2024 Japanese Moto2 Grand Prix - Qualifying Results

The first flying laps proved decisive as Jake Dixon was fastest at the beginning of qualifying to secure his second pole of the season at round sixteen, the Moto2 Japanese Grand Prix.

The CFMoto Inde Aspar rider had not held the top spot of the grid since Aragon, but found himself back on pole with his first quick lap of Motegi a - 1m 52.693s run.

As the rain quickly became heavier nobody was able to go quicker, leaving the grid set by where their one lap took them.

That saw Zonta van den Goorbergh pick up his best qualifying result, on the pace after coming through Q1, the rider from the Netherlands was just 0.006s slower on his quick lap for RW - Idrofoglia Racing GP.

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Aron Canet, who won from pole in Indonesia, had been second in the dry and showed he was equally proficient in the wet in the morning practice, which he topped. The Fantic Racing rider saw his banker remain third quickest.

Joe Roberts was fourth for American Racing, the Californian has a special cherry blossom helmet for the Japanese round.

Izan Guevara picked up his best qualifying to date as his lap remained unchallenged in fifth, completing a strong showing for Aspar in the briefly active Q2 session.

Diogo Moreira was the top rookie in sixth for Italtrans on his return to action after missing the race in Indonesia.

Barry Baltus also came through Q1 for RW Idrofoglia Racing, taking his bright white bike to seventh in the brief time before the track became too wet for improvements.

Alonso Lopez was the top Boscoscuro, behind seven Kalex bikes on the grid in eighth for Speed Up, the best placed rider for the team on the grid with Fermin Aldeguer 15th.

Ai Ogura had rolled out slightly, looking to position himself for a second shot which never happened, so the title leader lines up for his home grand prix ninth for MT Helmets - MSI.

Tony Arbolino returned to track with Deniz Oncu late on to check the conditions, neither improved, leaving the Elf Marc VDS rider just inside the top ten, with Oncu 13th for Red Bull KTM Ajo.

Filip Salac had the top time ahead of qualifying, with his new record lap set on Friday not bettered in a soggy P2. 

A problem with his bike at the start of Q2 was turned around quickly by his Marc VDS team, but not fast enough to beat the change in weather. With no time set for much of the session, Salac went back out to set a lap over four seconds slower than Dixon’s session best.

Q1- Garcia pushes through again, but only just

Sergio Garcia, was ninth in the very first session in Japan, but it was soon business as usual. The rider who lead the championship for much of the season, found himself in 17th in P1, and with no progress in the damp morning session, a trip through Q1 beckoned.

In Q2 the Spaniard was one of the last riders to set an early lap, leading to him missing the best of the weather, recording a time 3.127s off pole for 17th on the grid, with only Salac behind of the Q2 riders.

Manuel Gonzalez (14th) topped the Q1 session, and was sat in the pits as the clock hit zero. Second went to van den Goorbergh, with Baltus and Garcia also progressing, though the MT Helmets rider was losing a lot of time in the final sector and already wobbling as at his limit as the rain flags first put in a show out around the track, indicating what was to come.

Dennis Foggia was the rider just missing out, so the Italian starts 19th on his return with Italtrans after missing the Indonesia race.

Jaume Masia won the Moto3 Japanese race from pole last reason, in Moto2, the Preicanos rider was a best of 23rd.

Crashes, injuries and replacements

Daniel Munoz had a hard fall in P2 in the morning, at turn seven so did not take part in Q1, leaving him without a time to his name.

Somkiat Chantra had been passed fit after his contact with Aldeguer in Indonesia. Instead he misses his Idemitsu Honda Team Asia team's home round after picking up the sickness bug going around the paddock.

His late exit means Chantra is not replaced.