2026 Idemitsu Moto4 Asia Cup
Round Three – Mobility Resort Motegi, Japan
Practice and Qualifying
The Japanese riders were immediately to the fore when the Idemitsu Moto4 Asia Cup joined the MotoGP paddock at Mobility Resort Motegi for the third round of the 2026 season.
Waku Kunitate set the FP1 benchmark at 2m02.463, just 0.024s ahead of championship leader Hayato Chishiki, with Kotaro Togashi another 0.036s behind in third.
Australian Judd Plaisted was immediately on the pace in fourth, less than four tenths from Kunitate, while Haruki Matsuyama completed the top five.
Friday was more difficult for fellow Australian Teerin Fleming. His team reported a number of bike gremlins that limited track time and the setup work they could complete. Fleming ended FP1 11th, 1.681s from the benchmark.
Togashi moved the pace forward considerably in FP2 with a 2m01.615. Kunitate was second, Chishiki third and Matsuyama fourth.
Plaisted was 10th in the second session, while Fleming’s disrupted Friday continued with 15th. Phoenix O’Brien was 18th.
The picture changed again when it mattered in Saturday qualifying.
Chishiki fired in a 2m01.388 on his final lap to claim pole position, with Togashi 0.194s away in second and Matsuyama completing an all-Japanese front row. Kunitate qualified fourth.
Plaisted continued his impressive weekend with fifth on the grid, only 0.392s from pole, and also recorded the highest top speed of the session at 206.5 km/h.
Fleming and his crew had meanwhile worked through most of Friday’s problems and the Australian bounced back strongly to qualify seventh with a 2m02.246, putting him only two places behind Plaisted and in a solid position for the opening race.
O’Brien qualified 16th.
Race One
Drama struck before Race One even got underway when Pacharagorn Thonggerdloung appeared to stall on the grid and had to be pushed away.
The start was delayed and the scheduled 13-lap race reduced to 12 laps, while Thonggerdloung was handed a double Long Lap Penalty for an incorrect start procedure.
Plaisted made a superb getaway from fifth and led early before Waku Kunitate and Kotaro Togashi worked their way to the front.
Togashi then looked in position to challenge for victory on home soil, only for his race to end spectacularly while leading at Turn 9. The Japanese youngster suffered a sizeable highside on corner exit but fortunately walked away.
That helped establish a five-rider lead group comprising Kunitate, Matsuyama, Chishiki, Fleming and Resky Yusuf.
Fleming’s turnaround from a difficult Friday was now complete. The Australian was not simply hanging on, but dicing at the sharp end as the leading five circulated within a second of one another.
Kunitate did much of the leading as the race developed, with Matsuyama and Chishiki remaining right with him while Fleming and Yusuf stayed in touch.
Plaisted was also still firmly in the contest immediately behind them and was running sixth when his race came unstuck. He crashed, rejoined, but eventually returned to the pit lane and retired.
Up front, the Japanese trio began the final lap covered by virtually nothing.
Kunitate led before Matsuyama attacked at Turn 7. Kunitate responded at Turn 9, before all three riders converged three-abreast on the approach to Turn 11.
Chishiki emerged ahead and held his nerve through the final corners to score his third victory of the season.
Matsuyama crossed the line only 0.038s behind, while Kunitate was another 0.062s back in third, completing a Japanese clean sweep of the podium.
Yusuf was fourth at 0.455s, with Fleming fifth and still only 0.811s from the winner.
Fleming also recorded the fastest lap of the race, a 2m01.691 on lap seven, underlining the genuine front-running pace he had found after Friday’s technical frustrations.
Bintang Pranata headed the next group home in sixth, more than ten seconds behind the leading five.
For the Australians, it was a race of contrasting fortunes: Fleming came away with a top-five finish and fastest lap, while Plaisted showed his speed by leading early and running sixth before crashing out.
Phoenix O’Brien finished 14th.
