Overview

• Francesco Bagnaia took pole with a 1:42.911 to set a new Motegi lap record, with Honda’s Joan Mir second and championship leader Marc Marquez third.
• Pedro Acosta overcame a technical issue to qualify fourth, leading a second row completed by Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli.
• Alex Marquez advanced from Q1 to secure eighth on the grid, as Luca Marini qualified seventh, Marco Bezzecchi ninth and Raul Fernandez 10th.
• Marc Marquez holds a 182‑point lead over Alex and cannot clinch the crown in the Sprint, but he will secure the title on Sunday if his advantage reaches at least 185 points.
• Practice and qualifying were crash‑affected with frequent yellow flags; home rookie Ai Ogura was denied a late Q2 bid and starts 13th, while Marquez had a minor lowside in final practice.