Marc Marquez began the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix weekend fastest at Motegi, edging championship rival Jorge Martin by 0.099 seconds in a disrupted opening practice. The Ducati rider’s best lap was a 1:44.073, set on his final lap as the circuit improved after light rain affected the start of the 45-minute session.

Marquez completed only ten laps, joint-lowest in the session, because he stayed in the garage during the early stages. That approach became increasingly logical as the track dried. Only Somkiat Chantra, along with Pramac Yamaha riders Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlioglu, had set a time during the opening phase. Raul Fernandez, Marco Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez then took turns at the top before Marc Marquez moved forward in the closing minutes. Martin briefly responded with the fastest time, but Marquez reclaimed the advantage on his last attempt.

The session’s more serious story came from Turn 11. Bezzecchi had an earlier scare at the same corner, keeping his motorcycle upright, but HRC wildcard Takaaki Nakagami was thrown into a heavy highside moments later. The Japanese rider walked away holding his upper left arm and was subsequently diagnosed with a fracture to his left collarbone. Nakagami was declared unfit for the remainder of the weekend and did not complete a lap.

FP1 order and what the times mean

Bezzecchi finished third behind Marquez and Martin, with Alex Marquez fourth. Johann Zarco was fifth for Honda and Fabio Quartararo sixth for Yamaha. Pecco Bagnaia was eighth, while Pedro Acosta ended the session tenth. Acosta arrived at Motegi as the championship’s fourth-placed rider after taking his first MotoGP victory at the Red Bull Ring. His record at Motegi also includes leading during his rookie season, a Sprint podium last year and a place among the front-runners in last year’s Grand Prix before making a mistake.

Maverick Vinales returned to MotoGP action with Tech3 KTM after missing the previous four rounds because of continuing shoulder problems. He placed 18th, 1.442 seconds from the benchmark, after completing 13 laps. Joan Mir remained absent while continuing what Honda described as a recovery and observation period following medical concerns first raised after the San Marino Grand Prix. Somkiat Chantra was therefore called up to ride alongside Luca Marini in the HRC team. Chantra, who raced in MotoGP with LCR last season, was making his first MotoGP laps since last year’s Valencia finale.

Marquez’s 1:44.073 was 1.162 seconds away from Motegi’s official MotoGP best lap, Francesco Bagnaia’s 1:42.911 from 2024. That gap needs to be read alongside the morning conditions rather than treated as a verdict on the resurfaced circuit. The new asphalt had already produced record pace during the drier Moto2 session, and a stable, dry afternoon could bring a substantial improvement.

A completely resurfaced circuit changes the tyre picture

Motegi has been completely resurfaced ahead of this year’s event, leaving Michelin without real-world data from the new asphalt. Michelin’s engineers prepared an expanded allocation of three front and three rear specifications using simulations and information gathered from previous editions. Piero Taramasso, Michelin Motorsport’s Two-Wheel Competition Manager, said the manufacturer would need to learn quickly from Friday onwards while monitoring how the track evolved.

All riders used the soft front and medium rear tyre in FP1. For the afternoon time attacks, the expected direction was a medium front with a soft rear. A hard option was also available at both ends because of the resurfacing. Michelin said the soft, medium and hard front tyres retain the same level of stiffness as last year and use symmetrical compounds, while the hard front has a specific reinforced construction intended for additional suitability at certain Asian circuits. The same solution is also planned for Mandalika.

At the rear, Michelin selected a higher level of stiffness than in 2025 to provide more margin while the characteristics of the new surface become clearer. The soft and medium rear tyres use the standard casing, whereas the hard rear uses a reinforced casing already offered in Austria. Cool temperatures and the possibility of further rain were expected to make the process more difficult, with weather likely to influence how quickly grip and tyre behaviour could be understood.

Championship pressure before Practice

The afternoon MotoGP Practice was scheduled for 3:00pm local time, or 7:00am in the UK. Its outcome is important because the top ten gain direct access to Qualifying 2. Marquez returned to the scene of his 2025 title triumph 12 points behind Martin in the championship, having been beaten by the Aprilia rider in both Red Bull Ring races. Marquez and Martin had opened a gap over Bezzecchi, who began the weekend 42 points from the championship lead.

Bagnaia also brought a strong Motegi record into the weekend. He won both of last year’s races from pole position, although his results after that Japanese round became far less consistent: he scored points in only two of the remaining ten races. The Ducati rider arrived holding ninth in the world championship, with his only race victory this season coming in the Sprint at Brno and his most recent podium also dating from Brno in June.

Honda’s weekend also includes a special 60th anniversary livery planned for Sunday. Nakagami’s injury removes the home-event wildcard before he could take part, while his absence also creates a problem for Honda’s rider arrangements for the following Indonesian round, when Chantra has WorldSBK duties. For now, however, the immediate sporting picture is clear: Marquez has the first Motegi benchmark, Martin is close behind, and the freshly resurfaced circuit still has much more to reveal as the weather and tyre choices change.