Recapping the Sunday MotoGP/2/3 action from Motegi – Reports – Images – Results – Points

2024 MotoGP World Championship
Round 16 – Motegi – Sunday
Motul Grand Prix of Japan

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) held firm at the front at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, taking the lead and keeping his nerve as key title rival Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) applied the pressure throughout. With Bagnaia taking the win ahead of the impressive charge up the order from P11 for Martin, it’s now just 10 points in it at the top of the table.

Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) kept Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) at bay to take another podium finish.

MotoGP Race Report

Bagnaia nailed the start but polesitter Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3)  was aggressive on the entry to turn one but was just wide enough to let Bagnaia through. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) got a good launch up into third, with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) just behind, and Marc Marquez and Martin once again got great launches from further back to immediately put themselves in contention.

Fireworks started there nearly immediately as a huge shuffle kicked off, with Binder slightly wide, Bastianini going for that gap and Marquez trying to create another, the end result of which a couple of apexes later was actually Binder back ahead and Martin having picked his way through to fourth. Then Marquez went for Bastianini, but Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) went for both.

Once that had been settled – for the moment – Marquez was back past Miller into fourth, and Bastianini made it through not long after. Next, Marquez made a divebomb on Binder to take over in what had become third – with Martin up into second as drama had hit up ahead for Acosta.

Out of the final corner Acosta overcooked it and slid out from behind Bagnaia, losing the chance at his first MotoGP win from his first MotoGP pole. That put Martin into second from P11 on the grid, but new race leader Bagnaia now held a 1.5 second advantage. Lap by lap, however, that began to come down.

Meanwhile, Bastianini was on the back of Binder looking for a way through, and that proved hard to find. After a couple of attempts parried by the South African, the Italian finally managed to slice through at Turn 3 and take over in fourth – just as the white flag went out.

Yet, the rain largely stayed at bay. Enough for Bagnaia and Martin to keep the hammer absolutely down at the front, seeming in control until the charge from Martin really started to seem ominous. It went down to one second, then eight-tenths, as Martin homed in, but the Pramac rider then had a moment on the front end that made him take stock.

Bastianini continued to hound Marquez in the fight for third, but couldn’t quite get within striking distance. Marquez had headed wide earlier in the race which allowed Bastianini had to close up but the gap never got much under half-a-second from there.

Up ahead, Bagnaia kept it cool to hit back in the title fight and take his eighth win of the season, making 2024 his best year in terms of wins and bringing that gap back down to 10 points ahead of the final four race weekends of the year. But Martin’s charge from P11 on the grid was also a noteworthy one in the pendulum of ever-changing momentum, with Phillip Island now set up to see the fireworks start again.

Marquez kept it tidy in the latter laps to give Bastianini no chance at a move, completing the podium and moving back to within two points of the ‘Beast’ in the standings.

Behind, Binder just lost out on fifth as Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) charged up the order to deny the South African. Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) took P7 just ahead of teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio, before a gap back to top Aprilia Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) after Maverick Viñales crashed out from up ahead.

Miller completed the top ten after figuring highly early on, holding off Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) after an impressive performance from the Frenchman – and a less controversial one than his Tissot Sprint.

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was next up ahead of Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) as he scored points in his final Japanese GP as a full-time rider.

The scorers were rounded out by Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team) and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing). An early race incident saw Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) make contact with Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) and both DNF, with the #73 given a Long Lap Penalty for it to be served next time out.

There was opportunity aplenty for the key contenders to falter at Motegi, but despite a season where sometimes shock twists and turns have changed the whole picture in an instant, it was a weekend where both held firm under pressure. As a consequence, it’s now closer than it has been for some time, right at the top, with 10 points in it as we head for the island.

