MotoGP News: Bagnaia wins pole with record lap at Motegi

Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia (pictured) continued his MotoGP resurgence by securing pole position for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, setting a new Motegi lap record.

The Italian edged out Honda’s Joan Mir by just 0.092 seconds in a thrilling Qualifying 2 session, marking only his second pole of the season after a chaotic Brno qualifying.

Marc Marquez, chasing his first MotoGP title since 2019, will start from third on the grid, five places ahead of his brother and sole remaining championship rival, Alex Marquez.

KTM’s Pedro Acosta overcame early technical issues to take fourth, joined on the second row by Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo and VR46’s Franco Morbidelli. Alex Marquez and Morbidelli earned their Q2 spots by leading Q1.

Marc Marquez’s Title Shot in Japan

Marc Marquez, riding for Ducati Lenovo, returns to Motegi—a track where he celebrated past championship glory with Honda—holding a commanding 182-point lead over Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati). While the Sprint race won’t decide the championship, Marc can clinch the 2025 title on Sunday if he maintains a lead of at least 185 points over his younger brother.

With Francesco Bagnaia now 275 points behind his teammate, only the Marquez brothers remain in contention for the world championship. Bagnaia, the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix winner, faces pressure to hold onto third in the standings, with Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi just eight points behind after a stunning Sprint-GP double victory in Misano.

Other Contenders and Home Heroes

KTM’s Pedro Acosta, who took pole as a rookie at Motegi in 2024 before crashing out of both races, remains a wildcard after his strong fourth-place qualifying. Ducati has dominated Motegi in recent years, winning all five races since Marc Marquez’s 2019 Repsol Honda victory, with triumphs from Jack Miller (2022 GP), Jorge Martin (2023 Sprint & GP), and Bagnaia (2024 Sprint & GP).

Home favorites Joan Mir and rookie Ai Ogura return after missing the Misano test due to injuries sustained at San Marino. HRC test rider Takaaki Nakagami, another Japanese star, is back on track despite knee ligament injuries from a Brno crash.

A gripping Japanese Grand Prix weekend awaits as Marc Marquez eyes championship glory and Bagnaia aims to solidify his resurgence at Motegi.

Next up – the Saturday Sprint Race

MotoGP 2025 Japanese GP Qualifying Results