2022 Japanese MotoGP, Motegi - Qualifying (1) Results
2022 Japanese MotoGP, Motegi - Qualifying (1) Results | |||
Pos | Rider | Nat | Team |
1 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) |
2 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) |
3 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)* |
4 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) |
5 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21) |
6 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21)* |
7 | Alex Marquez | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) |
8 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) |
9 | Tetsuta Nagashima | JPN | HRC Team (RC213V) |
10 | Remy Gardner | AUS | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* |
11 | Takuya Tsuda | JPN | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) |
12 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* |
13 | Cal Crutchlow | GBR | WithU RNF Yamaha (YZR-M1) |
14 | Darryn Binder | RSA | WithU RNF Yamaha (YZR-M1)* |
15 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) |
* Rookie
Pramac Ducati team-mates Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin lead Qualifying 1 and advance to Qualifying 2 for the Japanese MotoGP, where they will join the ten fastest riders after FP2.
The others, including Aragon winner and outside title contender Enea Bastianini, will start in the above order from 13th on the grid onwards.
Bastianini fell in the closing minutes to end his Q2 hopes, with Takaaki Nakagami, Darryn Binder and Raul Fernandez also caught out during the session.
FP3 was cancelled due to a thunderstorm and torrential rain, with MotoGP qualifying scheduled to start an hour later than planned at 4pm.
But intensifying rain at the end of the restarted Moto2 Q2, saw MotoGP Q1 delayed again, finally getting underway at 4:10pm.
- Aleix: Crazy how much Aprilia has changed from 2019
- Alex Rins cut a deal with Suzuki to get ‘rabbit ear’ rear wings
- Marc Marquez: Some pain but bike working well, Nagashima advice
Just 17 points cover Fabio Quartararo, Francesco Bagnaia and Aleix Espargaro at the top of the MotoGP World Championship standings as the series head into the unknown with its first Asian and Australian races since 2019.
Quartararo’s opening lap accident with Marc Marquez at Aragon, combined with Bagnaia’s second place behind Enea Bastianini, has put the factory Ducati star just 10 points from the Monster Yamaha rider, with Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro also back in the hunt in third.
Home star Takaaki Nakagami has been passed fit to ride despite requiring surgery for injuries to his fingers in last Sunday’s clash with Marquez at Aragon.
The absence of Motegi from the calendar in both 2020 and 2021, due to Covid restrictions, means ten of the full-time riders have never raced at the circuit in the premier class: Brad Binder, Alex Marquez, Jorge Martin, Enea Bastianini, Luca Marini, plus this year’s rookies Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio di Giannantonio, Darryn Binder, Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez.
Also on track this weekend will be Suzuki test rider Takuya Tsuda and Honda test rider Tetsuta Nagashima. Both have been entered as wild-cards in front of their home fans this weekend, although Tsuda will now technically be replacing the injured Joan Mir.
Following Andrea Dovizioso’s retirement, Yamaha test rider Cal Crutchlow will be starting his second weekend at RNF, where he will complete the season alongside Darryn Binder. Unlike most of the grid, Crutchlow has some private testing experience at Motegi this year.
Japanese MotoGP - Full race weekend schedule (UK time)
Friday September 23rd
05:15 - 05:55am Moto3 FP1
06:10 - 06:50am Moto2 FP1
07:05 - 08:20 MotoGP FP1
Saturday September 24th
01:00 - 01:40 Moto3 FP2
01:55 - 02:35 Moto2 FP2
02:50 - 03:35 MotoGP FP2
04:35 - 04:50 Moto3 Q1
05:00 - 05:15 Moto3 Q2
05:30 - 05:45 Moto2 Q1
05:55 - 06:10 Moto2 Q2
06:25 - 06:55 MotoGP FP3
07:05 - 07:20 MotoGP Q1
07:30 - 07:45 MotoGP Q2
Sunday September 25th
02:00 - 02:10 Moto3 Warm Up
02:20 - 02:30 Moto2 Warm Up
02:40 - 03:00 MotoGP Warm Up
04:00 Moto3 Race
05:20 Moto2 Race
07:00 MotoGP Race
Aragon: MotoGP World Championship standings | ||||||
Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Points | Diff. | |
1 | = | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | 211 | |
2 | = | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | 201 | (-10) |
3 | = | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | 194 | (-17) |
4 | = | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21) | 163 | (-48) |
5 | ^1 | Jack Miller | AUS | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | 134 | (-77) |
6 | ˅1 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | 133 | (-78) |
7 | = | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | 128 | (-83) |
8 | ^1 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | 108 | (-103) |
9 | ^1 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | 104 | (-107) |
10 | ˅2 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | 104 | (-107) |
11 | = | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | 95 | (-116) |
12 | = | Luca Marini | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) | 91 | (-120) |
13 | = | Joan Mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | 77 | (-134) |
14 | = | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)* | 74 | (-137) |
15 | = | Marc Marquez | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | 60 | (-151) |
16 | = | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | 46 | (-165) |
17 | = | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | 43 | (-168) |
18 | = | Alex Marquez | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | 39 | (-172) |
19 | = | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | 26 | (-185) |
20 | = | Fabio di Giannantonio | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21)* | 23 | (-188) |
21 | = | Andrea Dovizioso | ITA | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1) | 15 | (-196) |
22 | = | Darryn Binder | RSA | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)* | 10 | (-201) |
23 | = | Remy Gardner | AUS | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* | 9 | (-202) |
24 | = | Raul Fernandez | SPA | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* | 8 | (-203) |
25 | = | Stefan Bradl | GER | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | 2 | (-209) |
26 | NA | Cal Crutchlow | GBR | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1) | 2 | (-209) |