2024 MotoGP World Championship
Round 16 – Motegi – Friday
Motul Grand Prix of Japan
After consecutive race weekends in Misano (Italy) and Madalika (Indonesia), the MotoGP World Championship continues its momentum, this time on the Twin Ring Motegi, two hours from Tokyo. Located in the heart of the Japanese countryside in a mountainous and wooded area, the ‘Twin Ring’ Motegi (owned by the car and motorcycle manufacturer Honda), is prone to changeable weather conditions at this time of year.
During the 2022 and 2023 Grands Prix, wind, fog and rain were all in attendance at one point or another during the race weekends, and as the title fight continues to twist and turn the pressure is starting to ramp up as the points still on offer reduce day-by-day. Now, a maximum of 185 are in play, and the gap at the top is 21, but the deficit below the leading duo of Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) is now looking more and more sizeable.
Jorge Martin called his Indonesian GP glory revenge on Sunday, and after crashing out of the GP in 2022, 2023 and in the Tissot Sprint in 2024, it did have a feeling to it of closing the circle. It was an impressive performance under pressure to make a solid statement, and that’s also exactly what he managed at Motegi in 2023 in torrential conditions in that GP race… right on the back of a Sprint win in the dry. He’ll be feeling confident heading to Japan this season.
Bagnaia, meanwhile, has made delivering under pressure his calling card, but Martin isn’t far behind. The problem for both is that some of that pressure has been self-inflicted, and the key to the crown might simply be who can keep it upright for less – but some – reward when needed. Bagnaia definitely did that in Indonesia on Sunday, but a 21-point deficit puts him in the position of needing to pay a little more attention to that risk vs reward. He doesn’t have a margin to play with unless he takes it back or it’s given freely.
Then there’s Bastianini and Marquez. They’re now 75 and 78 points behind, respectively, which used to be three Grands Prix. Now, it’s just more than two – so they’re by no means out of it, mathematically. Can they claw their way back in? Bastianini was the fastest on track when he crashed out, seemingly on a charge towards fighting for the win, so his speed is perfectly comparable to the two at the top. After the “controversy” of his move in Misano, fans also lost out on the chance to see if he’d simply do it again. That “what if?” doesn’t count for much, but the bigger deficit could release a lot of pressure and that, in itself, keeps him a very interesting presence at the front.
Francesco Bagnaia
“Japan is one of my favourite destinations, so I am really happy to be racing here this weekend. Compared to Indonesia, the weather and track conditions will be very different, and there’s also a chance of rain, so it will be important to be prepared for any situation. We will work hard to improve our competitiveness in the early stages of the race, which is where we struggled a bit last Sunday. I’m ready and excited to get back on track.”
Enea Bastianini
“I’m happy to get back on track right away and leave last Sunday behind me for good. It’s been two years since I last raced in Japan, but I’ve always liked the Motegi track, and recently, we’ve been fast on almost every circuit. The gap in the championship is getting bigger, but it’s still not mathematically impossible. It will be important to stay focused in these final races, give our best, and always push hard.”
Marquez, meanwhile, knows he did nothing to cause his own DNF in Lombok, the bike simply said ciao and so did his chance at some good points. But he also knows he didn’t quite have the level to enable him to fight for the win. That step taken with the GP23 is certainly getting him closer but the deficit still there at times. His qualifying – with two crashes in Q2 seeing him set no time – also gave him an uphill struggle, so the first mission for Motegi is clearly to start a little further forward. If he was ever thinking about the points though, he likely won’t be anymore. Just as if he was ever heading out on track without the gloves off, he definitely won’t be anymore.
As the title fight heats up at the top, there’s plenty happening everywhere. The Japanese GP will be a special one for Yamaha and Honda, and especially for Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda LCR). The Japanese rider takes on a new role as development rider for Honda next season, so it’s his last home GP as a full-time rider. He was the top finishing Honda this season with P11 in Aragon until it got equalled by Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) in Emilia-Romagna, with team-mate Luca Marini just behind him. It was then subsequently beaten by Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) in Lombok, as the Frenchman took their first top ten of the year, which is a milestone moment in the fight to move forward again. Home turf – and it’s also their track – will be a huge incentive to keep that momentum rolling.
Joan Mir
“Motegi is a track that’s really different to Mandalika, not just the temperature around but also the layout and the tyres and all of this. It’s another good chance to try these recent upgrades and understand every aspect of them more. I feel like the team and I have been able to build a good base so I hope we can arrive and be in the mix. As a Honda rider Motegi is special, I really noticed it last year. It’s something you always look forward to and I’m looking forward to giving all the Honda fans something to cheer about.”
