Aprilia Racing dominated Free Practice II for the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix 2026 at Mobility Resort Motegi on Saturday, October 3, 2026, with Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin claiming the top two spots. Riders faced a session where Fermin Aldeguer and Ai Ogura both crashed at turn 9.
Aprilia Leads Motegi Free Practice II
Once the track opened, all riders ran medium front tires. Jorge Martin surged on his final run to secure second, while Bezzecchi lowered the benchmark further to 1 minute 43.321 seconds to seal the top spot. Pedro Acosta took third after switching to soft rear tires, ahead of Marc Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio in the top five. Brad Binder and Enea Bastianini followed in sixth and seventh, while Alex Marquez finished eighth. Raul Fernandez, Ai Ogura, and Francesco Bagnaia rounded out the top 12.
Jorge Martin Claims Pole Position With Lap Record
Jorge Martin found a significant performance jump during the qualifying sessions at Motegi, shaving a full second off his Friday pace to capture pole position with a new lap record of 1 minute 42,371 seconds. That effort put him 0.111 seconds ahead of Ducati Lenovo rider Marc Marquez, who starts second. Martin admitted he did not expect to grab pole but expressed satisfaction with his pace heading into the races. The 2024 champion said he is “really very happy” and noted that while Marc and Pedro are close, he believes his team has the speed to compete.
Behind them, the championship battle remains tight. Martin leads the standings with 306 points, holding a 12-point advantage over Marquez. Marquez could take the lead if he earns at least 12 more points than Martin from the 37 available across two races. Meanwhile, Alex Marquez previously topped the earlier Practice session with a lap of 1 minute 42,811 seconds, outpacing Pedro Acosta and Marc Marquez. Acosta, coming off a win at the Austrian GP, took second in that session, just 0.024 seconds ahead of the defending world champion. Other Practice results saw Marco Bezzecchi in fourth, Enea Bastianini in fifth, Fabio Di Giannantonio in sixth, and Fabio Quartararo in seventh. Diogo Moreira and Johann Zarco both crashed during Practice but finished ninth and tenth respectively. Francesco Bagnaia continued a difficult run of form, missing out on direct qualification to Q2 for the sixth time since Sachsenring.
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Session Interruptions
The morning was marked by several stoppages. A red flag was triggered during the Practice session after Ai Ogura’s motor emitted smoke while speeding at T1.
Marco Bezzecchi sets fastest lap and Jorge Martin leads standings
Who set the fastest lap during Free Practice II at Motegi?
Marco Bezzecchi riding for Aprilia Racing set the fastest time of 1 minute 43.321 seconds during FP2 on Saturday, October 3, 2026.
What caused the red flag during the morning session?
A red flag was triggered during the Practice session after Ai Ogura’s motor emitted smoke while speeding at T1.
How large is Jorge Martin’s lead in the championship standings?
Jorge Martin leads the MotoGP standings with 306 points, holding a 12-point margin over Marc Marquez ahead of the weekend’s races.
Upcoming Schedule
The Sprint Race, consisting of 12 laps, is scheduled for Saturday, October 3, at 13.00 WIB. On Sunday, October 4, the schedule includes a Warm Up at 07.40 WIB followed by the Main Race of 24 laps at 12.00 WIB.