prix appearance since July.
There is little chance for the team to rest before travelling to the scenic island of Lombok for the Indonesian Grand Prix at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit, which runs from 9-11 October.
Enea Bastianini (23) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Tech3.
Enea Bastianini: “I’m very happy! I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, to be able to ride like that. In Warm-Up it was a bit strange because we tried this hard rear tyre as well as the medium. The hard worked from the first lap so the choice was clear for the race. It was a complicated start as I lost a bit of time overtaking Pedro [Acosta], who wasn’t so fast in that moment. I saw Marc [Marquez], Jorge [Martin] and Marco [Bezzecchi] break clear. But from the middle of the race, I tried to push a bit more each lap. At the end I was faster than them but couldn’t pass. Anyway, I had an incredible feeling and saw the chance of a podium, which was a surprise. We found our speed again after working a lot from Spielberg, where Pedro [Acosta] was much faster than us. Now we’re back at the front, so let’s try and keep this going.”
Maverick Viñales (12) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Tech3.
Maverick Viñales: “I’m happy because I found better feelings with the bike in every session this weekend. Honestly speaking, I expected to struggle much more today. I wasn’t worried about the shoulder but more the forearm. Here it gets really tired with all the heavy braking. But I found some good speed in the middle of the race even if I couldn’t push at my absolute maximum at the very end. Still, I need to push more in the correct place but I feel like I understand the bike much more now. All weekend was positive. Of course, I want to be fighting at the front, but there is a process I need to follow. It takes time to understand this bike and I feel we’re now in a good way. I’m really enthusiastic to get to Mandalika and keep improving.”
Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager. Photo courtesy Tech3.
Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager: “I’d like to thank the whole Tech3 team for this great weekend, which has been by far the best of the season. We’ve seen a strong Enea Bastianini all through the weekend. To finish P4 in the Sprint and today’s race is a great result. It confirms that once Enea is able to qualify on the first three rows, the whole weekend changes and he’s able to fight at the front. He made another step today and amazed us by beating the race lap record four times in a row. We’ll leave the circuit with the race lap record, which is a great achievement. I’m really delighted and I hope we can carry on this momentum.
“I’d also like to say congratulations to Maverick. We know how tough it is to come back to MotoGP after some time away. Maverick’s target was to complete the whole weekend without making any mistakes and that’s what he’s done. Today the two points he scored are a reward for all his efforts over the past few weeks. Now he’s back again and I’m sure he’ll only get stronger in the last races of the year. Once again, congratulations to all the team. Let’s enjoy this evening before heading to Indonesia next week!”
More, from a press release issued by KTM:
4th for Bastianini and only fractions of a second from the podium at Japanese MotoGP.
A demanding and enduring Japanese Grand Prix proved to be another satisfactory round of 2026 MotoGP for Red Bull KTM as Enea Bastianini unveiled his best performance of the season to capture 4th place. The Italian was a whisker from a first podium appearance of the year as all four Red Bull KTM RC16s logged points at the Motegi Mobility Resort. In Moto3™ Alvaro Carpe gunned the title-winning KTM RC4 to 3rd place as 122,000 spectators watched the sixteenth date of the current campaign.
Highlights and key moments from race day at Motegi:
4th and a series of fastest laps for Enea Bastainini who shines at the super-grippy and hard-braking circuit in Japan. The Italian makes the top four to accompany his speed and P4 from the Sprint on Saturday
Pedro Acosta finishes 7th and engages in a captivating tussle for the top five
Brad Binder classifies 11th while Maverick Viñales marks his return to the Red Bull KTM Tech3 pitbox with 14th and two points
Moto3 podium spoils for Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Alvaro Carpe who grabs P3 ahead of a strong charge from Brian Uriarte in P4 as Rico Salmela also makes the top five
Motegi was overcast and cool for the 26th Grand Prix event to take place at the motorsports facility 150km north of Tokyo. Red Bull KTM lined up for the 24-lap race from 3rd (Pedro Acosta), 7th (Enea Bastianini), 17th (Brad Binder) and 19th (Maverick Viñales) slots on the grid and wary of the abrasiveness of the newly surfaced 14-corner layout that created challenges for tire durability during the Sprint on Saturday.
A confident Bastainini, who had been robbed of a Sprint podium by marginally exceeding track limits on the final lap of the chase yesterday, flew into the top five and had to find a way around Acosta. The Italian moved forwards while Acosta needed time to work temperature into the harder tires. Enea set the four fastest laps of the race with four to go while Acosta had an entertaining scrap with Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura for 5th. Bastianini made a final surge for P3 and missed out by less than a tenth of a second. P4 still represents his best result of the year (the previous highest being two P6s in the USA and the Netherlands). Pedro had to accept a hard-won P7 at the finish.
Brad Binder sliced his way towards the periphery of the top ten and was able to gain 5 points for 11th place. Maverick Viñales edged close to the top fifteen in the first laps. The Spaniard, who had missed the previous four Grands Prix to further recover from his left shoulder problem, persevered and completed the race with 14th.
MotoGP now moves south and to the island of Lombok for the Grand Prix of Indonesia at Mandalika next weekend.
Enea Bastianini, 4th and 11th in the championship: “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time! To be able to ride like that. The morning was a bit strange because we did not expect the hard to work quite good from the first lap and it was clear it was the choice for the race. I lost some time at the start to overtake Pedro but from the middle of the race until the end I always tried to push a bit more. I had an incredible feeling and saw the chance for the podium. I didn’t overtake Marco for 3rd but…it’s OK.”
Pedro Acosta (37) at Motegi. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
Pedro Acosta, 7th and 4th in the championship:“Tough one…and it feels like we haven’t had a tough one in a while! It looks like we didn’t match the bike with the tires. I don’t know why we struggled but I had difficulty stopping the bike and then also in the drive area, otherwise the bike was normal and good. Anyway. P7 is not a disaster. It was not our day…but I am happy to see another KTM bringing home a P4 and we can have some data to check.”
Brad Binder, 11th and 13th in the championship: “Much better than yesterday. The physio did a great job on me and I felt more human! We did the warm-up on the hard tire and straight out of the pits I thought ‘this thing is not bad…’. It was pretty good. The race was quite OK. We toned everything down to preserve the tire but, in the end, I think we could have done more distance on it. The best I could do today was 11th. Not a great Japan, and we were expecting better but I think I ruined it a bit when I threw myself down the road in Q1. It made the rest of the weekend more challenging. Onto the next one.”
