Editorial Note: A rider’s fastest lap time, regardless of which session it is done in, counts toward the overall qualifying results. Therefore, Jesse James Shedden gets the North America Talent Cup pole position based on the faster 1:40.245 he did on Friday. Results from both qualifying sessions are posted below.
Featured In the September 2022 issue of Roadracing World:
In 1873, Pietro Laverda founded Laverda as a manufacturer of agricultural equipment. Between WWI and WWII the company was a leader in the mechanizing of farm equipment. After WWII, Laverda saw the need for cheap transport and added motorcycles to the company’s products.
Wanting to showcase the performance and reliability of its motorcycles, Laverda entered then-popular long-distance races held on public roads. A series of overall victories and class wins proved this was a smart decision.
Fast-forward to 1964 and the appointment of Pietro’s great-grandson Massimo to the position of CEO. After a trip to the USA, Massimo saw the need for larger capacity machines starting with a 654cc four-stroke, air-cooled Parallel Twin that debuted at the Earls Court Show in 1966. Production commenced two years later, and the bike did not remain a 650 for long…
—Historic Racebike Illustrations: 1972 Laverda 750SFC, by Mick Ofield
To compete in more endurance events in 1971, Massimo Laverda initiated an SFC (Super Freni Competizione) version of the SF. Factory-entered bikes ridden by Hans Hutten, Sergio Angiolini, and Augusto Brettoni dominated many European endurance races that year. To capitalize on this success, a limited run of 20 SFCs was produced in early 1971, followed by another 65 later that year. Read the story of the development of one of the most beautiful bikes to come out of Italy in the latest issue of Roadracing World!
PREVIEW the September 2022 Issue of Roadracing World!
Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine is available in print and digital formats.
Click to SUBSCRIBE NOW ! Or call (909) 654-4779, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.
Read the September 2022 issue of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technologywith your online subscription. Log in HERE
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Bautista claims home victory by 8.6s over Rea after stunning start
The Spanish rider moved up the order to claim home victory at Barcelona
Alvaro Bautista (19) won Superbike Race One. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Race 1 highlights – WorldSBK
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Bautista claimed the victory in Race 1 battling up from fifth place on the grid.
Bautista is the first rider to start fifth or lower and lead all the laps in a race since Jonathan
Rea in Jerez Race 2 in 2017.
He finished 8.665s ahead of Rea, increasing his Championship lead to 44 points over Razgatlioglu.
“I’m really happy to get the victory in Race 1 here, especially after Race 2 in Magny-Cours that I couldn’t finish. To finish the race in first position was very special, to do it in front of my friends, family and fans was very nice. Today, the key was the tyre consumption. I didn’t have a good Superpole but in the end I could make a good start, so I got the lead from Turn 1. In that moment, it was difficult because I didn’t want to push too hard to not use and not stress the rear tyre. At the same time, I have to close the door to not let the other riders pass. It was a difficult situation. I had some touching with other riders behind me. In the end, I could manage, and I can get some advantage after a few laps. I started to ride more comfortably, more relaxed, and I can get my rhythm.”
P2 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Rea was second in Race 1 – extending his winning drought to 13 races.
He now is only eight points shy of Razgatlioglu standing in third place in the standings.
“I feel like the weekend has been quite strong so far, being on the front row this morning and then in the race I had a reallyl good launch and I thought everyone is on fifth gear here, it’s Turn 1, relax, but it came out from everywhere in Turn 1. Rinaldi hit ne on the inside and that forced me wide, many people came through, so it was a little bit messy in the beginning. But it was frustrating then because I had completely lost the wheel of Alvaro and Toprak, I was in the big group behind, and they were going away. So, I had to exercise a lot of patience just to manage. Then I was stuck with Bassani on the Ducati and Lecuona with the Honda … he was fast on the straight. The strategy was to look after the tyre, but I thought where am I going to pass if I can’t line up the exit and abuse the tyre to get there. But the race came to me, lap by lap, the guys were dropping their rhythm a little bit. I don’t feel like I got faster, I just stayed more consistent. Toprak was coming back but his drop was quite severe. I could do a really good job at the end.”
Jonathan Rea (65) took second ahead of Garrett Gerloff (31). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Gerloff took third position to claim his first podium of the 2022 season, the first one since Donington Park 2021.
