Marc Márquez edges Martín in Japanese MotoGP FP1 as Nakagami injury ends home weekend

News Summary

• Marc Márquez leads FP1 with a 1:44.073, beating Jorge Martín by 0.099s and Marco Bezzecchi by 0.133s.
• Takaaki Nakagami fractures his left collarbone in an early crash and is ruled out of the Japanese Grand Prix.
• Moreira finishes 11th, while Viñales completes 13 laps on his return from injury.

Marc Márquez struck first at the Japanese Grand Prix, beating championship leader Jorge Martín to the fastest time in Friday’s opening MotoGP practice at Motegi. The Ducati rider delivered a 1:44.073 on his final lap, leaving Martín 0.099s behind and Marco Bezzecchi third, just 0.133s from the benchmark. motogp.com

The result put the championship’s leading trio together at the front after a cautious start in unsettled conditions. Márquez completed only 10 laps, while Martín managed 14 and Bezzecchi 13. The close times provided an opening indication of their competitiveness on Motegi’s new asphalt, although FP1 does not determine direct access to Q2.

Álex Márquez finished fourth for Gresini, ahead of Johann Zarco’s LCR Honda and Fabio Quartararo’s Yamaha. Raúl Fernández, Francesco Bagnaia, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Pedro Acosta completed the top 10, with the Austrian Grand Prix winner 0.711s behind Márquez.

Nakagami’s home weekend ends after early crash

Light rain complicated the opening minutes of the 45-minute session, encouraging most riders to remain in the pits. Bezzecchi survived a moment at Turn 11 before Honda wildcard Takaaki Nakagami suffered a violent highside at the same corner.

Nakagami walked away holding his left arm, but subsequent medical checks confirmed a fractured left collarbone. He was declared unfit for the remainder of the weekend without recording a timed lap.

Honda confirmed that Nakagami “has sustained a fracture to his left collarbone and has been declared unfit for the weekend.”

Somkiat Chantra, replacing Joan Mir in the factory Honda team, and Pramac Yamaha riders Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu were the only riders to record times in the early stages. Chantra initially led with a 1:49.121 before improving to 1:46.563 as the field waited for conditions to improve.

Márquez wins late exchange with Martín

More riders joined the session as the circuit dried, and Bezzecchi moved ahead with a 1:45.572 before lowering his best to 1:45.037. The appearance of sunshine brought further improvements, with Álex Márquez taking first place on a 1:44.631.

Moreira briefly climbed to second with a 1:44.865, showing encouraging speed for LCR Honda at the manufacturer’s home event. That remained his best lap, however, and the late improvements elsewhere pushed him back to 11th.

Bezzecchi subsequently reclaimed the lead on a 1:44.375, before Marc Márquez moved ahead with a 1:44.214. Martín responded with a 1:44.172, but the Ducati rider’s final attempt settled the contest. Bezzecchi also improved to a 1:44.206, leaving the top three separated by little more than a tenth.

Viñales completed his first Grand Prix session since his injury absence, finishing 18th with 13 laps for Tech3 KTM. Chantra recorded the most laps of anyone, completing 21 and finishing 14th on the factory Honda.

Martín retains his 12-point championship lead over Márquez, with no points awarded in practice. Their opening-session contest adds to what is at stake in the Motegi title fight, ahead of Saturday’s Sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix.

The separate one-hour Friday Practice session determines the 10 riders who advance directly to Q2. Qualifying begins on Saturday at 10:50 JST, followed by the Sprint at 15:00. The full Japanese Grand Prix schedule includes local times for the main international markets.

Japanese MotoGP 2026: FP1 results

MotoGP is racing this weekend, from 2–4 October, in Japan. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action at Motegi.

MotoGP today: FAQ

Who won the Japanese MotoGP race today?

Marc Márquez won the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, finishing 1.363s ahead of Jorge Martín. Marco Bezzecchi completed the podium, while Márquez secured a weekend double after also winning Saturday’s Sprint.

Who leads the MotoGP championship after the Japanese GP?

Jorge Martín remains the MotoGP championship leader with 333 points, just 2 ahead of Marc Márquez on 331. Márquez’s two victories in Japan reduced the gap from 12 points at the start of the weekend.

When is the next MotoGP race?

The next MotoGP race is the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika on Sunday, 11 October 2026. The weekend runs from 9–11 October.

Is Takaaki Nakagami racing in the Japanese Grand Prix?

No. Nakagami fractured his left collarbone in an FP1 crash and was declared unfit for the remainder of the weekend.