Maverick Viñales, 14thand 22nd in the championship: “I’m happy this weekend because I found better feelings from the bike with every session. I still need to push more and in the correct place but I understand the bike a lot more. I’m really enthusiastic to get to Mandalika and keep improving. I expected to struggle more today. I was not worried about the shoulder but more the arms; here they get very tired with the heavy braking. It was good training! I found some good speed in the middle of the race. We are in a good way.”
Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Enea’s performance yesterday, today and at the end of the race was amazing but it was a tough day today. Our expectations were much higher with Pedro because we’d seen his speed early in the weekend and after the bad luck of the Sprint we were hoping for the podium but unfortunately we couldn’t make it and now we need to analyze why. In any case we have all four riders in the points. We showed we have the potential. We just need to put all the things together for Indonesia.”
More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing:
Fermin Aldeguer comes back strong in Japan, Alex Marquez’s weekend to forget.
RACEDAY
ALEX MARQUEZ NC
FERMIN ALDEGUER 9º
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ALEX MARQUEZ 9º (158)
FERMIN ALDEGUER 10º (122)
TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
BK8 GRESINI RACING 5º (289)
Alex Marquez (73) at Motegi. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
Alex Marquez:“It was a weekend full of mistakes and one that needs to be forgotten quickly. I made two mistakes again today, one of them unforgivable in the warm-up and then another one in the race. I’m angry with myself, but fortunately we’ll be back on track again in just a few days. We were fast today, not quite fast enough to fight for the podium, but without the penalty we probably would have stayed inside the top five.”
Fermin Aldeguer (54) and Brad Binder (33) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Gresini.
Fermin Aldeguer:“I felt good today, maybe even better than yesterday. From fifth place onwards, we were lapping at pretty much the same pace, which is definitely a positive. Riding like that helps put the mistakes we made over the weekend behind us. We gained several positions and were fast. Physically, I’ve improved day by day, so we’re heading to Indonesia hoping to keep progressing and have a good weekend. I have great memories from there last year…”
More, from a press release issued by Honda HRC:
Retro-liveried Honda HRC Castrol produce solid home points.
Japanese GP fans were transported back to 1966 as The Dream. The Challenge. came alive, Luca Marini racing the classic colours to top Honda honours while Somkiat Chantra impressed and matched his best ever Premier Class result.
Adorned with the colours of Honda’s first premier class machine, the RC181, Luca Marini and Somkiat Chantra were as determined as ever to deliver their best in front of Honda HRC staff and the Japanese fans. An extended Warm Up due to the withdrawal of the soft rear tyre gave the Honda HRC Castrol team an extra opportunity to experiment before the 24-lap race.
Wearing a special helmet to accompany the livery, Luca Marini made another rapid start to the race to immediately jump into the battle for the top ten positions. As has become his trademark, consistency saw Marini hold position as those around him faltered. An intense battle with Brad Binder punctuated the final laps of Marini’s Japanese GP, the Honda rider working hard to keep the South African behind. Tenth place in the race saw the #10 cross the line as the first Honda rider and end a complicated weekend on a more positive note than it began.
Somkiat Chantra was again able to make another step in his rapid reintroduction to the Honda RC213V. More aggressive when the lights went out than Saturday, the WorldSBK regular was able to stay in the battle with Viñales and the VR46 duo – besting all three of them in an impressive manner. The final laps of the Japanese GP saw Chantra chase down Fabio Quartararo for 12th place, finishing barely half a second shy of the former World Champion after 24-laps. 13th equals Chantra’s best finish in a Grand Prix from 2025, highlighting the fantastic work done by him and the team over the weekend.
The Indonesian Grand Prix is now right around the corner, the Honda HRC Castrol squad heading to Mandalika immediately after the race to begin Round 17. One of Luca Marini’s favourite circuits, watch out for the #10 next weekend.
Luca Marini (10) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Honda HRC.
Luca Marini:“Our weekend did not start in the best way so ending with a tenth place allows us to head to Mandalika with at least a bit of a smile. It was not an amazing race, but when we think about how the weekend started, it shows that the team are working well to recover our situation. More points on the board as we look to a circuit, Mandalika, I enjoy a lot and a track where the bike has worked at well in the past. Certainly, the highlight of the weekend was the beautiful colours we had on the bike today, it was very special to wear them.”
Somkiat Chantra (15) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Honda HRC.
Somkiat Chantra:“I am so happy with how this whole weekend has gone. When I compared it to my feeling from last year, the difference is so much and to already match my best result in MotoGP after one weekend with the Honda HRC Castrol team shows how well we were working together. Already when I arrived already on Friday the setup of the bike was so good and today I started better than Saturday and it was the first time like I felt I could fight on the bike, I was pushing until the end to catch Fabio but I just missed it. Thank you to everyone who helped me this weekend, I really appreciate the faith that Honda HRC put in me, and I am so happy to give them this result.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Quartararo 12th & Rins 16th as Yamaha Complete Home GP at Motegi.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP concluded Yamaha’s home round at Mobility Resort Motegi with Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins finishing 12th and 16th respectively in Sunday’s 24-lap Grand Prix of Japan.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins wrapped up a challenging MotoGP home race for Yamaha at the Mobility Resort Motegi taking P12 and P16 in the 24-lap Grand Prix of Japan.
Quartararo started from P12 and fell back to 16th after the first three laps. He gained two positions on lap 5 due to Johann Zarco’s double long-lap penalty and Fabio Di Giannantonio losing ground. The number 20 gained another place when Diogo Moreira retired from the race on lap 9. From that moment on, Quartararo circulated in P13, but following Álex Márquez’s crash on lap 19 crossed the finish line in P12, 30.867s from the winner.
Rins commenced the race from P21 and after battling with the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP riders on the opening lap found himself in P22. The fight between the three Yamaha riders took several laps to settle, with Rins taking P20 by lap 11. In the end, he wrapped up the race in P16, benefiting from Álex Márquez’s and Zarco’s crash and making late overtakes on Di Giannantonio and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu on the final lap. He took the chequered flag 39.228s from first place.
After today’s Race, Quartararo remains 15th in the championship standings with 66 points, while Rins stays 20th with 24 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are 10th in the team classification with 90 points, and Yamaha hold 5th place in the constructor standings with 89 points.
The team now turns their attention to next week’s Grand Prix of Indonesia at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit.
Fabio Quartararo (20) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Fabio Quartararo: “It was difficult because from lap 7 onwards I had a fuel issue. So, it was not the best. I could have gone much faster, but I had to take a lot of care with the throttle. I am happy with my riding, though, and that’s the most important thing. P12 was more or less where I expected to be in this race. I think I maybe could have been in front of Brad [Binder] and Luca [Marini], but sometimes these things are part of racing.”