The American claimed his sixth WorldSBK podium
“It’s been a long time! You never know when your last podium is going to be and for a while, I was thinking that Donington Park last year was going to be the last one. The team deserves to be here; it’s a world class team and they do a world class job. I’m happy to give them and the sponsors some media coverage!
“I just figured that this race would be a long one and that tyre degradation was a big thing around here. I saw everyone smoking tyres right from the first lap, and it was a sign to me to be easy on the gas. I lost some ground for not being as aggressive, but it seemed to pay off later in the race. When they started coming back to me, I was thrilled. To make some passes always feels nice!”
P4 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Rinaldi finished just outside the podium 1.494s behind Gerloff but 2.785s seconds ahead of Razgatlioglu.
“During the Superpole I crashed, so I only had one lap. I started in tenth place. Then the race was quite strange. I started very well but then I didn’t have the pace at the beginning. And also, I went long in Turn 1, so I had to start again from P10. But I managed the tyre in a really good way and at the end I had more tyre and more speed than the ones in front of me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t pass Garrett or Jonny but I think that if I didn’t make that mistake at Turn 1, I could have finish in second place. We will try tomorrow.”
P5 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Starting from eighth place on the grid, it was a top five finish for Razgatlioglu.
It was the first time in 17 races that Razgatlioglu did not lead a lap
The Reigning World Champion remains second in the Championship standings, but his advantage over Rea was reduced to eight points.
“In the race, I had a very good start, but the end wasn’t fantastic because of a fifth position finish. In the last ten laps, I felt the rear tyre have a big drop. I keep fighting for a good position. For me, P5 isn’t enough. Tomorrow, we will try to improve. For me, in this race it was a big problem. I tried to follow Bautista and lap times were very fast, 41’9 and low 42s. I think I used the rear tyre a little bit too much in the first laps, and after that it started to drop. Tomorrow, my plan is to start calmer because the rear tyre is important in the last six laps.”
P6 – Iker Lecuona (Team HRC)
Starting from pole position, his first one in WorldSBK, Lecuona was fighting at the front but dropped at the start of the race to take sixth place.
Lecuona went for an alternative tyre strategy, using Pirelli’s SC0 tyre
“Until this morning I was happy. I feel good with the bike, I feel fast. I can ride alone. In the Superpole, I didn’t expect to get the pole but I followed Jonathan and of course the reference helped me. But I have the speed and this is the positive, and also a lot of confidence in myself and the bike to have a good race. But until mid-race, I felt good, consistent. I went with the hard tyre and I managed the grip. But we always have the same problem, in the last laps we struggled a lot, in the last five laps I lost the podium. I couldn’t do anything. I didn’t have the tyre for this battle. I’m not happy, I’m frustrated. We need to solve this problem. It happens at every race and for me it’s the worst feeling.”
To note:
Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) was the lead BMW rider in 10th place.
Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team) crashed at Turn 3 after contact with Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with Bernardi re-joining the race, before bringing his bike back to the pits, and van der Mark continuing. Van der Mark will have a Long Lap penalty in the next race for irresponsible riding. On Lap 3, Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) crashed at Lap 1 which put the British rider out of the race. Van der Mark retired from the race after a technical issue on Lap 9 of 20.
WorldSBK action resumes on Sunday from 09:00 (Local Time), followed by Tissot Superpole Race at 11:00 and Race 2 at 15:15.
Marquez rules Motegi! 1071 days later, the number 93 is BACK on pole
Zarco and Brad Binder join the number 93 on the front row, with Aleix sixth, Quartararo ninth and Bagnaia 12th to tease a serious Sunday showdown
Saturday, 24 September 2022
1071 days is a little less than three years; it’s 50 MotoGP™ races and 25 starts for Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). It’s also the time that’s passed since the eight-time World Champion started from pole and what a stage to do it on: the very same Mobility Resort Motegi. After a tough, tough run for Honda, the number 93 gave the factory plenty of reasons to smile on home turf as he danced through the rain to head the grid with a couple of tenths in hand. What will a likely dry race on Sunday bring? We don’t know yet, and Marquez says he doesn’t either. But Saturday was a statement.
The headlines overflowed behind the number 93, too. The highest starting title challenger is Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) on the outside of the second row. Points leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) starts ninth, on the edge of the third. And completing the perfect straight line of the top three title hopefuls all hurrying into Turn 1 in a row comes Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) down in 12th.
Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), meanwhile, crashed on Friday to dent his place on the combined timesheets and then slid out in Q1, so he’ll start P15. One may need to buckle up for quite a Sunday afternoon…
It was certainly a dramatic Saturday. After FP3 was cancelled due to adverse weather and limited daylight time, qualifying got underway for the premier class a little later than scheduled, but the show did not disappoint as the rain abated just enough. Marquez’ display was a stunner, and the last challenger keeping the fight going to the flag was Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as he put in a couple of red sectors. In the end, the South African couldn’t quite complete the deposition and he lines up in P3, but he takes his first MotoGP™ front row. Given the charge we saw only seven days ago, that promises much once the lights go out.
Between Marquez’ goosebump-inducer and BB33’s little piece of history made in third, Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) went from Q1 to second on the grid and ensures Ducati’s roll of 36 races in a row with a bike on the front row keeps going.
Aprilia Racing emerged as the factory team with the best positions on aggregate, with Maverick Viñales in P4 ahead of Q1 graduate Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Aleix Espargaro in P6. Viñales was another whose first couple of sectors looked to be on to ruin Marquez’ Honda fairytale, but it just came up short.
Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) had an uncharacteristic run in Q2 to end up P7, aiming higher on race day, and the man of the wet weather masterclass in Lombok, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), had a tip off that stopped his pace converting into more than P8 on the grid. Then comes Quartararo, who is top Yamaha but will want to remain top title contender by the flag – and with his closest rivals in a straight line right behind him.
Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) completes the top ten, ahead of Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team), who has taken a step forward this weekend, and Bagnaia in that lowly 12th. In the dry, however, what’s the biggest bet anyone would make against Pecco of late…?
Qualifying wrote the start of a few incredible stories at Motegi, and Sunday will add another chapter to each. With little dry running and the forecast for race day looking better, it could be one of the most unpredictable showdowns for some time. So make sure to tune in as we go racing at 15:00 (GMT +9)!
MotoGP™: TOP THREE
1 Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) – Honda – 1’55.214
2 Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – +0.208
Marc Marquez: “I’m really, really, really happy to be on the pole position. Today, in the morning, I already felt really, really strong in the wet, and then I said, ‘Okay, if it’s wet in the afternoon, I will try.’ It’s only pole position, it’s in wet conditions, but from where we are coming, in the situation we are in with Honda, it’s really important for all the Japanese staff, it’s really important for me, it’s really important for the future to achieve these small targets. Tomorrow, in dry conditions, it will be a different race, it will be a different story, but today it’s like this, so we will celebrate.”
Canet storms to pole as title rivals struggle on Saturday
The Spaniard heads Aldeguer and Dixon on the front row, with Fernandez 11th and Ogura 13th
Good things come to those who wait, and Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) had to wait a while to claim pole for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan. Heavy rain hammered the Mobility Resort Motegi just minutes into Q2, leading to a delay of more than 90 minutes before the field was let loose again. But despite having to re-acclimatise to the conditions, Canet charged to pole by 0.333, with Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools Speed Up) and Jake Dixon (Shimoku GASGAS Aspar team) joining him on the front row. The top two in the World Championship, however, are much further back as Sunday is puts plenty on the line in the intermediate class.
Earlier, Canet had dropped into Q1 but topped that, before Q2 was called to a halt with just over nine minutes remaining. When pit lane eventually did open again, the Spaniard was immediately on it, lapping each time at anywhere from a few tenths of a second to more than half a second quicker than the rest. As the rain started to ease off, he laid down a 2:04.939 just before the chequered flag, snatching top spot back from Aldeguer after the Boscoscuro rider had clocked a 2:05.272.
More drama hit for Aldeguer then as that lap time was scratched when it was thought that he set it under a yellow flag zone, but a glitch in the system had occurred and it was reinstated after the session following manual verification. Dixon is therefore ultimately third courtesy of his 2:05.669.
Canet has some breathing space ahead of the top two in the Championship on the grid as well. Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) could be one to watch on Row 2 in fifth, further ahead on his teammate’s home turf, but we have to go all the way back to the middle of Row 4 to find World Championship leader Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with home hero and key rival Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) a couple further back in P13.
They are split on the timesheets by Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools Speed Up), too, who was one of three to crash in Q2 and fast otherwise. Is the ball in Canet’s court on Sunday? Or will dry skies change the game once again? We’ll find out at 13:20 (GMT +9)!
