Saturday at the 2026 Japanese MotoGP puts the main Motegi sessions on one stage: FP2, qualifying and the Sprint. Jorge Martin arrives at the circuit with a 12-point championship advantage over Marc Marquez. Marco Bezzecchi is 42 points off the lead, while Pedro Acosta has moved up to fourth after claiming the first victory of his career at the Red Bull Ring.

A packed Motegi schedule

FP2 is due to begin at 10:10 local time, qualifying follows at 10:50, and the Sprint is scheduled for 15:00. That gives the title fight little room to breathe: qualifying will settle the starting order, before the short race adds another immediate test for the leading riders.

Acosta already has a useful Motegi reference point. He was a leading presence there during his rookie season and reached last year’s Sprint podium, then remained in contention in the grand prix until a mistake ended his challenge. Pecco Bagnaia is another obvious benchmark after taking both of last year’s Motegi races from pole position, although repeating that performance will be a demanding task.

Maverick Vinales is back with Tech3, while Somkiat Chantra returns to HRC. Honda test rider Takaaki Nakagami will not make his wildcard appearance after suffering an injury on the out-lap of Friday’s wet FP1. Motegi’s resurfacing has also prompted a revised Michelin allocation, including a reinforced rear construction that had caused Ducati difficulties in Austria. Saturday morning brought bright sunshine after Friday’s damp opening.