Luca Marini
“I am really looking forward to racing in Japan as an HRC rider. It’s an incredible country and to arrive there with this bike and these colours is something that many people dream about, I want to enjoy the whole weekend. Of course, the best way to enjoy is on the track and I know that we can again be strong like in Misano and Indonesia before the crash on Sunday. We have a week break coming up so I am determined to go into it with another boost and show what we can do.”
For Yamaha, there’s the same incentive in front of the Japanese fans, and a little extra at Honda’s home track. There is also a stunning run of form coming in from Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who is now well-established in the standings ahead of two Aprilias and two KTMs. Perhaps most importantly of all, after two impressive weekends at Misano, the Frenchman was able to take seventh in Indonesia too – and from a second row start. So it’s not Misano, and each new track will only get more interesting. Team-mate Alex Rins was back in the points at Mandalika too after his run of illness, and they’ll also have Remy Gardner on track in Japan as a wildcard.
Massimo Meregalli – Monster Yamaha Team Director
“After a challenging weekend in Indonesia, we are keen to get back on track at a different circuit but in similarly hot conditions, so we can keep working. The Japanese GP is of course an important event for Yamaha and thus for our team. We have the engineers of the Yamaha headquarters and the Japanese fans supporting us, so the atmosphere is always incredible. It may be the final GP of this triple header, but we will be pushing as hard as we did during the first one in Misano, because we want to utilise this final part of the season to the fullest to collect data.”
Remy Gardner
“I am looking forward to racing in Motegi this weekend. It’s a cool track and always one I enjoyed riding during my time in the Grand Prix paddock previously. Riding in Japan for a Japanese manufacturer will be really special, especially in front of the home fans as it’s always a great atmosphere. It‘s been a few races since I rode the YZR-M1, so I am keen to get back on the bike and provide as much data as possible for Yamaha as they look to develop the bike further, it’s been really encouraging to see the stronger results for the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team in recent races, so hopefully we can have a good weekend and get stuck in! It was also a great experience to visit Yamaha’s Innovation Centre, E-Ride Base, and Yamaha Music. I love music and have played guitar for quite a few years, so it was nice to visit this side of Yamaha and meet the all the staff there as that’s something completely new for me!”
After a blip at Misano, both, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) was back with a bang at Lombok. A front row start was converted into a podium, and not just any podium. All the attrition happened behind the rookie and he was the only rider with a smidge of resistance for Martin when the lights went out. Motegi is another new challenge he’ll be wanting to grab with both hands, now back ahead of future team-mate Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as he is, and he also has the “chance” to wrap up the Rookie of the Year title, mathematically speaking. Seems a safe bet.
Nicolas Goyon – GASGAS Team Manager
“We just had the time to recover from our emotions and the epic 2nd position from Pedro Acosta in Indonesia, that we have already moved to Motegi for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan. This last race of the first tripleheader is held at the iconic Motegi circuit, a very atypical layout known for its character stop-and-go, and is one of the only circuits homologated for the bigger brake disks available in Brembo. Stopping the bike here is a challenge for the body, as well as for the machine, but it is one of the strong characteristics of our bike, which had good results in the past. Pedro Acosta is in a special form, I am sure he will find his way around this track quickly to keep his momentum, and we can’t wait to see him on track again. Augusto Fernandez was unlucky last week, but Motegi was one of his best weekends last year, and he was competitive in all sessions. We have some uncertainty with regards to the weather, with chances of rain, but I think that we have all the ingredients for a great result in front of our sponsor, Motul.”
Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) was also still in that better postcode at Mandalika. Aprilia had a very tough run at the first round at Misano, but Viñales has now taken two consecutive top sixes at Emilia-Romagna and Lombok as he starts to turn that around.
Maverick Viñales
“The Japanese GP is always a great weekend, I really enjoy going there, I love the culture and also the track. It will be a big challenge for us, especially because it is a track known for its heavy braking. However, I think we can take advantage of it to improve our braking. I am convinced that we can get a good result.”
Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) also kept his roll going in Indonesia, doubling down on his impressive momentum following those mid-season struggles. He impressed at Misano and, like Quartararo, underlined it wasn’t a one-track pony with more pace at Mandalika. Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) similarly, after his injury struggles at the start of the season he’s now a solid consistent scorer and arrives in Japan from two GP race top fives.