Aron Canet: “After waiting one hour in the box, it was really difficult coming back to the track, with only seven minutes to stretch a little bit and come to the track. But, after really difficult conditions, to come back and get pole position was really good, and wet conditions are bad. Tomorrow will be dry conditions; completely different. It’s good to start the race on the first row, better than the fourth or fifth row, but that’s Moto2, it’s a really, really difficult category, and we’ll see how it is tomorrow.
“During the year, we have been really, really strong on all the tracks, and I think for sure that we will fight for the podium tomorrow. Motegi is amazing in Moto3 and Moto2 but better on Moto2; more power, more movements, and it’s better.”
Suzuki heads his home grid, Guevara ninth with key rivals ahead
Ogden takes stunning rookie second ahead of Garcia, Sasaki and Foggia as key rivals gear up to take the fight to Guevara on Sunday
Leopard Racing’s Tatsuki Suzuki has secured a cherished home Moto3™ pole at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, and on his birthday no less. The Japanese rider got the job done on Honda home turf, taking three tenths out of the field in a very wet Q2. Rookie Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team) made a late dash to take second, with title contender Sergio Garcia (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) completing the front row – but despite two crashes. His teammate and Championship leader Izan Guevara took P9, which puts him behind key rivals.
The conditions were wet, wet, wet on Saturday and that added to the challenge as many in the field, including Guevara, ride the track for the first time. The number 28 does have that 33-point buffer, but most of his key rivals line up ahead: Garcia is third, and home hero Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) heads the second row, just ahead of the rider he’s chasing in the standings for third: Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing).
The last Japanese rider to win in any class at Motegi was Hiroshi Aoyama in 250cc in 2006. Will Suzuki or Sasaki be the next? Can Guevara make more gains? The lights go out for the race at 12:00 (GMT +9) so tune in to find out!
Tatsuki Suzuki: “It’s really good to start the home GP right. Also, this track is Honda’s track so it’s really important to start in front of the other riders. I’m so happy to be on pole position but still, we’re here on Saturday. The important thing is always Sunday, so let’s see. We will keep our feet on the ground and try to improve the feeling for tomorrow!”
Jesse James Shedden (99). Photo by Rick Hentz/Ricks Pics.
Editorial Note: A rider’s fastest lap time, regardless of which session it is done in, counts toward the overall qualifying results. Therefore, Jesse James Shedden gets the North America Talent Cup pole position based on the faster 1:40.245 he did on Friday. Results from both qualifying sessions are posted below.
A late-model 1974 Laverda 750SFC (Super Freni Competizione) with a customer-installed speedometer, tachometer, and mirrors. Disc brakes were now stock as were wire-spoke wheels with Borrani rims. Photo by Mick Ofield.
Featured In the September 2022 issue of Roadracing World:
In 1873, Pietro Laverda founded Laverda as a manufacturer of agricultural equipment. Between WWI and WWII the company was a leader in the mechanizing of farm equipment. After WWII, Laverda saw the need for cheap transport and added motorcycles to the company’s products.
Wanting to showcase the performance and reliability of its motorcycles, Laverda entered then-popular long-distance races held on public roads. A series of overall victories and class wins proved this was a smart decision.
Fast-forward to 1964 and the appointment of Pietro’s great-grandson Massimo to the position of CEO. After a trip to the USA, Massimo saw the need for larger capacity machines starting with a 654cc four-stroke, air-cooled Parallel Twin that debuted at the Earls Court Show in 1966. Production commenced two years later, and the bike did not remain a 650 for long…
—Historic Racebike Illustrations: 1972 Laverda 750SFC, by Mick Ofield
To compete in more endurance events in 1971, Massimo Laverda initiated an SFC (Super Freni Competizione) version of the SF. Factory-entered bikes ridden by Hans Hutten, Sergio Angiolini, and Augusto Brettoni dominated many European endurance races that year. To capitalize on this success, a limited run of 20 SFCs was produced in early 1971, followed by another 65 later that year. Read the story of the development of one of the most beautiful bikes to come out of Italy in the latest issue of Roadracing World!
PREVIEW the September 2022 Issue of Roadracing World!
Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine is available in print and digital formats.
Click to SUBSCRIBE NOW ! Or call (909) 654-4779, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.
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Bautista claims home victory by 8.6s over Rea after stunning start
The Spanish rider moved up the order to claim home victory at Barcelona
Alvaro Bautista (19) won Superbike Race One. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Race 1 highlights – WorldSBK
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Bautista claimed the victory in Race 1 battling up from fifth place on the grid.