Motegi Moto4 Race One Results
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| Pos | Rider | Bike | TimeGap |
| 1 | H. Chishiki | Hon | 24m37.674 |
| 2 | H. Matsuyama | Hon | +0.038 |
| 3 | W. Kunitate | Hon | +0.100 |
| 4 | R. Yusuf | Hon | +0.455 |
| 5 | T. Fleming | Hon | +0.811 |
| 6 | B. Pranata | Hon | +10.312 |
| 7 | M. Malik | Hon | +10.384 |
| 8 | N. Viet Tuan | Hon | +10.476 |
| 9 | W. Zhong | Hon | +22.725 |
| 10 | P. Thonggerdl | Hon | +22.862 |
| 11 | N. Bunprawes | Hon | +23.176 |
| 12 | S. Chen | Hon | +30.638 |
| 13 | T. Sriperchsu | Hon | +48.184 |
| 14 | P. O’Brien | Hon | +48.314 |
| NC | J. Plaisted | Hon | 5 laps |
| NC | M. Badly | Hon | 7 laps |
| NC | M. Naqib | Hon | 7 laps |
| NC | K. Togashi | Hon | DNF |
Race Two
Sunday morning brought cooler conditions and another intensely fought contest at the front.
Chishiki and Togashi both made strong starts, Togashi particularly keen to make amends after throwing away a potential home victory in Race One.
It was not long before a five-rider leading group again emerged, this time comprising Kunitate, Matsuyama, Chishiki, Muh Badly and Togashi.
Behind them, the two Australians were again well placed. Fleming settled into the leading position in the chasing group, while Plaisted was also in the thick of the battle immediately behind the front five.
At around half-race distance, Yusuf had a moment at Turn 5 that cost him several positions and promoted Plaisted into sixth.
The leading five remained together heading into the closing stages, with Togashi even taking his turn at the front before the race again came down to a final-lap showdown.
Matsuyama began the last lap in the lead, but Kunitate wasted no time in attacking at Turn 1.
Matsuyama retaliated at Turn 7 before Kunitate responded once more into Turn 10.
Just as it had the previous afternoon, Turn 11 became pivotal. Kunitate went extremely defensive to repel Matsuyama’s challenge, while immediately behind them Togashi slid out of contention at the same corner.
Togashi’s crash promoted Chishiki into fourth, while Badly remained in the podium positions.
Kunitate held Matsuyama off during the sprint to the chequered flag and crossed the line first, 0.064s ahead.
The victory celebrations were short-lived.
Kunitate had touched the green beyond the track limits on the exit of Turn 2 earlier on that final lap and was handed a one-position penalty.
That promoted Matsuyama to the top step and delivered the #2 his maiden Idemitsu Moto4 Asia Cup victory, just a day after he had missed out to Chishiki by only 0.038s.
Badly was classified third, only 0.079s behind Matsuyama, earning his first podium of the 2026 season and his first since Motegi the previous year.
Chishiki finished fourth at 0.443s, while Matsuyama also set the fastest lap of the race, a 2m01.787 on lap nine.
Fleming headed the chasing pack home in fifth, 9.609s from the winner, backing up his Race One fifth place with another strong result.
Nguyen Viet Tuan was sixth, with Plaisted right behind in seventh at 9.964s. Only 0.355s separated Fleming and Plaisted at the flag.
Plaisted’s seventh completed a significant recovery after his Race One crash. His camp summed up the weekend by saying two important boxes had been ticked: “CAN QUALIFY. CAN START.”
They identified early-race pace on a new tyre as the next area to improve after what had been a productive weekend for his race craft.
Fleming, meanwhile, left Motegi with two fifth-place finishes and a Race One fastest lap after starting the weekend battling technical problems, making his recovery one of the round’s more notable performances.
Further reshuffling followed the chequered flag. Bintang Pranata received a three-second penalty for overtaking under yellow flags, while Yusuf was penalised one position for exceeding track limits on the final lap and was also handed a three-second penalty for overtaking under yellow flags.