Marco Bezzecchi
“I am very happy to go to Japan: a country that I love. I like the food, I grew up with Japanese cartoons, I love the fans, they are really nice and I also really, really, really like the track. I got my first ever podium there in the Championship and last year I almost arrive to the podium in the wet. We are coming from two podiums almost reached, three with the one in the Sprint, it is a positive moment, I am riding well. Let’s keep going like this.”
Binder leads the list of riders wanting to hit back, especially against Acosta, and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) would also like a little more to take the fight to Viñales.
Aleix Espargaro
“Motegi is one of the tracks I like the most, it’s always a special Grand Prix. I can’t wait to get there and try to find a better feeling than in the last races. It’s a stop & go track, and this year we’ve made some steps forward on this type of track, as demonstrated by the podium in the sprint in Austria, so we hope to do well here too.”
In the Aprilia ranks though more than anyone it’s Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) looking for a big step forward. He took some points in Mandalika and Emilia-Romagna, but before that hadn’t scored since Germany. This weekend he’ll also have Lorenzo Savadori alongside in the box, with teammate Miguel Oliveira sidelined through injury.
Wilco Zeelenberg – Trackhouse Racing Team Manager
“In Japan we will replace Miguel with Lorenzo Savadori, so we will have two riders again. We decided to stick to our logistics plan and fly with the whole team to Motegi to finish off this series of three races in a row, all together. Saying that, it will not be immediately easy to perform and we hope that Aprilia will be able to use Lorenzo for the weekend to work through a development program and find performance conclusions for the new bike. For Raul, it will be important to keep the momentum going and to get another top 10 position. Motegi is a nice place, a hard-braking track, so let’s see what we can do there. Obviously, we keep Miguel in our thoughts and hope he will rejoin us very soon.”
Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) has a stunning record at Motegi through the classes and will hope for a turnaround after a tough Indonesia that saw him take no points, and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) took one but is having a tougher run as he also considers surgery on his shoulder.
Fabio Di Giannantonio
“I am excited, in Indonesia it was a positive weekend. Even if I didn’t collect any points, I was very fast and I can’t wait to get back on track. The Motegi track is very different, but I hope to find similar sensations to those of the first part of the Championship. We made a step forward in Mandalika and, last year here in the dry I was competitive. It could be a friendly track!”
Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) will expect more at a venue where he stunned in 2022 – simply checking out at the front – and with the rumours around Augusto Fernandez’ (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) future being relevant to the Japanese market, that could be something to look out for.
MotoGP Championship Standings
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Martin | 366 |
| 2 | Bagnaia | 345 |
| 3 | Bastianini | 291 |
| 4 | Marquez | 288 |
| 5 | Acosta | 181 |
| 6 | Binder | 173 |
| 7 | Viñales | 162 |
| 8 | Espargaro | 127 |
| 9 | Bezzecchi | 125 |
| 10 | Di Giannantonio | 122 |
| 11 | Marquez | 121 |
| 12 | Morbidelli | 120 |
| 13 | Quartararo | 82 |
| 14 | Oliveira | 71 |
| 15 | Miller | 58 |
| 16 | Fernandez | 55 |
| 17 | Zarco | 31 |
| 18 | Nakagami | 26 |
| 19 | Mir | 20 |
| 20 | Fernandez | 20 |
| 21 | Rins | 19 |
| 22 | Espargaro | 12 |
| 23 | Pedrosa | 7 |
| 24 | Marini | 5 |
Moto2
A sixth podium of the season last time out in Indonesia, coupled with more drama for MT Helmets – MSI teammate Sergio Garcia, has seen Ai Ogura build up a very healthy 42-point lead in the Moto2 standings ahead of the Japanese star arriving on home turf this weekend.
And it’s soil Ogura has a podium pedigree on in the last couple of years. A victory came in 2022 when Ogura was fighting for the title, and last season, a P2 finish was earned as Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) collected his second career win.
While Ogura boasts the Championship lead, Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) arrives in Motegi brimming with confidence after his dominant victory in Indonesia. 65 points collected in the last three rounds have seen Canet rise to P3 in the standings, 10 points in arrears of Garcia and level on points with fellow Mandalika podium finisher Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp).
Senna Agius started his Moto2 career in Japan in 2023 as a substitute rider for Lukas Tulovic. The Australian’s strong pace was unfortunately not crowned with success last weekend after he crashed in a collision in the scramble at the start of the first lap.