Alex Rins (42) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Alex Rins: “It wasn’t a very eventful race for us. We always give it our best at every track. Today it was a bit of a question mark, riding with the hard rear tyre. In Warm Up it was not bad, and in the Race it gave more performance than the medium – which was a bit surprising. We completed the race, trying to save tyre. On the last lap, I could overtake [Fabio] Di Giannantonio and Toprak [Razgatlıoğlu] to take P16, which was the best we could do today.”
Massimo Meregalli – Team Director:“This was a difficult race. Fabio fought hard after losing positions in the opening laps, but he had to control the fuel consumption for most of the race. Despite that, he managed the situation as well as possible to take P12. Álex also kept pushing throughout the race and gained several positions, finishing in P16 despite starting from near the back of the grid. We now go straight to Indonesia, which gives us an immediate opportunity to crosscheck our findings of this weekend at a different type of circuit.”
More, from a press release issued by VR46 Team:
Franco Morbidelli is fifteenth and gets a point, while Fabio Di Giannantonio was affected from a far from ideal physical form after yesterday’s crash, and finishes the Motegi race in eighteenth place.
The MotoGP Overseas didn’t kick off in the best way possible for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, which ended the Japanese GP in a bittersweet way. It was a challenging Sunday for Franco Morbidelli, who was fifteenth and got one point. Fabio Di Giannantonio had a more complicated race due to a far from ideal physical condition and crossed the finish line in eighteenth place.
Morbidelli started from the fifth row and lost three places in the opening lap, starting to bounce back in Motegi race. Franco got more and more confidence lap by lap and was able to recover some ground. The Italian-Brazilian rider crossed the finish line of the Japanese GP in fifteenth place and got one point. Morbidelli is now sixteenth in the World Standing with 57 points.
Di Giannantonio had a difficult start from the second row, losing five places in the opening lap. Fabio was worn out after yesterday’s crash in the Sprint and could not express his potential in Motegi race, in which he struggled to keep the pace. The rider from Rome lost ground throughout the race, but he was able to defend despite the difficulties, crossing the finish line in eighteenth place. Di Giannantonio is now sixth in the World Standing with 230 points.
The Japanese GP ended with an attendance record of 121,997 spectators, and now the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team flies to Mandalika, where the Indonesian GP will take place next weekend: it’s the third home race for the Team after the Italian ones, and the Tavullia-based squad will reveal a surprise on Tuesday 6th October in Jakarta.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (49) at Motegi. Photo courtesy VR46 Team.
Fabio Di Giannantonio: “I am not in a great shape, I was expecting to be better after tonight. But this morning I struggled to be naturally at ease on the bike, especially on the right side, where I got hit yesterday. The pain is still there both in the ribs and in the hip. I was struggling even to do the classical moves, so the race was tough. Now, we must recover as fast as we can, it won’t be easy with this strict Overseas schedule. But we’ll do the maximum to be closer to the top shape in Mandalika, which is a very important race for the team. We will do our best in front of the Indonesian fans, it’s a kind of home race for the Team.”
Franco Morbidelli (21) at Motegi. Photo courtesy VR46 Team.
Franco Morbidelli: “The day started in a complicated way because we had to make a three-days schedule work in twenty minutes to change everything with the tyres to use and arriving to the race with things okay. In some ways, we did it and Sunday was quite good. The feeling in the race was not the one I was expecting, but then it improved from the second half of the race and I could do fast laps. Now we focus right away on Mandalika race, which is very important for us as one of the home race GP for the Team.”
Pablo Nieto: “Of course, this is not the result we were aiming for at the start of the Overseas. Fabio made a strong start to the weekend and, if it hadn’t been for yesterday’s crash, he had the potential to fight for a podium. The accident changed everything and prevented him to get some points, and he was worn out in today’s race. Now, it’s important for him to recover physically for next week in Mandalika, which is one of our home races. As for Franco, it wasn’t an easy weekend for him either, after missing Q2 for a little time both Friday and Saturday. However, both in the Sprint and today, the last laps were interesting, so we must keep working to complete a good race from the start to the end.”
More, from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP looks to leave a difficult Motegi weekend behind.
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP endured another challenging race at the Twin Ring Motegi, with Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Jack Miller finishing 17th and 19th respectively after a difficult weekend from the opening sessions.
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP brought a difficult Japanese Grand Prix to a close at the Twin Ring Motegi, with Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Jack Miller unable to turn their race pace into the result they had been hoping for. After struggling to find the right balance throughout practice, qualifying and Saturday‘s Sprint, both riders faced another demanding race and were unable to fight for the positions they had been targeting.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu once again showed that his race pace was stronger than his starting position suggested, but starting from 22nd made any recovery extremely difficult. The Turkish rider made progress during the race but also made a mistake that cost him several positions, forcing him to restart his recovery. Despite maintaining a competitive pace, he was unable to make up enough ground and eventually finished 17th.
Jack Miller spent much of the race fighting with his teammate, remaining close to Razgatlıoğlu until the 20th lap. The Australian then made a mistake that resulted in a crash. He was able to rejoin the race and complete the final laps, crossing the finish line in 19th and last position, more than 20 seconds behind the rider ahead.
The Japanese Grand Prix was therefore a weekend the team will be keen to put behind it, but the data and experience gathered throughout the three days will now be analysed as part of the ongoing development of the YZR-M1. Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP will now turn its attention to the next round of the championship, next week in Mandalika, Indonesia with the objective of making a positive step forward.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (07) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Pramac Yamaha.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: “I had the same problem again with the tyres and with stopping the bike. In the first six laps I was struggling a lot, but then I found a better rhythm and started to do 1:44s. The pace was much better, but it was still difficult because I was always riding close to the limit and pushing hard to stop the bike. I can see that Fabio is able to stop the bike more easily because he has much more experience with the Yamaha. I‘m still learning how to use the front and rear tyres together under braking, and this is an area where I need to improve. When I can stop the bike properly at the right point, I know I can make a big step in lap time. The positive thing is that I was improving lap by lap during the race, so I‘m learning more every time I ride. Today was better than yesterday, but I still need to find a way to ride the bike more comfortably and with more confidence. We are not fighting for the positions we want, but the important thing for me is to understand what I can improve. I really enjoyed the track this weekend. It was my first time riding here, and before this I had only experienced Motegi on the video game, so it was great finally to ride a MotoGP bike here. I enjoyed learning the circuit, even if the race itself was difficult.”
Jack Miller (43) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Pramac Yamaha.
