The gap is closing… Starting 2nd on the starting grid, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) won the sprint race of the Japanese MotoGP Grand Prix, this Saturday, October 5.
Chute you leader
Jorge Martin (Pramac), who started 11th after a fall during qualifying, moved up to 4th place, at the foot of the podium completed by Enea Bastianini (2nd) and Marc Marquez (3rd). It remains a bad operation, with 6 points lost in the world championship. The Spaniard is still the leader with only 15 points ahead of the Italian fighter.
READ ALSO. The official starting grid for the Japanese Grand Prix
The double reigning champion perhaps did not imagine winning the sprint format today, but despite his good lead, Pedro Acosta (Tech 3), three laps from the finish, made a single mistake having makes him fall and abandon… His first victory will wait, he the poleman will have another opportunity, this Sunday, October 6, with the main race of the Japanese Grand Prix (7 a.m.).
Highlights of the race
Round 1/12. Here we go! Excellent start from Francesco Bagnaia, who takes the lead of this race. Jorge Martin also got off to a good start with six positions gained! He is already 5th…
Tour 3/12. Pedro Acosta pass it on! He started his overtaking from afar, but this sublime attack passes on Francesco Bagnaia! The pole sitter regains the lead of the race.
Tour 9/12. KICK FROM PEDRO ACOSTA! Terrible for the leader of the race! He made no mistake, the first is fatal… His first victory, in a sprint format, went completely away. What a disappointment…
Round 12/12. Sublime battle for 2nd place! The last lap offers a spectacle between Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez, who are fighting for 2nd place! Marquez had passed, but Bastianini returned…
Relive the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix sprint race????
Japanese Grand Prix – Sprint race
Finished
Circuit du Twin Ring Motegi
- The results
unfold
fold- 6.
Fabio Di Giannantonio
VR46
- 9.
Maverick Vinales
Aprilia Racing
- 11.
Raul Fernandez
Trackhouse
- 17.
Lorenzo Savadori
Aprilia (exhaustive riders)
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- Abandons
unfold
fold-
Chute
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Aleix Espargaró
Aprilia Racing
Chute
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Mechanical problem
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Takaaki Nakagami
LCR Honda
Chute
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I’m very happy, it wasn’t easy. You had to be careful and understand the track conditions. I did the whole race with a less powerful engine, I was afraid of slipping.
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A great sprint race, with a very high pace. At the end, I was close to Pecco, but I lost time on the last laps with this great fight with Marc (Marquez).
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I had a very good start today (started 9th). I concentrated, with a good pace. I saw that I could get back on the leaders, with some great fights, I had a lot of fun.
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Jorge Martin little rhythm
Despite a great start, with six places gained, Jorge Martin showed a worrying pace… Tomorrow, the race will be longer, with more points at stake for the world championship!
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VICTORY OF FRANCESCO BAGNAIA!
The leader got scared on the last lap, with a mistake, causing him to lose his second lead. Despite everything, he raises his arms in victory, in front of his teammate Enea Bastianini. Marc Marquez completes the podium in this sprint race, Jorge Martin is just behind, 4th.
???? Tour 12/12
Sublime battle for 2nd place!
The last lap offers a spectacle between Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez, who are fighting for 2nd place! Marquez had passed, but Bastianini returned…
???? Tour 11/12
Francesco Bagnaia accelerated
The new leader of the race has taken almost a second ahead of his teammate, who is chasing him. Not necessarily a huge threat as a hunter if team instructions are given… A world championship is at stake!
???? Tour 10/12
Intelligent course by Francesco Bagnaia
Without taking any risks, he took the lead of the race by taking advantage of Pedro Acosta’s error. This fall also temporarily propels Marc Marquez onto the podium.
???? Tour 9/12
Terrible for the leader of the race! He made no mistake, the first is fatal… His first victory, in a sprint format, went completely away. What a disappointment…
???? Tour 9/12
Pedro Acosta digs a trick
The leader accelerated suddenly, he took a seven-tenths lead over Francesco Bagnaia.
???? Tour 8/12
With more than a second ahead of Marc Marquez at the foot of the podium, the provisional top 3 stands out. But the three leading drivers all remain contenders for victory.