Moto2 Championship Standings
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | A Ogura | 208 |
| 2 | S Garcia | 166 |
| 3 | A Canet | 156 |
| 4 | A Lopez | 156 |
| 5 | J Roberts | 153 |
| 6 | F Aldeguer | 146 |
| 7 | J Dixon | 130 |
| 8 | C Vietti | 130 |
| 9 | M Gonzalez | 127 |
| 10 | T Arbolino | 121 |
| 11 | S Chantra | 78 |
| 12 | M Ramirez | 78 |
| 13 | A Arenas | 64 |
| 14 | J Alcoba | 60 |
| 15 | D Binder | 49 |
| 16 | S Agius | 47 |
| 17 | F Salac | 40 |
| 18 | I Guevara | 37 |
| 19 | D Öncü | 33 |
| 20 | B Baltus | 30 |
| 21 | D Moreira | 28 |
| 22 | Z Goorbergh | 20 |
| 23 | D Foggia | 18 |
| 24 | B Bendsneyder | 7 |
| 25 | J Navarro | 6 |
| 26 | A Sasaki | 4 |
| 27 | J Masia | 4 |
| 28 | M Aji | 3 |
| 29 | M Ferrari | 1 |
| 30 | X Cardelus | 0 |
| 31 | M Schrotter | 0 |
| 32 | M Pasini | 0 |
| 33 | A Escrig | 0 |
| 34 | D Muñoz | 0 |
| 35 | X Artigas | 0 |
| 36 | U Orradre | 0 |
Moto3
David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) is rapidly closing in on some lightweight class records in 2024 and after his ninth win of the year came in Indonesia, there’s something that’s now closer than ever to being his: the Moto3 World Championship title.
With a 97-point buffer to Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), a 105-point gap to Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI), a 107-point lead over Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and five races left to contest, all Alonso needs to leave Motegi with is a 100-point advantage and the crown will be his.
David Alonso
“In Japan, the only numbers I am going to think about are the ones of the gears. I am going to listen a lot to my team and try to stay in a bubble. Jorge Martínez “Aspar” always tells me that I do not have to prove anything to anyone, that you have to race out of passion and not because you want to prove something. I do not have to rush to do things, that will be my mentality in Japan. I don’t want the pressure of the numbers, on track I want to leave them aside.”
Both Holgado and Ortola beat Alonso around the Mobility Resort Motegi in 2023 when the Spaniards finished P3 and P5 respectively, and the same will be needed again this weekend if they want to keep their loosening grips clinging onto a title chance this season. For Veijer, his crash from the lead in Indonesia cost the Dutchman crucial points, and if the #95 doesn’t gain a chunk of points on Alonso in Japan, he’ll be ruled out of Championship contention too.
A huge few days in Moto3 await, with the home faithful ready to cheer on a pair of Indonesian GP frontrunners – Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) and Tatsuki Suzuki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) – and the lead Japanese rider in the Championship, Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI).
Joel Kelso will be looking to move further inside the championship top ten while countryman Jacob Roulstone will be working towards it.
Moto3 Championship Standings
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | D Alonso | 296 |
| 2 | D Holgado | 199 |
| 3 | I Ortola | 191 |
| 4 | C Veijer | 189 |
| 5 | D Muñoz | 133 |
| 6 | A Piqueras | 131 |
| 7 | A Fernandez | 121 |
| 8 | A Rueda | 110 |
| 9 | J Kelso | 110 |
| 10 | R Yamanaka | 86 |
| 11 | T Furusato | 81 |
| 12 | L Lunetta | 78 |
| 13 | T Suzuki | 72 |
| 14 | S Nepa | 59 |
| 15 | J Roulstone | 50 |
| 16 | J Esteban | 44 |
| 17 | M Bertelle | 42 |
| 18 | R Rossi | 24 |
| 19 | F Farioli | 24 |
| 20 | N Carraro | 22 |
| 21 | S Ogden | 15 |
| 22 | X Zurutuza | 11 |
| 23 | D Almansa | 7 |
| 24 | V Perez | 3 |
| 25 | N Dettwiler | 2 |
| 26 | J Whatley | 0 |
| 27 | T Buasri | 0 |
| 28 | J Rosenthaler | 0 |
| 29 | D Shahril | 0 |
| 30 | H Al | 0 |
| 31 | A Aditama | 0 |