Jack Miller:“I started the race reasonably well, but immediately I was struggling with the tyre pressure and locking the front a lot. The bike became quite difficult to ride, and I was losing time because I couldn‘t brake the way I wanted. The frustrating thing is that this morning, with the same front tyre from the Sprint and the new hard rear, I could run 1:44s all day and did my best lap at the end in 1:44.1. In the race, I couldn‘t get close to that pace and was stuck around the 1:45s. The biggest thing we need to improve is the consistency between the sessions and the race. We need to understand how to manage the tyre better, especially when starting from so far back and riding in traffic, because the pressure builds up very quickly. Even after the crash, the last few laps were actually the best the bike had felt all race, when the tyres had settled down again. The positive is that we learned a lot about the hard rear today. We had been unsure about it because historically it hasn‘t always been the best option, but this morning it worked really well and gave us strong pace. That is useful information for the next races, and hopefully we can make the most of the same casing in Mandalika. The last couple of races have been challenging for us, but we‘ll keep working and stay positive. We know there are areas where we need to make a big step, particularly in the way we use and load the tyres, and that‘s what we‘ll focus on.”
Gino Borsoi – Team Director:“It is clear that this was another difficult weekend for both riders. The main positive from today is that Toprak was able to find a really interesting race pace, not too far from Quartararo‘s, despite Fabio starting much further ahead. Once again, Toprak was able to make a step forward during the race, and that is something positive we can take from today. The priority now is to become more competitive from the first day of the weekend, so that both riders can start further forward and we can have a more consistent race pace from the beginning. That is the area we need to focus on and improve as we move towards the end of the season.”
More, from a press release issued by Castrol Honda LCR:
Castrol Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco crashed during Sunday’s race at Motegi.
Starting from 10th on the grid, Frenchman Zarco had to serve a double Long Lap penalty after attempting to restart his bike during the Warm Up following a crash at Turn 9, while riding in the opposite direction.
The rider made a solid start and was fighting for a top-ten position before serving the double Long Lap penalty. After carrying out the sanction, he began his comeback and fought his way into the points.
Unfortunately, with five laps remaining, he crashed. He managed to rejoin the race and crossed the finish line in 20th position, two laps down. After a weekend of ups and downs, it’s time to head to Mandalika and try again next week!
Johann Zarco (5) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Honda LCR.
Johann Zarco 20th:“It’s a pity. I had some fun during the race and had some good fights. I was able to try to overtake and felt strong. Unfortunately, I had to serve the double Long Lap penalty, and afterwards I had lost some grip, which made it difficult to overtake. I made a small mistake; I had done my maximum to stay there, but then I crashed. It’s part of racing, I guess. I’ll take the positives, and now we head to Mandalika!”
More, from a press release issued by Pro Honda LCR:
Pro Honda LCR rider Diogo Moreira crashed on Sunday at Motegi.
Starting from 9th on the grid and motivated by Saturday’s podium finish, Moreira had set a top-eight result as his goal for today’s race.
However, on the eight lap, he suffered a crash at Turn 9 after losing the front. Fortunately, he was unhurt, but the incident brought his race to an early end.
Despite today’s outcome, it has been the best weekend of the season so far for Diogo Moreira and the Pro Honda LCR team, providing further proof of the potential they have built together since the beginning of the season.
Diogo Moreira (11) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Honda LCR.
Diogo Moreira DNF:“I didn’t expect the crash. I was feeling good and trying to manage everything, as we could have been fighting for a top-eight finish, but then I lost the front and crashed. This is part of racing, and in any case, we’ve had a very positive weekend. Now it’s time to head to Mandalika, a circuit that I really like. Let’s see!”
Marco Bezzecchi (72), Ai Ogura (79) and Diogo Moreira (11) at Motegi. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
Marc Marquez won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday afternoon at Mobility Resort Motegi, in Japan. Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26 on Michelin control tires, the seven-time MotoGP World Champion won the 24-lap race by 1.363 seconds.
Jorge Martin was the runner-up on his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 and his teammate, Marco Bezzecchi, placed third.
Enea Bastianini crossed the finish line fourth on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 RC16.
Raul Fernandez took fifth on his SuperFile Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP26.
Jorge Martin leads the championship with 333 points, 2 ahead of Marc Marquez who has 331 points. Marco Bezzecchi is third with 284 points.
Two points in it: Marc Marquez doubles up at Motegi to reel in Martin. The reigning World Champion beats his chief championship rival in Japan to see the duo head to Indonesia split by a slender two-point margin.
The master of Motegi for the fourth time. And now, just two points away from the championship lead. The 2026 Motul Grand Prix of Japan delivered a scintillating double victory for Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), who battled past title rival Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) on Sunday afternoon to chop the standings lead back down to that ultra-slim margin ahead of a trip to Indonesia. It was the 2024 World Champion, Martin, who collected a vital 20 points to hold onto the title race lead, while teammate Marco Bezzecchi kept his cool under intense late pressure from a charging Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) to pick up a podium.
THE START
The hot pre-Grand Prix topic: hard rear Michelin, or medium? The answer, across the board, was the recommended hard rear option. Every rider in the same boat. An incredibly tough one to call with so little running on the hard rear option through the weekend. A journey into the unknown. A huge 24 laps ahead.
And soon enough, it was lights out time at the Mobility Resort Motegi. From pole, Martin grabbed the holeshot to keep Marc Marquez behind him, as Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) – who had to serve a double Long Lap penalty – picked off Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). The Austrian GP winner was shuffled down to P5 from the outside of the front row.
That was soon P8 on Lap 2 though as Bastianini, Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team), and the #25’s home hero teammate Ai Ogura demoted Acosta to the lower ends of the top 10.
MARTIN AND MARC MARQUEZ STRETCH CLEAR
Clicking onto Lap 5 of 24, 0.4s split Martin and Marc Marquez as both threw down 1:43.6s, with Bezzecchi 0.6s away from the tailpipes of the reigning World Champion. Alex Marquez took the first of his two Long Laps on Lap 5, which saw the #73 drop to P5, promoting Bastianini to P4, while his second completed Long Lap on Lap 7 dropped Alex Marquez to P9, one spot behind Tissot Sprint podium finisher Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR).
By Lap 10, Martin and Marc Marquez’s pace seemed too much to handle for Bezzecchi at this stage of the Grand Prix. 1.9s was now the gap between the top two in the title race and the Italian. The #89 and #93, winners of the 2024 and 2025 World Championships, traded fastest laps of the Grand Prix before the first move from Marquez came on Lap 11 at Turn 9.
MM93 MAKES HIS MOVE
A lunge up the inside, Marquez parked his Ducati on the apex to cement his move on Martin, as we now pondered what the response would be from Martin.