Phoenix O’Brien finished 16th.
Moto4 Race Two Results
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| Pos | Rider | Bike | TimeGap |
| 1 | H. Matsuyama | Hon | 26m37.867 |
| 2 | W. Kunitate | Hon | -0.000 |
| 3 | M. Badly | Hon | +0.079 |
| 4 | H. Chishiki | Hon | +0.443 |
| 5 | T. Fleming | Hon | +9.609 |
| 6 | N. Viet Tuan | Hon | +9.802 |
| 7 | J. Plaisted | Hon | +9.964 |
| 8 | P. Thonggerdl | Hon | +10.216 |
| 9 | M. Naqib | Hon | +10.733 |
| 10 | B. Pranata | Hon | +12.674 |
| 11 | R. Yusuf | Hon | +12.505 |
| 12 | M. Malik | Hon | +12.787 |
| 13 | N. Bunprawes | Hon | +22.709 |
| 14 | W. Zhong | Hon | +22.765 |
| 15 | S. Chen | Hon | +32.535 |
| 16 | P. O’Brien | Hon | +34.626 |
| 17 | T. Sriperchsu | Hon | +35.058 |
| NC | K. Togashi | Hon | 1 lap |
| NC | Q. Razin | Hon | 9 laps |
Kunitate crossed the line first in Race Two but was demoted one position for exceeding track limits on the final lap.
Championship
Chishiki leaves Japan still leading the Idemitsu Moto4 Asia Cup, but his advantage has been reduced substantially.
The championship leader arrived at Motegi with 70 points and added a victory and fourth place to leave Japan on 108.
Kunitate’s third and second places moved him to 100 points, cutting Chishiki’s advantage to just eight with the title now heading straight to Indonesia.
Matsuyama’s breakthrough victory lifts him to 79 points and third in the standings, 29 points behind Chishiki.
Qabil Irfan remains fourth on 62 points despite not contesting the Japanese round, while Bintang Pranata is fifth on 56.
Fleming leaves Motegi as the leading Australian in the championship. His pair of fifth-place finishes added 22 points to his tally and moved him to ninth overall on 44 points.
Plaisted is the next Australian in 13th on 29 points. Although his Race One crash cost him a likely haul of points, seventh place on Sunday added nine to his championship tally and continued the progress shown by his fifth-place qualifying performance.
Bodie Paige and Jake Paige did not contest Motegi and remain 19th and 20th respectively on 11 and six points.
Phoenix O’Brien is 23rd on two points after completing both Japanese races.
The Moto4 Asia Cup paddock has little time to regroup, with Round Four taking place at Mandalika in Indonesia this coming weekend.
Moto4 Asia Cup Points
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| Pos | Rider | Pts |
| 1 | H. Chishiki | 108 |
| 2 | W. Kunitate | 100 |
| 3 | H. Matsuyama | 79 |
| 4 | Q. Irfan | 62 |
| 5 | B. Pranata | 56 |
| 6 | P. Thonggerdl | 52 |
| 7 | Q. Razin | 50 |
| 8 | K. Togashi | 45 |
| 9 | T. Fleming | 44 |
| 10 | M. Badly | 39 |
| 11 | R. Yusuf | 38 |
| 12 | N. Bunprawes | 32 |
| 13 | J. Plaisted | 29 |
| 14 | N. Viet Tuan | 18 |
| 15 | M. Malik | 18 |
| 16 | W. Zhong | 15 |
| 17 | P. Aeimnoi | 13 |
| 18 | M. Naqib | 11 |
| 19 | B. Paige | 11 |
| 20 | J. Paige | 6 |
| 21 | S. Chen | 5 |
| 22 | T. Sriperchsu | 3 |
| 23 | P. O’Brien | 2 |
| 24 | M. Salem | 2 |
| 25 | V. Maidadpan | 1 |
