MotoGP Japan FP1 LIVE: Francesco Bagnaia in a session reduced to a quarter of an hour!

For the 16th round of a season MotoGP 2024, which has 20, the action resumes with this FP1 on the Twin Ring of Motegi, owned by Honda, in Japan, a country still preponderant for the motorcycle industry.

More than just an Excel table, our graph allows you to immediately see the highlights of the current season, in particular the breakaway of George Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Francis Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), sworn enemies of the category who, little by little, are freeing themselves from the duo composed of  Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team).

Of course, with a maximum of 185 points still to be scored, theoretically even Peter Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) could be crowned, but in the absence of an unfortunate event, the title should be decided by the same two protagonists as last year, separated for the moment and for a while, by a good twenty points. For the 3rd step of the final podium, it is even tighter, the two contenders not moving away from each other more than the fingers of one hand.

The two men themselves are detached in front of the trio composed of  Peter Acosta, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), and Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing), the two future teammates opposing each other in an internal fight for the place of "first non-Ducati", but also "first KTM"...

For the rest, just look at the table, while noting that in Indonesia our two representatives,  fabio quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team) and Johann zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) scored the same number of points, 9, a figure shared with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team).

To write the sixteenth chapter of this 2024 MotoGP season, it will be necessary to cover the 12-meter track 4801 times during Saturday's Sprint and complete 24 laps on Sunday, on a track with a very "stop and go" layout well known to Michelin .

As a result, braking is very demanding and Brembo shows a difficulty index of 6 out of 6 for the Japanese track, with turns 1, 5, 10 and 11 putting the braking systems to the test the most. As every year, ventilated carbon discs are mandatory, in 340 or 355 mm, just like in Spielberg (Austria) and Buriram (Thailand).

Among the current full-time pilots, Marc Marquez holds the most wins (3xMotoGP™, 1xMoto2™, 1x125cc) ahead of his brother (1xMoto2™, 2xMoto3™), and the most podiums in the premier class (7). .

The records are set in 1'43.198 (Jorge Martin) in 2023 and “only” 317,6 km/h for the speed (Enea Bastianini) in 2022 due to the short 762 meter straight!

 

As for the weather forecast, we know the various adventures caused by the particular climate of Japan at this time of year, and without going back to the typhoons or the cancelled sessions, we remember the shortened race last year. This edition promises to be as usual with high temperatures, without being safe from showers...
Moreover, it rained last night and this morning the mist covered the circuit but the trajectories dried up during the Moto3 FP.

As a wildcard, Remy gardner joins the usual list of regular riders, a further sign of Yamaha's current efforts.

Kazutoshi Seki, Yamaha Factory Racing Test Team Leader: “We are very pleased to have this wild card for the Japanese GP. Yamaha’s mission is to accelerate the development of its bikes and return to winning ways. This wild card is in line with the overall objective: we want to collect as much useful data as possible to support the current Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP riders as well as the new team and riders who will join Yamaha in 2025. Remy Gardner already knows the 1 YZR-M2024 and the Yamaha Factory Racing Team, as well as the Motegi circuit, so we are confident that the partnership will go smoothly this weekend.”

Lorenzo Savadori replaces Miguel Oliveira injured at Trackhouse.

While waiting to discover more, as the 23 drivers prepare for this first 45-minute free practice session, under a still grey sky but with fairly high morning temperatures of 24° in the air and 29° on the ground, let's take advantage of these few moments of live coverage thanks to the official website MotoGP.com :

Here is the table which summarizes the facts known so far.

MotoGP™ Japan, Motegi	2023	2024
FP1	1'45.192 Jorge Martin (See here)	1'45.209 Francesco Bagnaia (See here)
Practice	1'43.489 Brad Binder (See here)	(See here)
FP2	1'44.622 Marco Bezzecchi (See here)	(See here)
Q1	1'43.997 Marc Marquez (See here)	(See here)
Q2	1'43.198 Jorge Martin (See here)	(See here)
Sprint	Martin, Binder, Bagnaia (See here)	(See here)
Warm Up	1'46.047 Jack Miller (See here)	(See here)
Course	Martin, Bagnaia, M. Marquez (See here)	(See here)
All time lap record	1'43.198 Jorge Martin (See here)

When the red lights go out... Franco Morbidelli and Alex Rins are the first to take to the track while fabio quartararo sticks to his strategy of leaving last.

At the tire level, as is now becoming systematic, everyone is on medium at the rear while the soft and medium options are chosen for the front.

At the end of the first round, Maverick Vinales registered 1'47.774 ahead Johann Zarco, Jack Miller, Joan Mir and Alex Marquez.

In the next passage, it is the local Takaaki Nakagami who leads the way in 1'46.223 in front Joan Mir, Alex Marquez, Johann Zarco and Jack Miller : Honda riders are quick to find their marks…

George Martin then takes things in hand in 1'45.318 in front Francesco Bagnaia, Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi.

From there, while we are already at the same times as last year's FP1, the times stabilize, especially as the "raindrop" flags are waved...

But that doesn't stop Francis Bagnaia to take command in 1'45.209 before the end of his first run.

The hierarchy is then composed of Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Marc Márquez, Jack Miller, Marco Bezzecchi, Joan Mir, Johann Zarco, Maverick Vinales, Enea Bastianini, Alex Márquez, Takaaki Nakagami, Pedro Acosta, Aleix Rins, Aleix Espargaro, Brad Binder, Fabio Quartararo, Franco Morbidelli, Luca Marini, Raul Fernandez, Augusto Fernandez, Lorenzo Savadori and Remy Gardner.

With half an hour left in the session, silence falls on the circuit, with no bikes left on the track, wet or dry.

We then learn from the mouth of Francesco Guidotti which Peter Acosta is now riding on a new chassis that Brad Binder did not like it during the test in Misano.

The minutes pass as the stewards take the opportunity to give us another demonstration of how to handle the flags...

We take the opportunity to observe the special decoration of the helmet of Takaaki Nakagami.

The drops turn into very fine rain and we see the drivers testing the grip of the asphalt and the white lines with the soles of their boots in the pit lane.

As the last quarter of an hour approaches, to pass the time, MotoGP.com is offering free live coverage:

With 11 minutes left, Luca Marini, Fabio Quartararo Jack Miller, Raul Fernandez and Marco Bezzecchi all decide at the same time to get back on track.

Gradually, almost all the other riders follow suit, everyone on slicks.

The white flags with red crosses are still waved, calming everyone's ardor, and for information, Jorge Martin rolls in 1'55.384, or 10 seconds slower than on dry ground.

The circuit falls silent again and the session can therefore be considered over, 6 minutes before its deadline.

This first confrontation obviously leaves us with a taste of too little but, even in these conditions, the first names on the list remain the strong men of the championship...

Meet at 8:00 a.m. for Practice!

MotoGP FP1 standings for the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi:

Classification credit: MotoGP.com

MotoGP Japan FP1

MotoGP Japan FP1