The immediate response was seeing the #93 edge his lead up to 0.8s by the start of Lap 15, with Bezzecchi and Bastianini now quicker than Martin. In fact, they were both quicker than Marquez too. 1.3s was the gap between Martin and Bezzecchi, while Bastianini sat 1.9s off third place.
The first time Martin notched up a lap quicker than Marquez in a while was on Lap 16. Just over a tenth was taken out of Marquez’s lead, 0.7s the gap now, and on the next lap it was marginally quicker again. 0.7s isn’t a realistic striking distance, but Martin was at least keeping the pressure on here in Japan.
FASTEST LAPS GALORE ON THE RUN TO THE FLAG
Pressure? What pressure? Responded Marc Marquez. A 1:43.291 was slammed in for the eight-time MotoGP World Champion to give himself an added slice of breathing room, and the advantage grew to 1.2s on the next lap.
It then came back down to 0.9s, as Bezzecchi and Bastianini fired in fastest laps of the race. Bastianini was 1.2s away from Bezzecchi’s rear Michelin, then a flat second, as Bastianini dropped another fastest lap. And then the hat-trick! Bezzecchi was quickly coming under increasing pressure from ‘The Beast’ as we entered the final lap of the Japanese Grand Prix.
Marquez led by 1.2s and was in a relatively comfortable position. So too was Martin. But it was anything but comfortable for Bezzecchi. Bastianini set a fourth consecutive fastest lap of the Grand Prix to reel in Bezzecchi, but it wasn’t quite enough.
Just two seconds up the road from the Italians, Marc Marquez completed the double in Japan to notch up his 79th victory. And after the disappointment of Austria, the reigning Champion responded on the soil where he clinched the 2025 title a year ago to close the gap to two points to second-place Martin, who picks up his sixth P2 of the year to limit the damage done. A successful weekend for the top two in the title race.
YOUR MOTEGI POINT SCORERS
Some seriously impressive late-race pace from Bastianini closes out a very good weekend for the Tech3 Italian, with the gap to fifth-place Fernandez, who won the ferocious fight for top-five honours between home favourite Ogura and Acosta, sitting at 12.4s.
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was 3.4s behind the Fernandez, Ogura, Acosta battle in P8, with Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Luca Marini for Honda HRC Castrol in their backyard completing the top 10.
The other points scorers in Japan? Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) in P11, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) in P12, Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC Castrol) in P13, the returning Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) in P14, and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in P15.
TWO POINTS IN IT HEADING TO LOMBOK
Martin’s 333 points plays Marc Marquez’s 331, with Bezzecchi now 49 points adrift in P3 as a trip to an Aprilia-favoured venue appears over the Indonesian horizon.
Lombok. The Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit. We’re coming.
Kyle Ryde (1) and Ryan Vickers (7) at Donington Park. Photo courtesy BSB.
Ryde delivers at Donington Park with race one victory.
Kyle Ryde claimed the opening British Superbike Championship race win of the weekend at his home round of Donington Park as the defending champion refused to settle in his quest for a historic third title, taking victory from Ryan Vickers and Bradley Ray.
At the start of the race, Ryde had had dropped down to fifth off the line on the opening lap as Ray snatched the lead from Vickers and Scott Redding.
Cook was into fifth by the second lap and then attacked Ryde to move ahead on the AJN Steelstock bimota, but the reigning champion wasn’t giving an inch and he reclaimed the position just a few corners later.
A lap later and Ryde was pushing to make his next move, this time on his closest title rival Redding; first attempting a move at the Fogarty Esses. The Hager PBM Racing Team rider was defending hard but at the Melbourne Loop, he made the move stick, with the pair making contact.
Vickers had stolen the lead from Ray on the fourth lap, but behind Ryde was closing down after making another move on Bradley Ray with a decisive pass into Coppice. The championship leader then had the Honda Racing UK contender ahead of him and he again wasn’t prepared to settle for anything less than victory in front of his home crowd.
Ryde then executed another determined move for the lead, passing Vickers into Schwantz and then kept the Honda Racing UK rider behind him with a sequence of rapid laps to bridge the gap in the closing stages.
Vickers celebrated a podium return in second place ahead of Ray, whilst Redding just missed out on the podium in fourth place as Max Cook completed the top five on the AJN Steelstock bimota.
Leon Haslam overcame issues from earlier in the weekend to claim sixth place, just ahead of Danny Kent and Storm Stacey with Joe Talbot and Christian Iddon completing the top ten.
British Superbike Championship, Donington Park, Race 1 result:
“It feels great to win here. I’ll be the first to admit that I was kind of flustered on the first couple of laps. Max caught me napping into the Old Hairpin and at one point, I was fifth, so I just thought that I’d have enough pace to keep up and fight at some point. But it was just the first five laps that it was worrying me with people behind and it all kind of gaggled up into the hairpin.
“As soon as Max came past me it actually helped as I thought, ‘right you can’t be sat in fifth here, you’ve had more pace all weekend’ and then it was hard to get to the front to be honest.
“I had to make some moves that were difficult as everyone was fighting for positions. I can’t remember where I passed Max but with Scott, I think we banged bars twice. He rode round the outside of me at the chicane and then I passed again at the hairpin, and he leant on me and my handlebar got stuck on his leg, so it was difficult!
“Once I got into third and Scott was behind me, I tried my best to put a bike in between us and to pass Brad safely and I went back into second and got a bike in between me and Scott and then I was able to relax.
“It was difficult to pass Ryan and I tried to pass him into Craner and eventually passed him at Starkey’s and from then on I just got my head down and did what I could do.
“It has been a great day. I got pole position and won that first race, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Adrian Huertas (99), Deniz Öncü (53), Alonso Lopez (21) and Senna Agius (81) during the Moto2 race at Motegi. Photo courtesy Marc VDS Team.
Izan Guevara won the FIM Moto2 World Championship race Sunday afternoon at Mobility Resort Motegi, in Japan. Riding his BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Boscoscuro on Pirelli control tires, the Spaniard won the 19-lap race by 0.419 second.
Tony Arbolino was the runner-up on his REDS Fantic Racing Kalex.
Filip Salac was a close third on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Ivan Ortola finished fourth on his QJMOTOR – JP Financial – MSI Kalex.
David Alonso took fifth on his CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team Kalex.
American Joe Roberts finished Sunday’s race 20th on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Manuel Gonzalez leads the championship with 245.5 points, 10.5 ahead of Izan Guevara who has 235 points. Ivan Ortola is third with 181.5 points.
Flawless Guevara clinches seismic Japan win as drama unfolds for Gonzalez. The championship gap goes from 35.5 points to 10.5 points as pre-race problems for Gonzalez sees him notch up zero points, while Arbolino and Salač earn rostrums.