Motegi MotoGP Race Results

Motegi MotoGP Top Speeds Across Weekend

MotoGP Championship Standings

Moto2

Wet or dry? That was the question asked of the Moto2 field after a red-flagged stoppage in Japan – and the answer, eventually, was dry. Emerging as a Grand Prix winner for the first time was Manuel Gonzalez as the Spaniard’s slick tyre gamble worked a treat, with the QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 star beating World Championship leader Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) by 2.5s as the Japanese home hero’s risky gamble also pays off in a big way. Filip Salač (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) was another rider to choose the right tyres as the Czech star powered his Triumph-Kalex to a first podium of the season.

The intermediate class race began with a threat of rain looming in Motegi, but it was dry when the lights went out and pinching the holeshot was polesitter Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), as the Briton’s teammate Izan Guevara and Zonta van den Goorbergh (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP) made contact at Turn 1 and 2, causing both riders to lose several positions. However, the rain had arrived at the top end of the circuit and before the opening lap could be completed, the red flags were waved. This meant the race would restart with original grid positions.

Following a short delay, a restarted race of 12 laps was declared as the riders and teams tried to work out whether to head out on wet or slick tyres. And dramatically, World Championship leader Ogura opted for slicks! At the end of the sighting lap, the Japanese star didn’t pit, so his choice was locked. The majority of the other riders chose wet tyres.

Was it a masterstroke from Ogura? We were about to find out. Dixon got the holeshot again as Guevara made it an Aspar 1-2, with Ogura dropping to P14 at Turn 2. van den Goorbergh, from P2, dropped to P22 on the opening lap as Ogura lost more places. At the end of Lap 1 of 12, Ogura was P14, 3.2s away from race leader Dixon.

Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) passed Guevara for P2 on Lap 2 as Ogura began to make progress. P7 was now the #79’s position, and that was soon P4. Then it was P3 at Turn 10, then it was P2 at Turn 11, then it was P1 at Turn 1 on the next lap. Stunning from Ogura. With nine laps to go, the slick tyre risk was paying off handsomely.

Gonzalez was another rider on slick tyres, and the Spaniard was P2 on Lap 5. Dixon’s lap was over four seconds slower than Ogura’s as the slick tyre runners powered on through. The next of those was Jeremy Alcoba (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Racing Team), and the other two were Salač and van den Goorbergh as the Czech and Dutch riders sailed into the top five.

With six to go, Gonzalez was taking huge chunks out of Ogura’s lead. The Spaniard was 0.9s quicker on the previous lap, and while that battle was starting to fizz up, Salač, Alcoba and van den Goorbergh were jostling for the final podium spot.

With four laps to go, Gonzalez was swarming all over the rear tyre of Ogura. A move came at Turn 9 and it was a clean one too. The #18 passed the #79 as Gonzalez stared down the barrel of a maiden Moto2™ win, with Ogura clinging onto a massive 20-point haul.

On Lap 11 of 12, the gap between the leading duo was a second. Gonzalez wasn’t streaking clear as the pre-pass pace suggested, but heading onto the last lap, the gap was 1.1s despite Ogura setting the fastest lap of the race. Would Gonzalez hold on for a dream debut Grand Prix victory? Yes he would. The slick tyre gamble paid off as Gonzalez led home title chase leader and home hero Ogura, as Salač fended off Alcoba to bag his first podium since the 2023 French GP.

Manuel Gonzalez – P1

“Today was one of those days where destiny in your hands, and I was able to manage things the best possible way! I pushed as hard as I could as I could see Ogura up ahead but quite far, but that’s when I knew today was going to be ‘that’ day! As soon as I left pit-lane, the track was soaked, but yesterday it did dry out quickly so I knew I could have pushed with slick tyres. I passed other riders on the inside and outside, had a lot of fun, I felt like I was playing a video game. Then during the final laps I was looking at the pit-board and it felt like an eternity. I knew I was going to win but had to stay calm, collected, and avoid mistakes. I did win and it was beautiful. Now we’ll try to do it again!”

Alcoba was just 0.137s away from his first intermediate class podium in P4, as van den Goorbergh earns a career-best P5. Xavier Artigas’ (Klint Forward Factory Team) dry tyre gamble handed the Spaniard his first points of the season in P6, with Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) the first of the wet tyre riders to cross the line in P7.

Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team), Lopez and Guevara closed out the top 10, with Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp), Dixon, Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) and Darryn Binder (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) the final point scorers, as that P14 for Garcia sees Ogura take a commanding 60-point lead into Phillip Island. That means it’s match-point territory for the Japanese star next time out.

Senna Agius started on rain tyres and made up many positions at the start of the sprint, only to lose them again. Twentieth place, therefore, in no way reflects the true pace of the Australian, who is now looking forward to his home Grand Prix in a fortnight’s time. The 19-year-old wants to prove to himself and his home fans at the Phillip Island Circuit from the 18th – 20th of October that he is the deserved leader of the Rookie of the Year standings.

Senna Agius – P20

“I’m pretty disappointed about today. Unfortunately, we made the decision to play it safe and use rain tyres because the third sector was much wetter than the rest of the track and the rain also reached the pit lane. But we also decided to go for a full rain set-up, which would have paid off if it had fully rained. But it turned out differently because the track started to dry out. There was nothing I could do and have to learn from this race. That’s why I’m going home now and concentrating on my home race in two weeks’ time.”

Motegi Moto2 Race Results

Moto2 Motegi Top Speeds Across Weekend

Moto2 Championship Standings

Moto3

Was it ever in doubt? David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) is your 2024 Moto3 World Champion after #BabyGOAT raced to a phenomenal 10th victory of the season at the Japanese GP. Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) completed the rostrum in P2 and P3 respectively, as the crown is secured by the Colombian with four races to spare.

From pole position, Ortola got a lovely start and beat Alonso to the holeshot, as Veijer slipped from P2 to P7. Meanwhile, from P9, Holgado made quick – and necessary – progress on Lap 1 to get past Alonso into P2 behind Ortola.

P3 became P5 for Alonso at the start of Lap 2 as both Leopard Racing Hondas, Angel Piqueras and Fernandez, carved past at Turn 1. At the start of Lap 3, Ortola led from Holgado and Fernandez, with Alonso back ahead of Piqueras in P4. Fernandez, after a phenomenal double overtake at Turn 5, pounced to P1 as Alonso was shuffled back to P7 having been passed by Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) and David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports).

With 11 laps to go, Fernandez was still leading but after briefly sitting behind Holgado, Ortola was now back in second place and setting record-breaking race laps at the Mobility Resort Motegi. Piqueras then passed Holgado to relegate the #96 to P4, with Yamanaka swarming all over the rear tyre of the Spaniard before a move from the Japanese rider came at Turn 5 with 10 laps to go. Now, Holgado was P5 and Alonso was P6. As things stood, the title race would continue in Australia.

On Lap 9 of 17, Holgado and then Alonso were back past Yamanaka at Turn 9. That was the #80’s first big move of the race, as the Colombian set the fastest lap of the race. P5 was soon P3 for Alonso as a mistake from Holgado at Turn 10 saw Alonso move into P3, but Holgado bit back at Turn 11. The wick had been turned up.

With seven laps left, Alonso was in a Championship-winning position. P2 for Ortola, P3 for Alonso and P4 for Holgado was enough, but there was a long way to go. P3 then became P2 for Alonso at Turn 9 as Ortola was demoted to P3, now it was all about how could Ortola and Holgado respond.

Ortola and Alonso exchanged P2 on Lap 13, as Veijer elbowed his way through on Holgado at Turn 5. Piqueras then crashed out of the lead group at Turn 10 to make it a lead group of five, with Yamanaka 0.6s away in P6.

Four to go. Alonso, for the first time, led. But not for long. Fernandez fought back immediately as Ortola and Veijer went toe-to-toe. Turn 11 saw Alonso lead again as Holgado slammed it up the inside of Veijer to grab P4.

Three to go. As things stood, Alonso was the World Champion and there was a gap forming at the front. Fernandez made a small mistake at Turn 11 that cost him and Ortola time. Could that half a second be enough?

