Friday Practice Results: 2025 Japan MotoGP at Motegi

MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Marco Bezzecchi of Aprilia Racing topped the Practice session on Friday afternoon at the 2025 Japan MotoGP, Round 17 at Motegi Circuit. Despite two crashes in the morning, Bezzecchi clocked the fastest time of 1:43.193, edging out Red Bull KTM's Pedro Acosta by 0.136 seconds. Meanwhile, Marc Marquez from Ducati Lenovo surged to third late in the session, nearing his chance to seal the 2025 world title.

Bezzecchi's Strong Recovery in Afternoon Practice

After a tough FP1, Bezzecchi dominated the afternoon Practice with 25 laps completed. He capitalized on Motegi's hard-braking demands to set a competitive pace. "I felt comfortable with the RS-GP25 after team adjustments," Bezzecchi said briefly post-session. Consequently, his top spot secures direct entry to Qualifying 2 tomorrow.

Teammate Jorge Martin finished 13th, 0.591 seconds off, though he showed promise in FP1. Ducati riders like Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio Di Giannantonio also advanced to Q2, with Bagnaia recovering from an early low.

Solid Showing from Honda and Yamaha

Honda HRC Castrol riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini placed fourth and sixth, signaling progress for the Japanese squad at home. Mir, just 0.168 seconds behind Bezzecchi, praised the RC213V setup for Motegi's technical corners.

Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo led the team in eighth, ahead of Alex Rins in 19th. "We're focusing on acceleration to match the Ducatis," Quartararo noted. Thus, Yamaha hopes home fan support will boost performance in the sprint.

Full Afternoon Practice (FP2) Results

Here's the complete FP2 results table, where the top 10 were within half a second at the flag:

1. Rookie

Motegi lap records: Fastest qualifying by Pedro Acosta (1:43.018, 2024); race lap by Jorge Martin (1:44.461, 2024). Tight gaps at the top promise fierce qualifying.

Morning FP1 Session Results

In the opening session, Francesco Bagnaia led with 1:44.857, narrowly ahead of Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez. Crashes marred the morning, including Bezzecchi's two falls that sidelined him for most of FP1.

Full FP1 table:

Crashes also involved Jack Miller, Franco Morbidelli, and others, adding intensity to the opening day.

Return of Injured Riders and Japanese Rookie

Joan Mir and home rookie Ai Ogura returned after missing the Misano test due to injuries. Ogura, 14th in Practice, showed good adaptation with the Aprilia RS-GP25 despite ongoing recovery. Additionally, Takaaki Nakagami, HRC test rider recovering from a knee ligament injury at Brno, joined as the second Japanese rider on track.

With Ducati dominating the last five Motegi races since 2019, pressure mounts on home teams Honda and Yamaha. Thus, Friday's results provide crucial momentum for Saturday.

Outlook for Qualifying and Races

With Marc Marquez leading Alex Marquez by 182 points, the 2025 title could be his if he finishes sixth or better on Sunday. However, Alex must start from Q1 after finishing 15th. Tight competition at the top sets the stage for a fierce qualifying tomorrow morning, where a 0.5-second gap determines Q2 entry. The Saturday night sprint and Sunday Grand Prix promise dramatic action, especially with potential light rain at Motegi.