Bautista is the first rider to start fifth or lower and lead all the laps in a race since Jonathan
Rea in Jerez Race 2 in 2017.
He finished 8.665s ahead of Rea, increasing his Championship lead to 44 points over Razgatlioglu.
“I’m really happy to get the victory in Race 1 here, especially after Race 2 in Magny-Cours that I couldn’t finish. To finish the race in first position was very special, to do it in front of my friends, family and fans was very nice. Today, the key was the tyre consumption. I didn’t have a good Superpole but in the end I could make a good start, so I got the lead from Turn 1. In that moment, it was difficult because I didn’t want to push too hard to not use and not stress the rear tyre. At the same time, I have to close the door to not let the other riders pass. It was a difficult situation. I had some touching with other riders behind me. In the end, I could manage, and I can get some advantage after a few laps. I started to ride more comfortably, more relaxed, and I can get my rhythm.”
P2 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Rea was second in Race 1 – extending his winning drought to 13 races.
He now is only eight points shy of Razgatlioglu standing in third place in the standings.
“I feel like the weekend has been quite strong so far, being on the front row this morning and then in the race I had a reallyl good launch and I thought everyone is on fifth gear here, it’s Turn 1, relax, but it came out from everywhere in Turn 1. Rinaldi hit ne on the inside and that forced me wide, many people came through, so it was a little bit messy in the beginning. But it was frustrating then because I had completely lost the wheel of Alvaro and Toprak, I was in the big group behind, and they were going away. So, I had to exercise a lot of patience just to manage. Then I was stuck with Bassani on the Ducati and Lecuona with the Honda … he was fast on the straight. The strategy was to look after the tyre, but I thought where am I going to pass if I can’t line up the exit and abuse the tyre to get there. But the race came to me, lap by lap, the guys were dropping their rhythm a little bit. I don’t feel like I got faster, I just stayed more consistent. Toprak was coming back but his drop was quite severe. I could do a really good job at the end.”
Jonathan Rea (65) took second ahead of Garrett Gerloff (31). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Gerloff took third position to claim his first podium of the 2022 season, the first one since Donington Park 2021.
The American claimed his sixth WorldSBK podium
“It’s been a long time! You never know when your last podium is going to be and for a while, I was thinking that Donington Park last year was going to be the last one. The team deserves to be here; it’s a world class team and they do a world class job. I’m happy to give them and the sponsors some media coverage!
“I just figured that this race would be a long one and that tyre degradation was a big thing around here. I saw everyone smoking tyres right from the first lap, and it was a sign to me to be easy on the gas. I lost some ground for not being as aggressive, but it seemed to pay off later in the race. When they started coming back to me, I was thrilled. To make some passes always feels nice!”
P4 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Rinaldi finished just outside the podium 1.494s behind Gerloff but 2.785s seconds ahead of Razgatlioglu.
“During the Superpole I crashed, so I only had one lap. I started in tenth place. Then the race was quite strange. I started very well but then I didn’t have the pace at the beginning. And also, I went long in Turn 1, so I had to start again from P10. But I managed the tyre in a really good way and at the end I had more tyre and more speed than the ones in front of me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t pass Garrett or Jonny but I think that if I didn’t make that mistake at Turn 1, I could have finish in second place. We will try tomorrow.”
P5 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Starting from eighth place on the grid, it was a top five finish for Razgatlioglu.
It was the first time in 17 races that Razgatlioglu did not lead a lap
The Reigning World Champion remains second in the Championship standings, but his advantage over Rea was reduced to eight points.
“In the race, I had a very good start, but the end wasn’t fantastic because of a fifth position finish. In the last ten laps, I felt the rear tyre have a big drop. I keep fighting for a good position. For me, P5 isn’t enough. Tomorrow, we will try to improve. For me, in this race it was a big problem. I tried to follow Bautista and lap times were very fast, 41’9 and low 42s. I think I used the rear tyre a little bit too much in the first laps, and after that it started to drop. Tomorrow, my plan is to start calmer because the rear tyre is important in the last six laps.”
P6 – Iker Lecuona (Team HRC)
Starting from pole position, his first one in WorldSBK, Lecuona was fighting at the front but dropped at the start of the race to take sixth place.
