REAR-TYRE VIBRATION FORCES BAGNAIA OUT OF MOTEGI SPRINT

Francesco Bagnaia’s difficult Japanese Grand Prix weekend continued with a late retirement from Saturday’s sprint, after increasingly severe rear-tyre vibration ended his hopes of fighting for ninth place.

The Ducati rider had missed out on Q2 and started the 12-lap race facing an uphill task. He made progress early, recovering two positions, and believed ninth was within reach. But the vibration began around halfway and worsened with each lap until he had to pull out.

“The possibility of finishing ninth was there, but after half the race I started to struggle with vibration,” Bagnaia said. “Lap-by-lap it was getting worse and worse until I needed to stop. It’s a shame but it is what it is.” He added that resolving the vibration could help the team understand the broader rear-tyre problem.

Bagnaia said the team had made a small improvement from Friday, although rear grip remained the main concern. He felt he had given his maximum in qualifying but missed a Q2 place after running wide at the final corner, and was unsure whether he would have advanced even without the mistake.

The retirement contrasted sharply with the performance of team-mate Marc Marquez, who dominated the sprint. Marquez finished ahead of title rival Jorge Martin, though post-race position changes meant Diogo Moreira was classified behind him instead.

A year earlier, Bagnaia had completed a Motegi sprint and grand prix double, his only such sweep of that season. This time, he will start Sunday’s grand prix from 13th, while Marquez lines up second and has a chance to complete a Motegi double.