A huge day in the ever-changing Moto2 2026 title chase unfolds at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan as Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) capitalises on Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) scoring zero points to reduce the gap between the championship front-running pair to a slender 10.5 points. Guevara’s second win on the spin, his third of the season, was one clinched under immense pressure after second-place finisher Tony Arbolino (REDS Fantic Racing) shadowed the Spaniard all the way. The latter earns his first podium of the season, with third-place finisher Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team) collecting his fifth of the campaign.
Before the lights even went out, huge drama unfolded on the front row of the grid as Gonzalez threw his hand up with a clutch issue, which meant the title race leader was wheeled off the grid. The race start wasn’t paused either – we got underway with the Moto2 Japanese Grand Prix without Gonzalez, who eventually fired out of pit lane nearly 30s away from the race leader.
Which was? Guevara. Gonzalez’s chief title threat grabbed the holeshot from pole position to lead Arbolino, Salač, Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – JP Financial – MSI), and the CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team pair of David Alonso and Daniel Holgado.
On Lap 9 of 19, the top five were 1.4s clear of a fading Holgado, with no changes in the above order for now, but the threat of passes was certainly lingering. 0.5s split Guevara, Arbolino, and Salač on the road, with Ortola and Alonso losing touch ever so slightly – the Spaniard and Colombian were 0.9s adrift of the front three halfway around Lap 10.
A hat-trick of fastest laps of the race saw Celestino Vietti (BETA Tools SpeedRS Team) reel in Ortola and Alonso, who were now 1.3s adrift of the podium scrap. And that fight was still bubbling away nicely, with Arbolino and Salač maintaining some serious pressure on Guevara.
The first attempt at making a move on Guevara came at Turn 9 with three to go. It was optimistic and didn’t work. Arbolino was up the inside, but in hot and wide on the exit to allow Guevara to sweep back through and keep the lead, but it was a warning shot from the Italian.
It was a move that gave Guevara a relatively comfortable – by Moto2 standards – lead going onto the final lap though. 0.5s was the advantage, with Arbolino also 0.5s clear of Salač, who was coming under increasing pressure from the Ortola, Alonso, and Vietti trio.
Moto2 podium with, from left to right, Tony Arbolino, Izan Guevara and Filip Salac. Photo courtesy Pirelli.
But in the end, no late attacks came. A flawless, metronomic performance from Guevara inflicts maximum damage on Gonzalez’s championship lead, leaving the gap at just 10.5 points from 35.5 pre-race, as we strap in for a trip to Indonesia. Huge.
Arbolino’s 34-race streak without a podium ends in fine style, with Salač collecting another rostrum in 2026 to continue his fine run of form. Ortola held off Alonso and Vietti across the line in the top six scrap, with Deniz Öncü (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) earning his best finish of the season in P7. Holgado slipped to P8 at the chequered flag to finish ahead of Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – the Spaniards complete the top 10 in Japan.
Maximo Quiles (28), Rico Salmela (27), David Muñoz (64) and Ryusei Yamanaka (6) at Motegi. Photo courtesy Tech3 team.
David Almansa won the FIM Moto3 World Championship race Sunday morning at Mobility Resort Motegi, in Japan. Using his Pirelli-shod Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM, the Spaniard won the 17-lap race by just 0.046 second.
Maximo Quiles was the runner-up on his CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Alvaro Carpe was third, 2.738 seconds behind race winner Almansa, and his teammate Brian Uriarte crossed the finish line fourth.
Rico Salmela got fifth on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 machine.
Maximo Quiles leads the championship with 326 points, 127 ahead of David Almansa who has 199 points. Alvaro Carpe is third with 191 points.
Almansa makes stunning last stand to deny Quiles at Motegi. They duked it out again but unlike at Misano, it went the way of the #22 who moves back into P2 overall whilst Quiles’ title celebrations are put off for at least a week.
Resisting late pressure to notch up a third win of 2026, David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) held on in another head-to-head battle with Championship leader Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) at Motegi. The two pulled clear in the closing stages but despite the best efforts of the #28, it was Almansa who took honours. Behind, Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was a solid third, all three still chasing the title.
Out the traps fast, Almansa grabbed the holeshot and despite a Lap 1 duel at Turn 5 with fellow fast-starter Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo), he held the advantage. David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) was up in third whilst Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) was battling for fourth as he faced his first match-point for the title. With the Grand Prix settling down, Uriarte hit the front on Lap 3 at Turn 3. Almansa had teammate Muñoz close behind, although the #64 was duffed up himself by Quiles and Carpe, the latter of which was soon third. A mistake at the end of Lap 4 from Quiles left him with seven tenths up to the lead three, all of whom were the riders out to put his title celebrations on ice.
By Lap 5, eight riders formed a lead group with Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3) now in fifth. Behind, home-hero Ryusei Yamanaka (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) and Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL UP – MTA) rounded out the group. Almansa was pushed back into third when Carpe came by at Turn 9 and teammate Muñoz was also being beaten up, back to eighth when Yamanaka and Bertelle came through in quick succession.
On Lap 8, disaster struck for race leader Uriarte who was handed a double Long Lap Penalty after his team were working on the bike on the grid after the three-minute board was displayed. That released Almansa, who had got himself back into P2, into free air as he inherited the race lead. Almansa set back-to-back fastest laps but still couldn’t break free from Carpe’s grasp, whilst Quiles kept a watching brief in third but was edging ever closer and by Lap 12, was firmly in the battle for victory, getting into P2 at Turn 5 to clear Carpe.
With five to go, Quiles made a mistake at Turn 8 and that dropped him a second away from Almansa and back into the clutches of Carpe. However, the #28 hadn’t stopped thinking in a tenth victory yet, getting the gap back down to half a second to Almansa whilst Carpe was now a distant but safe third. It was all going to come down to a last lap fight once again between the top two in the class, Quiles right with Almansa.
There was nothing between them as they danced their way through the final sector and into Turn 11, Quiles looked but couldn’t outbrake Almansa, who was inch perfect into the hard-braking right hander. Then, another opportunity arose at Turns 13 and 14 but again, Almansa placed his KTM perfectly to block off any attack and held on to the line to take a third victory of 2026. Quiles will have another opportunity to take the title in a week’s time in Indonesia after a fine P2 whilst Carpe’s third brings him a seventh podium of 2026.
After his double Long Lap Penalty, Uriarte recovered to an impressive fourth ahead of Salmela, who equals a career-best fifth place. Bertelle completed the top six ahead of Muñoz and Yamanaka, the Japanese rider with his best result of the season at home. Joel Esteban (LEVEL UP – MTA) and Adrian Cruces (CIP GreenPower) completed the top ten.