???? Tour 8/12
No pace for Fabio Quartararo
Starting 12th, the Frenchman lost three places after one lap, he was back in 15th position. Without much pace he only recovered one, he is 14th.
???? Tour 7/12
Gaps stabilize
Francesco Bagnaia is still in the fight for victory, right behind leader Pedro Acosta. For his part, Jorge Martin is lacking pace, stuck in 5th place behind Marc Marquez. But the Spaniard still started 11th!
???? Tour 6/12
Unsurprisingly, the Frenchman was given a long sentence for “irresponsible driving”. Johann Zarco is 17th, that won’t change much for him in this race…
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Johann Zarco at fault again!
After Joan Mir, a member of the Honda team, the Frenchman pushed his teammate, Takaaki Nakagami, off the track! The Japanese driver will not finish this sprint race in front of his home crowd…
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A few drops of rain
The rain is returning to disrupt this sprint race! Enough to make the conditions even more tricky.
???? Tour 3/12
At the foot of the virtual podium, 4th, the KTM rider had a problem with his bike and had to abandon. Which puts a lot of drivers up one position.
???? Tour 3/12
Pedro Acosta pass it on!
He started his overtaking from afar, but this sublime attack passes on Francesco Bagnaia! The pole sitter regains the lead of the race.
???? Tour 2/12
Marc Marquez passes on Jorge Martin!
Despite the leader’s great start to the world championship with six places gained, Jorge Martin was overtaken by Marc Marquez. The Pramac driver is now 6th.
???? Tour 1/12
The 2020 world champion tries to leave with his Honda. The driver was pushed into error by Johann Zarco.
???? Tour 1/12
Excellent start from Francesco Bagnaia, who takes the lead of this race. Jorge Martin also got off to a good start with six positions gained! He is already 5th…
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Let’s go for the warm-up lap!
And it is important, with a wet track in some places after the rain. Very tricky conditions for this sprint format race!
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Johann Zarco on Canal+ microphone
What creates tension is that we’re only on slick tires (for dry tracks), whereas sometimes it rains a little, but not enough to wet the whole track… It’s a bit complicated, but you have to close your eyes and go for it!
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The track is open for the grid setting of this sprint race. An important reconnaissance lap, after a few showers having dampened the asphalt.
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Hondas struggling at home
Johann Zarco, 16th, is the best Honda driver for this Japanese Grand Prix… The official motorcycles are only 17th (Joan Mir) and 20th (Luca Marini). Takaaki Nakagami, Japanese driver, is 21st on his LCR Honda. The public can console themselves with a Yamaha 12e, that of Fabio Quartararo.
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Pedro Acosta on his first pole position
On this circuit we manage to perform very well. We must be happy because we are more and more competitive.
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World championship point
Before this sprint race which will offer points to the drivers, Jorge Martin has a 21-point lead in the world championship. It’s almost nothing, when we know that there are only five rounds left in this season. A fall in the race and a victory for Francesco Bagnaia are enough to reverse the trend… The Spaniard has already made a mistake during qualifying, will it be fatal for him this weekend?
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Rain for the sprint race?
For the moment, all the sessions before this sprint race, in Moto 3 and Moto 2, have been disrupted by rain. Will this time be maintained for the premier category sprint race? Currently the rain is heavy, dampening the entire track. Moto 2 drivers no longer ride in their qualifying session.
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The two French drivers had to go through Q1 at this Japanese Grand Prix. Fabio Quartararo escaped, finally finishing 12th during Q2. Johann Zarco is further away, 16th.
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Summary of the qualifying session
For those who didn’t get up in the middle of the night to follow the qualifying session… Jorge Martin fell! A turning point at the end of the 2024 season? The world championship leader only starts 11th, while his rival Francesco Bagnaia is 2nd. It was rookie Pedro Acosta who took pole position, after a faster lap from Marc Marquez was invalidated.
➡️ FIND THE COMPLETE STARTING GRID
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Welcome to Ouest-France to follow the Japanese Grand Prix sprint race live. The training tour is scheduled for 8 a.m.!
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