Lecuona went for an alternative tyre strategy, using Pirelli’s SC0 tyre
“Until this morning I was happy. I feel good with the bike, I feel fast. I can ride alone. In the Superpole, I didn’t expect to get the pole but I followed Jonathan and of course the reference helped me. But I have the speed and this is the positive, and also a lot of confidence in myself and the bike to have a good race. But until mid-race, I felt good, consistent. I went with the hard tyre and I managed the grip. But we always have the same problem, in the last laps we struggled a lot, in the last five laps I lost the podium. I couldn’t do anything. I didn’t have the tyre for this battle. I’m not happy, I’m frustrated. We need to solve this problem. It happens at every race and for me it’s the worst feeling.”
To note:
Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) was the lead BMW rider in 10th place.
Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team) crashed at Turn 3 after contact with Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with Bernardi re-joining the race, before bringing his bike back to the pits, and van der Mark continuing. Van der Mark will have a Long Lap penalty in the next race for irresponsible riding. On Lap 3, Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) crashed at Lap 1 which put the British rider out of the race. Van der Mark retired from the race after a technical issue on Lap 9 of 20.
WorldSBK action resumes on Sunday from 09:00 (Local Time), followed by Tissot Superpole Race at 11:00 and Race 2 at 15:15.
Marquez rules Motegi! 1071 days later, the number 93 is BACK on pole
Zarco and Brad Binder join the number 93 on the front row, with Aleix sixth, Quartararo ninth and Bagnaia 12th to tease a serious Sunday showdown
Saturday, 24 September 2022
1071 days is a little less than three years; it’s 50 MotoGP™ races and 25 starts for Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). It’s also the time that’s passed since the eight-time World Champion started from pole and what a stage to do it on: the very same Mobility Resort Motegi. After a tough, tough run for Honda, the number 93 gave the factory plenty of reasons to smile on home turf as he danced through the rain to head the grid with a couple of tenths in hand. What will a likely dry race on Sunday bring? We don’t know yet, and Marquez says he doesn’t either. But Saturday was a statement.
The headlines overflowed behind the number 93, too. The highest starting title challenger is Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) on the outside of the second row. Points leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) starts ninth, on the edge of the third. And completing the perfect straight line of the top three title hopefuls all hurrying into Turn 1 in a row comes Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) down in 12th.
Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), meanwhile, crashed on Friday to dent his place on the combined timesheets and then slid out in Q1, so he’ll start P15. One may need to buckle up for quite a Sunday afternoon…
It was certainly a dramatic Saturday. After FP3 was cancelled due to adverse weather and limited daylight time, qualifying got underway for the premier class a little later than scheduled, but the show did not disappoint as the rain abated just enough. Marquez’ display was a stunner, and the last challenger keeping the fight going to the flag was Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as he put in a couple of red sectors. In the end, the South African couldn’t quite complete the deposition and he lines up in P3, but he takes his first MotoGP™ front row. Given the charge we saw only seven days ago, that promises much once the lights go out.
Between Marquez’ goosebump-inducer and BB33’s little piece of history made in third, Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) went from Q1 to second on the grid and ensures Ducati’s roll of 36 races in a row with a bike on the front row keeps going.
Aprilia Racing emerged as the factory team with the best positions on aggregate, with Maverick Viñales in P4 ahead of Q1 graduate Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Aleix Espargaro in P6. Viñales was another whose first couple of sectors looked to be on to ruin Marquez’ Honda fairytale, but it just came up short.
Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) had an uncharacteristic run in Q2 to end up P7, aiming higher on race day, and the man of the wet weather masterclass in Lombok, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), had a tip off that stopped his pace converting into more than P8 on the grid. Then comes Quartararo, who is top Yamaha but will want to remain top title contender by the flag – and with his closest rivals in a straight line right behind him.
Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) completes the top ten, ahead of Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team), who has taken a step forward this weekend, and Bagnaia in that lowly 12th. In the dry, however, what’s the biggest bet anyone would make against Pecco of late…?
Qualifying wrote the start of a few incredible stories at Motegi, and Sunday will add another chapter to each. With little dry running and the forecast for race day looking better, it could be one of the most unpredictable showdowns for some time. So make sure to tune in as we go racing at 15:00 (GMT +9)!