Gouker, Matsudaira, Sanchez and Bettencourt To Take Part in Selection Event At Circuito de Guadix In Spain.
Irvine, CA – Four of MotoAmerica’s rising Talent Cup stars – Nathan Gouker, Nathan Bettencourt, Kensei Matsudaira, and Derek Sanchez – are set to take the next step toward the world stage, having earned coveted invitations to the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup selection event. The American contingent will take part on day two of the tryout.
For these young riders with Grand Prix dreams, there is no bigger audition. The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup has launched the careers of countless Grand Prix stars, with alumni climbing through Moto3 and Moto2 all the way to the MotoGP World Championship. Now, four of MotoAmerica’s brightest talents get their shot to join that lineage.
“I’m really excited for our young riders who earned invitations to the Selection Event in Spain,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “Racing in Europe is a completely different experience, and going up against the best young talent in the world will show them exactly where they stand. This is what the Road to MotoGP is all about, and I can’t wait to see how our riders stack up.”
Gouker arrives in Spain fresh off of the 2026 MotoAmerica Talent Cup title where he smashed lap records on his way to nine wins across 13 podium appearances. The 15-year old from Lexington, North Carolina, carries an edge in adaptability on machinery he has seen before.
Nathan Gouker took top honors in Talent Cup at NJMP last weekend. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
“I’ve always been very good at learning new tracks,” said Gouker. “It’s a bike that I’m familiar with — the Moriwaki. I’ve been training on one since I was like nine. We took a little bit of a break on it this year, but we’re ready. Should be no problem getting back used to it.”
The past two seasons have seen Gouker based in Spain, training alongside riders who have come through the Rookies Cup program — experience he believes has him prepared for what the Selection Event demands. He’ll make the trip solo, with his parents flying over ahead of the Selection Event itself.
“It’s always fun racing under a new culture, and we haven’t been down where we’re going,” said Gouker. “It’ll be fun to learn what it is.”
Matsudaira arrives in Guadix as one of America’s brightest prospects. The Team Roberts rider finished as runner-up in the 2026 MotoAmerica Talent Cup, pushing champion Nathan Gouker all season long and briefly seizing the championship lead with a dominant double at his home round at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Matsudaira at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (2026). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to go to the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection again this year,” exclaimed Matsudaira. “I learned a lot throughout this year fighting for the championships in MotoAmerica Talent Cup and Moto4 Latin Cup. I know I’ll be able to show that I’m ready to take the next step in my career and I’m looking forward to the event.”
The Selection Event is in familiar territory for Matsudaira, who advanced to the final day at Guadix a year ago and has since honed his craft in Europe, including time at Jorge Martinez’s Aspar KSB Sports Academy in Valencia under the guidance of former Moto2 rider Sergio Gadea. That blend of domestic success and European experience makes him one of the American riders to watch.
Talking to Sanchez, the approach is straightforward: learn, progress and earn it session-by-session.
“Be smart, learn, and progress every session that they put me out on, and learn from all the experienced guys over there,” said Sanchez. “A lot of MotoGP riders have been through the Red Bull Rookies. It’s something to go and learn from. I feel like me going there will improve my riding, the way I ride, way more — they’ll teach me stuff. The main goal is to go learn and progress and hopefully make it.”
Derek Sanchez (#23) spent much of the 2026 Talent Cup season just off the lead group, chasing riders like Sam Drane (#59-Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing) and Matsudaira (#74-Team Roberts). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Sanchez, who has been riding since the age of four, has leaned on friends already in the Rookies Cup to understand what to expect from the smaller, sharper machinery. Back home, the Real Steel Honda rider has spent the season learning from veterans Hayden Gillim and Andrew Lee, and he already has an eye on the next step: A move up to the Twins Cup class.
“It’s the next similar type of equipment,” said Sanchez. “The goal always is to go to the top level as far as you can.”
Bettencourt, who heads to the Selection Event for the first time, is savoring every last moment of it. After competing in MotoAmerica Talent Cup in 2025, the now 16-year-old knows how lucky he is and wants to make every bit of this opportunity count.
16-year-old Nathan Bettencourt competed in MotoAmerica Talent Cup in 2025, capturing a P3 finish at the final race in New Jersey. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
“I am extremely thankful and excited for this opportunity,” said Bettencourt. “This will be my first time trying out and I’m looking forward to the experience. I want to thank MotoAmerica and everyone that supported me along the way — my parents, friends, family and sponsors.”
For more information on the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event, CLICK HERE
For updates and results from the Selection Event, CLICK HERE
A sellout crowd braved the weather inside Historic Crew Stadium to kick off the
2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship Playoffs. Photo courtesy SMX.
Ticket Presale Registration Opens on Tuesday, October 6.
All Dates and Venues for 28-Round Regular Season Featuring Monster Energy Supercross and Pro Motocross Championship Announced.
ELLENTON, Fla. / MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Today, the SMX League® revealed the complete 2027 Monster Energy SMX World Championship regular season schedule, comprised of the 17-race Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the 11-race Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. Additionally, registration for the ticket presale for all 28 rounds will open for preferred customers starting on Tuesday, October 6, at 10 a.m. ET. Interested parties can sign up for preferred access at SupercrossLIVE.com and ProMotocross.com. Fans can also sign up for SMX Texts to receive the latest information and updates coming from the SMX League.
The 17-race Supercross schedule will once again visit 16 cities spanning 13 different states from early January to mid-May, from West Coast staples like California, Arizona, and Washington, to Midwest and East Coast stalwarts like Texas, Florida, and Indiana. The 2027 schedule will also see the addition of two new destinations, with the sport’s first visits to the famed Alamodome in San Antonio and M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The championship will also make anticipated returns to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The 56th season of the Pro Motocross Championship will maintain its iconic slate of celebrated Nationals, featuring the most storied venues in all off-road motorcycle racing. The 11-race campaign will consist of 22 grueling motos and will travel to 10 different states over the course of the summer, beginning on Memorial Day weekend and ending the final weekend in August. The journey will feature celebrated traditions like Father’s Day weekend at the High Point National in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, and Independence Day at the RedBud National in Buchanan, Michigan.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the Monster Energy SMX World Championship Playoffs & Final will host three postseason rounds following Labor Day weekend. Those cities and venues will be announced in January.
Complete 2027 Monster Energy SMX World Championship Schedule, presented by iHeartRadio.
