Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo secured the last two spots in the battle for pole position at the MotoGP Japanese GP. They were the fastest two in Q1 this morning in Motegi.
With the threat of rain looming, the riders quickly took to the track at the start of Q1. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM) and Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia) initially held the top two positions, with Augusto Fernández (Red Bull GasGas Tech3/KTM) in third.
Rain flags were waved around the circuit, making it crucial for riders to set a good lap before conditions deteriorated. Miller improved his time to remain in first.
Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) briefly held second place before being overtaken by Raúl Fernández (Trackhouse Racing/Aprilia), who was 0.154s faster.
The riders then pitted, and upon returning to the track, there were several changes. Morbidelli (Prima Pramac/Ducati) set a lap that put him at the top, being the first to dip into the 1m43s. Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) moved up to second, with Espargaró in third before being overtaken by Miller.
By the end, Morbidelli and Quartararo held onto the top two positions, advancing to Q2. Raúl Fernández improved his time but ended up in third, 0.117s behind, thus missing out on the second qualifying phase.
