MARQUEZ TOPS MOTEGI FP1 AS NAKAGAMI’S INJURY DISRUPTS HONDA’S 850CC DEVELOPMENT

Marc Marquez finished Friday’s opening MotoGP practice fastest at Motegi, edging out championship leader Jorge Martin in a session that ended in disappointment for Honda wildcard Takaaki Nakagami.

Marquez set a best lap of 1:44.073 shortly before the chequered flag. Martin was second, followed by Marco Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez and Johann Zarco. Fabio Quartararo, Raul Fernandez, Francesco Bagnaia, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Pedro Acosta completed the top 10. Toprak Razgatlioglu placed 16th.

The 45-minute session began under cloudy skies, with damp patches remaining after morning rain and the air temperature at 18°C. Bezzecchi led midway through, then Alex Marquez briefly took over at the top. Bezzecchi reclaimed first before Martin posted a 1:44.172 with two minutes remaining. Marquez responded with the fastest lap of the session. The pace remained some way off Bagnaia’s 2025 lap record of 1:42.911.

Nakagami’s home Grand Prix was cut short almost as soon as it began. The Honda test rider suffered a heavy highside at Turn 11, landing hard on his left shoulder. He was diagnosed with a broken left collarbone and will miss the rest of the weekend. Honda manager Alberto Puig said Nakagami crashed on his first lap while the track was still damp. “It was very unfortunate,” he said, adding that missing his home race was difficult for the rider.

The injury is also a setback for Honda’s development work. Nakagami has played a leading role in testing the manufacturer’s 850cc bike, particularly with fellow test rider Aleix Espargaro still recovering from injury. Nakagami had further tests planned after the Japanese Grand Prix. Puig said that even after a successful operation, it would take “four to five weeks” for Nakagami to be ready again. Espargaro is motivated and professional, Puig said, but is not yet fully fit, leaving Honda to assess the resources available.

Honda was already short of a rider in Japan, with Joan Mir absent after persistent symptoms from an illness that has not been publicly identified. MotoGP chief medical officer Dr Angel Charte prescribed rest. Somkiat Chantra is replacing Mir, joining Luca Marini, Johann Zarco and Diogo Moreira in Honda’s line-up, while Nakagami had entered as a wildcard. Chantra is due to return to Honda’s World Superbike team in Portugal next weekend, so Honda will need to consider another replacement. The rules do not require a substitute for back-to-back races, but the situation is an unwelcome one for the manufacturer and its factory team.

Maverick Vinales also returned to action for Tech3 KTM after nearly three months out with injury. Martin arrived in Japan leading the championship by 12 points over Marquez, with Bezzecchi third, 42 points behind his Aprilia teammate.

Later in the day, Marini, Zarco and Moreira also crashed in the time practice. Zarco and rookie Moreira nevertheless qualified directly for Q2.