After an offseason that will bring one of the most significant amounts of change in recent memory with many new faces in different places, the biggest and most high-profile athletes in the sport will line up on the starting gate to kick off the regular season inside the hallowed grounds of Southern California’s Angel Stadium for the Anaheim Opener in January. The premier 450SMX Class will be led by reigning Supercross Champion Ken Roczen [Germany], who will be joined by fellow champions in Jason Anderson, Jett Lawrence [Australia], Chase Sexton, and Cooper Webb. This decorated group will be complemented by an impressive contingent of challengers, spearheaded by last season’s runner-up Hunter Lawrence[Australia], as well as Justin Barcia, Aaron Plessinger, and Malcolm Stewart, all of whom are former Main Event winners. It will also signify the rookie campaign for rising star Haiden Deegan.
Ken Roczen after winning his first Monster Energy Supercross Premier Class Championship at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. Photo courtesy SMX.
The outdoor season will also begin in Southern California, from the sprawling landscape of Fox Raceway at Pala. There, defending champion Hunter Lawrence will lead fellow titleholders Jett Lawrence and Sexton against the same elite lineup of championship hopefuls, headlined by Deegan and newly crowned SMX World Champion Jorge Prado [Spain].
Hunter Lawrence after winning his first Pro Motocross Premier Class Championship at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Photo courtesy SMX.
Jorge Prado after winning the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship title at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Missouri. Photo courtesy SMX.
While the 250SMX Class field will ultimately be divided into Eastern and Western Divisional Championships for Supercross, the smaller displacement is brimming with ascending talent and budding superstars, with defending Eastern Divisional Champion Cole Davies at the top of that list. Additionally, the likes of Max Anstie [Great Britain], Julien Beaumer, Pierce Brown, Seth Hammaker, Chance Hymas, Cameron McAdoo, Jo Shimoda, Nate Thrasher, and newly crowned SMX World Champion Levi Kitchen are all former Main Event winners expected to challenge for their first title, regardless of which division they line up for.
Davies will remain the rider to beat for the Pro Motocross campaign, where he’ll look to defend his crown against former championship runners-up in Kitchen and Shimoda and former winners like Beaumer, Hammaker, and Hymas.
The 2027 SMX regular season will also welcome the highly anticipated U.S. debut of Belgian twins Lucas and Sacha Coenen. The siblings have become two of the sport’s most rapidly rising stars in MXGP and if their guest appearances in the Pro Motocross Championship this past summer are any indication, they’ll be instant title contenders. Lucas will compete in the 450SMX Class, while Sacha will race in the 250SMX Class, already with a win to his credit from Southwick in June.
The always popular FanFest is currently planned for all Supercross rounds except Detroit (Round 7). The expansive outside footprint features unprecedented access to the sport’s biggest stars with an up-close and intimate view of their racing machines and team rigs. As the name implies, FanFest is a festival for the fans and has become a major part of the Supercross experience where fans can jump back and forth between the paddock and the stadium to also watch practice and qualifying.
For information about the Monster Energy SMX World Championship, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
2023 JD 156 Indian Chief Bobber Dark Horse old No.7 Legacy tribute. Photo courtesy Indian Motorcycle.
Two Legendary American Brands Restore Iconic Collaboration, Celebrate American Craftsmanship with Limited-Edition Motorcycles & Expanded Merchandise Collection.
GOLDEN VALLEY, MN — Indian Motorcycle, America’s First Motorcycle Company, and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey®, America’s First Registered Distillery, have reunited in a multi-year partnership – bringing together two iconic American brands with a mutual commitment to independence, originality and American craftsmanship that dates back more than a century. The partnership will reintroduce a beloved V-Twin collab series of highly exclusive, custom-inspired motorcycles. The partnership will also expand co-branded merchandise and continue collaboration around relevant events and activations.
The Indian Motorcycle and Jack Daniel’s partnership revives a past collaboration that spanned from 2016 to 2023, where the two American brands collaborated with Klock Werkssm Kustom Cycles of Mitchell, South Dakota. Built and designed around various Indian Motorcycle models, each collab featured a compelling nod to the American craftsmanship and grit each brand was founded on. The collaboration quickly became one of Indian Motorcycle’s most sought-after limited-edition series, with demand so strong that the 2018 Jack Daniel’s Indian® Scout® Bobber sold out in less than 10 minutes.
“Indian Motorcycle and Jack Daniel’s® share deep-rooted American heritage and unwavering commitment to quality, craftsmanship and authenticity,” said Mike Kennedy, CEO of Indian Motorcycle. “We’re excited to reunite with Jack Daniel’s® and build on what we’ve previously created together and look forward to an exciting new chapter ahead.”
United by their unmistakable American identities, Indian Motorcycle and Jack Daniel’s share a rich heritage rooted in craftsmanship, authenticity and the spirit of the open road. Together, Indian Motorcycle and Jack Daniel’s continue to celebrate these shared values through limited-edition motorcycles that blend distinctive design, exclusivity and the American heritage of two iconic brands.
“Indian Motorcycle and Jack Daniel’s have always been more than just products. Each brand embodies the American spirit and a passion for quality and craftsmanship,” said Greg Luehrs, Jack Daniel’s Director of Events and Sponsorships. “Since our previous collaboration, fans have asked when the limited-edition series will return. Today, we’re excited to say that day is coming.”
Indian Motorcycle-Jack Daniel’s co-branded merchandise will be available at authorized Indian Motorcycle dealerships nationwide and at the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. The collection offers fans a unique way to experience the partnership and celebrate the shared heritage, craftsmanship and American spirit of two iconic brands.
The merchandise collection will be available beginning Friday, October 2 at the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee while supplies last. Additional details about the limited-edition motorcycles will be shared at a later date.
To learn more about Indian Motorcycle and stay up to date on the latest information surrounding this collaboration, riders can visitIndianMotorcycle.com or follow along on Facebook, X,Instagram, andYouTube.
ABOUT JACK DANIEL’S:
Officially registered by the U.S. Government in 1866 and based in Lynchburg, Tenn., the Jack Daniel Distillery is the first registered distillery in the United States and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Jack Daniel’s is the maker of the world-famous Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, Gentleman Jack Double Mellowed Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Blackberry, Jack Daniel’s Bonded, Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select and Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola. Today, Jack Daniel’s is a true global icon found in more than 170 countries around the world and is the most valuable spirits brand in the world as recognized by Interbrand. Visit www.jackdaniels.com for more information.
Please Drink Responsibly. Never Drink and Ride. Bottles and Throttles Don’t Mix.
Indian Motorcycle is America’s First Motorcycle Company. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.
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Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
Kyle Ryde – Nitrous Coin Nitrous Competitions Racing: 
