Overview
- Jorge Martin snatched pole at Motegi on Saturday with a 1:42.371 lap that set a new circuit record and left him 12 points clear of Marc Marquez in the championship.
- Marc Marquez qualified second after setting an earlier provisional record but made late errors, including a gravel excursion that cost him time on his final run.
- Marco Bezzecchi led final practice for Aprilia but suffered a scare in opening practice at Turn 11 and then adopted a cautious approach as conditions varied on the freshly resurfaced track.
- Honda wildcard Takaaki Nakagami fractured a collarbone in a heavy FP1 highside and withdrew from the weekend while Maverick Vinales returned from shoulder rehab aiming simply to finish the race.
- Michelin provided extra front and rear allocations and a reinforced hard rear to cope with Motegi's unknown new asphalt, forcing teams to learn track grip quickly and factor tyre choices into sprint and race strategy.