Two to go. Ortola forced his way through on Fernandez and set his sights on Alonso, as Veijer pinched P4 off of Holgado. That half a second advantage disappeared with a lap and a half to go, but at Turn 10, Ortola crashed. The polesitter was down and out of the podium fight, and this left Alonso with a 0.4s lead over Fernandez and Veijer heading onto the final lap.

Last lap time. With Alonso P1 and Holgado P4, it was all but done. Veijer and Fernandez battled hard for P2 to allow Alonso to keep his 0.4s buffer, and the pack weren’t close enough to even think about making a move on Alonso. The Colombian rounded Victory Corner, fired his way to the chequered flag and became a Moto3 World Champion in the only way he knows how in 2024 – by winning. A 10th victory of the year, a record-breaking 14th Moto3 win and the first Colombian World Champion.

David Alonso – P1

“I wanted to be champion by winning the race, I was sure about that. I could not imagine my perfect dream in any other way than winning. I have crossed the finish line and I could not believe it. I thought that on the last lap I had exceeded the track limits and I did not want to celebrate it before time. When they have started congratulating me, I have asked them if I was really the champion. I could not believe it. I have been very calm all weekend, but yesterday afternoon I started to have some doubts. I want to thank my team, CFMOTO, my sponsors and all the people who have helped me get here, because without them I would not have been able to fulfil my dream.”

Veijer beat Fernandez on the final lap to claim second, as the latter made it two podiums from two. Holgado’s title hopes are ended in Japan with a P4 finish, as Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the top five. Yamanaka was only 1.3s away from the win and was the lead Japanese rider in P6, with compatriot Tatsuki Suzuki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP), Muñoz, Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), and Stefano Nepa (LEVELUP – MTA) rounded out the top 10.

Collin Veijer – P2

“My start was OK but I was hit by another rider and lost a couple of positions. I tried to stay calm and make my rhythm. I saw a lot of riders were pushing like crazy but I wanted to save my tyres. I was overtaking in a good, clever way and I finally got back to the front. One rider made a stupid move that almost pushed me out and cost me a second, otherwise we might have been able to challenge David for the win. Anyway, P2 is OK for today. We have to maximise each race to fight for 2nd in the championship now.”

Elsewhere, Matteo Bertelle and Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team teammate David Almansa picked up P11 and P12, as Filippo Farioli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Riccardo Rossi (CIP Green Power) and Joel Esteban (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) completed the points in Japan.

Jacob Roulstone started the Japanese Grand Prix from the 21st position on the grid after a tricky weekend. With a lot of work done overnight with his team, the rookie headed into Sunday eager to finish this first tripleheader in the best way possible. At the start, the Australian got away well and gained positions in the first turn, but then found himself a bit blocked a few corners later and was forced to go a bit wide. He lost a few positions, finishing lap one in 23rd place behind Scott Ogden. The rookie put his head down and focused into his race pace, and started to progressively gain positions, taking 17th at the flag to head home with a positive feeling.

Jacob Roulstone – P17

“We have some good positives to take from today’s race. We took a really good start, with a good T1, but then I got boxed in T3 and I had to avoid some riders and went wide, which was a shame. I put my head down and I was able to fight back. The pace was decent, I felt good on the bike. I think we were able to make some improvements overnight, we made a step in the right direction which I am happy with. Big thanks to the boys for the weekend as always. I am looking forward to a relaxing week at home, and then we will head to Australia for my home GP, which I am super excited about.”

Countryman Joel Kelso ran as high as tenth across the opening laps before going down on lap six.

Joel Kelso – DNF

“Pretty disappointed with how things ended today. We chose the harder compound for the race and I was making my way forward after an average start. Unfortunately, we lost the front with little notice. Time to brush it off and prepare to battle at my home round in. I can’t wait to see all of you there supporting me! Let’s make it a good one.”

Motei Moto3 Race Results

Moto3 Motegi Top Speeds Across Weekend

Moto3 Championship Standings