Alex Marquez set a new lap record to lead the second practice session at the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix on Friday, stopping the clocks at 1m42.811s. The session was red-flagged early on.
The red flag came with just over 51 minutes remaining due to an apparent engine failure on home hero Ai Ogura's Trackhouse Aprilia, which left fluid on the circuit at pit exit. Marshals quickly cleaned the area before the session resumed.
After the restart, the top spot changed hands multiple times. Pedro Acosta initially led with a 1m43.866s, followed by Marco Bezzecchi's 1m43.742s. Marc Marquez then took over with a 1m43.623s. The first soft tyre time attacks began with 17 minutes to go, as Fermin Aldeguer posted a 1m43.586s, before Bezzecchi went quicker with a 1m43.276s.
Marc Marquez improved to a 1m43.138s, but Bezzecchi responded with a 1m43.029s with just under 12 minutes left. However, Alex Marquez surged late to claim the top spot with a record 1m42.811s. Only three riders broke into the 1m42s bracket: Alex Marquez, Acosta, and Marc Marquez.
Bezzecchi had to settle for fourth, ahead of Enea Bastianini who jumped to fifth late on. Fabio Di Giannantonio was sixth, Fabio Quartararo seventh, and championship leader Jorge Martin eighth, just scraping through to Q2.
Diogo Moreira crashed late at Turn 5 and finished ninth, while his LCR Honda teammate Johann Zarco also fell and ended up 10th. Aldeguer dropped to 11th, and Ogura could only manage 15th in front of his home crowd. Last year's Motegi winner Pecco Bagnaia faces Q1 again after finishing 16th, while Maverick Vinales was last on his return.
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