MotoGP™: TOP THREE
1 Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) – Honda – 1’55.214
2 Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – +0.208
Marc Marquez: “I’m really, really, really happy to be on the pole position. Today, in the morning, I already felt really, really strong in the wet, and then I said, ‘Okay, if it’s wet in the afternoon, I will try.’ It’s only pole position, it’s in wet conditions, but from where we are coming, in the situation we are in with Honda, it’s really important for all the Japanese staff, it’s really important for me, it’s really important for the future to achieve these small targets. Tomorrow, in dry conditions, it will be a different race, it will be a different story, but today it’s like this, so we will celebrate.”
Canet storms to pole as title rivals struggle on Saturday
The Spaniard heads Aldeguer and Dixon on the front row, with Fernandez 11th and Ogura 13th
Good things come to those who wait, and Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) had to wait a while to claim pole for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan. Heavy rain hammered the Mobility Resort Motegi just minutes into Q2, leading to a delay of more than 90 minutes before the field was let loose again. But despite having to re-acclimatise to the conditions, Canet charged to pole by 0.333, with Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools Speed Up) and Jake Dixon (Shimoku GASGAS Aspar team) joining him on the front row. The top two in the World Championship, however, are much further back as Sunday is puts plenty on the line in the intermediate class.
Earlier, Canet had dropped into Q1 but topped that, before Q2 was called to a halt with just over nine minutes remaining. When pit lane eventually did open again, the Spaniard was immediately on it, lapping each time at anywhere from a few tenths of a second to more than half a second quicker than the rest. As the rain started to ease off, he laid down a 2:04.939 just before the chequered flag, snatching top spot back from Aldeguer after the Boscoscuro rider had clocked a 2:05.272.
More drama hit for Aldeguer then as that lap time was scratched when it was thought that he set it under a yellow flag zone, but a glitch in the system had occurred and it was reinstated after the session following manual verification. Dixon is therefore ultimately third courtesy of his 2:05.669.
Canet has some breathing space ahead of the top two in the Championship on the grid as well. Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) could be one to watch on Row 2 in fifth, further ahead on his teammate’s home turf, but we have to go all the way back to the middle of Row 4 to find World Championship leader Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with home hero and key rival Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) a couple further back in P13.
They are split on the timesheets by Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools Speed Up), too, who was one of three to crash in Q2 and fast otherwise. Is the ball in Canet’s court on Sunday? Or will dry skies change the game once again? We’ll find out at 13:20 (GMT +9)!
Aron Canet: “After waiting one hour in the box, it was really difficult coming back to the track, with only seven minutes to stretch a little bit and come to the track. But, after really difficult conditions, to come back and get pole position was really good, and wet conditions are bad. Tomorrow will be dry conditions; completely different. It’s good to start the race on the first row, better than the fourth or fifth row, but that’s Moto2, it’s a really, really difficult category, and we’ll see how it is tomorrow.
“During the year, we have been really, really strong on all the tracks, and I think for sure that we will fight for the podium tomorrow. Motegi is amazing in Moto3 and Moto2 but better on Moto2; more power, more movements, and it’s better.”
Suzuki heads his home grid, Guevara ninth with key rivals ahead
Ogden takes stunning rookie second ahead of Garcia, Sasaki and Foggia as key rivals gear up to take the fight to Guevara on Sunday
Leopard Racing’s Tatsuki Suzuki has secured a cherished home Moto3™ pole at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, and on his birthday no less. The Japanese rider got the job done on Honda home turf, taking three tenths out of the field in a very wet Q2. Rookie Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team) made a late dash to take second, with title contender Sergio Garcia (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) completing the front row – but despite two crashes. His teammate and Championship leader Izan Guevara took P9, which puts him behind key rivals.
The conditions were wet, wet, wet on Saturday and that added to the challenge as many in the field, including Guevara, ride the track for the first time. The number 28 does have that 33-point buffer, but most of his key rivals line up ahead: Garcia is third, and home hero Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) heads the second row, just ahead of the rider he’s chasing in the standings for third: Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing).
The last Japanese rider to win in any class at Motegi was Hiroshi Aoyama in 250cc in 2006. Will Suzuki or Sasaki be the next? Can Guevara make more gains? The lights go out for the race at 12:00 (GMT +9) so tune in to find out!
Tatsuki Suzuki: “It’s really good to start the home GP right. Also, this track is Honda’s track so it’s really important to start in front of the other riders. I’m so happy to be on pole position but still, we’re here on Saturday. The important thing is always Sunday, so let’s see. We will keep our feet on the ground and try to improve the feeling for tomorrow!”
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