News Summary
- The Japanese Grand Prix runs from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 October at Mobility Resort Motegi.
- MotoGP qualifying begins at 10:50 JST on Saturday, followed by the 12-lap Sprint at 15:00 JST.
- Sunday’s 24-lap Grand Prix starts at 14:00 JST — 06:00 in the UK, 01:00 US Eastern, 10:30 in India and 16:00 in Sydney.
MotoGP begins its run of races outside Europe with the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix at Mobility Resort Motegi, from 2 to 4 October. For viewers in the UK and North America, much of the weekend takes place overnight. Friday’s opening practice even falls on Thursday evening in US Eastern time, while Saturday’s early sessions begin on Friday night in that time zone.
The event arrives with a close championship contest. Jorge Martín leads Marc Márquez by 12 points after winning the Austrian Sprint and finishing second in the Grand Prix. Marco Bezzecchi is third in the standings, while Pedro Acosta travels to Japan after taking his first MotoGP victory at the Red Bull Ring. The full MotoGP championship picture after Austria gives the Motegi weekend added weight for the leading riders.
Friday features two premier-class sessions. FP1 starts at 10:45 local time, followed by the hour-long Practice session at 15:00. Practice determines which riders advance directly to Q2, making it the first decisive session of the weekend. In the UK, those starts are at 02:45 and 07:00 BST respectively.
Saturday opens with FP2 before qualifying sets the grid for both races. Q1 begins at 10:50 JST, Q2 at 11:15 JST, and the 12-lap Sprint starts at 15:00 JST. That puts the Sprint at 07:00 BST on Saturday, 02:00 EDT, 11:30 IST and 16:00 in Sydney.
Sunday’s MotoGP race starts at 14:00 JST and is scheduled for 24 laps. Before the premier-class Grand Prix, Moto3 races at 11:00 JST and Moto2 at 12:15 JST. Japan is followed by the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika on 9–11 October.
Japanese MotoGP 2026: session times
All dates and times below are local to the place named in each column. Japan uses JST throughout the weekend. Sydney changes from AEST to AEDT before Sunday’s sessions.
| Session | Japan | UK | US Eastern | India | Sydney |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FP1 | Fri 2 Oct, 10:45 JST | Fri 2 Oct, 02:45 BST | Thu 1 Oct, 21:45 EDT | Fri 2 Oct, 07:15 IST | Fri 2 Oct, 11:45 AEST |
| Practice | Fri 2 Oct, 15:00 JST | Fri 2 Oct, 07:00 BST | Fri 2 Oct, 02:00 EDT | Fri 2 Oct, 11:30 IST | Fri 2 Oct, 16:00 AEST |
| FP2 | Sat 3 Oct, 10:10 JST | Sat 3 Oct, 02:10 BST | Fri 2 Oct, 21:10 EDT | Sat 3 Oct, 06:40 IST | Sat 3 Oct, 11:10 AEST |
| Qualifying 1 | Sat 3 Oct, 10:50 JST | Sat 3 Oct, 02:50 BST | Fri 2 Oct, 21:50 EDT | Sat 3 Oct, 07:20 IST | Sat 3 Oct, 11:50 AEST |
| Qualifying 2 | Sat 3 Oct, 11:15 JST | Sat 3 Oct, 03:15 BST | Fri 2 Oct, 22:15 EDT | Sat 3 Oct, 07:45 IST | Sat 3 Oct, 12:15 AEST |
| Sprint | Sat 3 Oct, 15:00 JST | Sat 3 Oct, 07:00 BST | Sat 3 Oct, 02:00 EDT | Sat 3 Oct, 11:30 IST | Sat 3 Oct, 16:00 AEST |
| Warm-up | Sun 4 Oct, 09:40 JST | Sun 4 Oct, 01:40 BST | Sat 3 Oct, 20:40 EDT | Sun 4 Oct, 06:10 IST | Sun 4 Oct, 11:40 AEDT |
| Moto3 race | Sun 4 Oct, 11:00 JST | Sun 4 Oct, 03:00 BST | Sat 3 Oct, 22:00 EDT | Sun 4 Oct, 07:30 IST | Sun 4 Oct, 13:00 AEDT |
| Moto2 race | Sun 4 Oct, 12:15 JST | Sun 4 Oct, 04:15 BST | Sat 3 Oct, 23:15 EDT | Sun 4 Oct, 08:45 IST | Sun 4 Oct, 14:15 AEDT |
| MotoGP race | Sun 4 Oct, 14:00 JST | Sun 4 Oct, 06:00 BST | Sun 4 Oct, 01:00 EDT | Sun 4 Oct, 10:30 IST | Sun 4 Oct, 16:00 AEDT |
The published timetable may change during the event.
MotoGP today: FAQ
Who leads the 2026 MotoGP World Championship?
Jorge Martín leads with 306 points, 12 ahead of Marc Márquez. Marco Bezzecchi is third on 264.
Who won the 2026 Austrian MotoGP?
Pedro Acosta won at the Red Bull Ring, taking his maiden MotoGP victory ahead of Jorge Martín and Marco Bezzecchi.
When is the next MotoGP race?
The Japanese GP is next at Motegi from 2–4 October 2026, followed by the Indonesian GP at Mandalika one week later.
What time does the 2026 Japanese MotoGP race start in the UK?
The Grand Prix starts at 06:00 BST on Sunday 4 October. The Sprint begins at 07:00 BST on Saturday 3 October.
