MOREIRA CELEBRATES FIRST MOTOGP PODIUM BUT TEMPER EXPECTATIONS
3 Oct 2026·
Diogo Moreira celebrated his first MotoGP podium after a dramatic sprint at Motegi, where late penalties promoted the Honda rookie from fourth to second. Jorge Martin and Enea Bastianini both ran beyond the track limits on the final lap, costing each rider a position. Moreira therefore joined sprint winner Marc Marquez on the podium.
It was by far Moreira’s best result of his rookie premier-class season, but he was keen not to raise expectations for Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix. He described the podium as fortunate, despite showing strong pace earlier in the sprint.
Marquez was among the first to congratulate Moreira and later praised the Brazilian’s ability. “He’s one of the most talented riders I’ve ever seen,” the reigning world champion said, pointing to Moreira’s skills not only on a MotoGP bike but also in flat track, motocross and on a CBR. Marquez added that they have a good relationship and that he was happy to share Moreira’s first sprint podium with him.
The Brazilian said the day had turned into a breakthrough, while acknowledging that circumstances helped him reach the rostrum. “In the end, it was my day,” he said. After seeing a crash at Turn 3 involving Pedro Acosta, Alex Marquez and another rider, he decided to push harder. Several riders who had been ahead were no longer in contention, leaving Moreira to chase the group in front and find his rhythm. With the sprint lasting 12 laps and the soft tyre a concern, he also tried to manage his pace: “Lap by lap I felt better, but I didn’t want to overdo it and tried to save the tyres.”
Moreira said the bike responded well as he grew more comfortable and increased his pace. He was among the fastest riders at points in the sprint and closed on Martin and Bastianini in the closing stages. He also noticed Martin’s rear tyre appeared to be fading. “I saw a bit with the tyre,” Moreira said, adding that he too was “already on the limit” over the final two laps, even as his lap times remained strong. He felt another lap might have brought a chance to fight for the podium on track, but was careful not to present the result as purely down to his speed. “We know, I know, it’s not a real result for us,” he said, describing himself as lucky after the Turn 3 crash and the late penalties.
He spotted the decisive incidents near the end of the final lap, as the riders exited the last straight before the tunnel leading to the finish. “I saw that they touched the green, and in that moment I realised I was on the podium,” he recalled. Moreira said the result mattered to him and was “a very good result” for Honda.
The achievement has not changed his expectations for Sunday’s longer race. Moreira said the medium rear tyre would bring a different test and predicted he would be aiming for a top-six or top-eight finish. “We will see. But we never know,” he said, adding that he wanted to enjoy the race as much as he had the sprint, where his confidence grew with each lap.
The result brought a welcome lift to Honda after a difficult opening day. Takaaki Nakagami was ruled out through injury, while Johann Zarco, Luca Marini and Moreira had all crashed. Zarco recovered to finish seventh and score points for LCR, but factory riders Marini and Somkiat Chantra finished outside the points. Moreira’s promotion made for an especially joyful celebration among the LCR team, including team boss Lucio Cecchinello and HRC technician Klaus Nöhles.