MotoGP Japan Motegi FP2 LIVE: Marc Marquez surfs the water – Paddock GP

Just with the three main contenders for the world crown grouped in 17 points with 5 races to go, Fabio Quartararo, Francesco Bagnaia and Aleix Espargaro, the MotoGP World Championship is more open than ever, not to mention the fourth man, Enea Bastianini, which is looming and could well come to mingle in the final confrontation!

17 points in the championship but only 40 thousandths of a second during the extended FP1 which took place on the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Japan, for the 16th confrontation of the best drivers in the world. In other words, nothing during this session dominated by Jack Miller in the dry, ahead Francesco Bagnaia, Fabio Quartararo, Aleix Espargaro, Luca Marini, Marc Márquez, Pol Espargaro, Brad Binder, Miguel Oliveira and Maverick Vinalesall for the moment prequalified for Q2 while Johann Zarcoalthough efficient throughout the session, misses this objective by 1 thousandth of a second because of a fall at the very end of the session!

Takaaki Nakagami will be reviewed by the doctors at the end of the qualification.

While waiting to find out more, as the 25 drivers prepare for this second 45-minute free practice session in the wet, with skies grayer than ever and temperatures of 23° in the air and 23 ° on the ground, let’s take advantage of these few live moments thanks to the official MotoGP.com website:

Past references:

When the red lights go out… Alex Marquez rushes first and for once Fabio Quartararo don’t go last.

The rain having redoubled in intensity at the end of the Moto2 session, we are obviously riding on eggshells…

This does not prevent Fabio Quartararo and Alex Espargaro to go gardening in the gravel, under the eyes of Marc Marquez who took his time to get going.

Johann Zarco achieves the first reference in 2’01.503 then Fabio Quartararo improves to 2’00.536 while live timing is down.

We continue to improve, starting with Alex Marquez then Johann Zarco in 1’59.715 and Miguel Oliveira in 1’59.247.

El Diablo replica in 1’58.054, a time equaled to within a thousandth in stride by Johann Zarco !

Marc Marquez raises the tone in 1’57.277 and seizes a leadership briefly possessed by Fabio DiGiannantonio.

Johann Zarco will in turn garden in the gravel of turn #3 while Miguel Oliveira put his name at the top of the table in 1’56.884.

jorge martin makes the Pramac colors shine in 1’56.672, Enea Bastianini those of the Gresini team in 1’56.446, Miguel Oliveira those of KTM Factory in 1’56.313, then Marc Marquez again strikes a blow in 1’55.232!

The live timing works again halfway through the session where the hierarchy is made up of Marc Márquez, Jorge Martin, Enea Bastianini, Miguel Oliveira, Fabio Quartararo, Marco Bezzecchi, Cal Crutchlow, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Franco Morbidelli, Alex Márquez, Jack Miller, Pol Espargaro, Takaaki Nakagami, Rémy Gardner, Raul Fernandez, Tetsuta Nagashima, Brad Binder, Darryn Binder, Johann Zarco, Francesco Bagnaia, Luca Marini, Aleix Espargaro, Alex Rins, Takuya Tsuda and Maverick Vinales : difficult start to the session for the Aprilias!

Johann Zarco then restores the situation by positioning his Ducati in fifth position just in front of Fabio Quartararobefore moving up to 3rd place.

Brad Binder made a minor mistake at turn #3 but had to abandon his bike.

Pol Espargaro crashed at turn #8 and also had to subscribe his bike, which led to the session being stopped with red flags 12 minutes from its end.

On the restart, everyone comes out with a soft rear rain tire, and for the most part a medium one at the front.

Apart from the top five, the gaps are significant.

Johann Zarcothen 5th, lights the first two sectors in red before losing time in the last two.

We leave it there, for a session that does not change the 12 pre-qualified for Q2 but gives an idea of ​​the forces present during the qualifications which will probably take place under similar conditions.

Meet at 7:25 a.m. for FP3, 8:05 a.m. for the start of qualifying!

MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix FP2 results at Motegi:

Classification credit: MotoGP.com