Bagnaia dominates MotoGP Japanese GP, Martin recovers to second as Acosta crashes

Francesco Bagnaia took a dominant victory at the MotoGP Japanese GP, as Jorge Martin recovered to second after starting outside the Top 10. Meanwhile, Pedro Acosta crashed after running inside the podium places.

Bagnaia would make an excellent start, firing out from pole position. However, the reigning champion would be overtaken by Pedro Acosta at Turn 1, the Spaniard letting the brake off and attempting to go around the outside before running too deep, as Bagnaia managed to reclaim the lead, undercutting the KTM rider later in the long right-hand corner.

Jorge Martin would have a similar start to the race, as with the Sprint race. Martin managed to finish the end of the first lap in sixth place after starting from 11th place. Meanwhile, Red Bull KTM’s Jack Miller would also come through the field, completing the first lap in fifth place after overtaking multiple riders. However, Maverick Vinales would feel the opposite effect, the Aprilia rider going from third to ninth in the opening few laps.

Brad Binder would also be in the mix at the front, as the KTM riders started to put a strong challenge to the Ducati riders, particularly Acosta, who began closing back down on Bagnaia. Joan Mir and Alex Marquez would collide in the penultimate couple of corners, with Alex Marquez’s Gresini Ducati attaching itself to Mir’s Repsol Honda, the pair of them being thrown down and out of the race.

As the riders completed the opening few laps of the race, it would be heartbreak for Pedro Acosta, the rookie crashing at the final corner and ruining chances of making up for the crash in the Sprint race as well. Jorge Martin had managed to find a way through on Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez, therefore inheriting second place after Acosta’s fall.

Large gaps began to open as suddenly a few drops of rain were spotted. The FIM would bring out the white flag, allowing for riders to change over to their wet setup motorcycle if needed. However, despite dark clouds and some drops of rain, the race would not become a flag-to-flag.

Martin began closing the gap to Bagnaia, the pair separated by over one second, with the Motegi circuit a long lap with some severely punishing corners if not taken correctly. Martin would manage to get within one second of Bagnaia, however the Ducati Desmosedici GP24 made up the majority of lap time in the long back straights, and firing out of the hairpins at Turns 9 and 10.

Maverick Vinales would crash out of the race at Turn 4 after running behind Aleix Espargaro, a weekend to forget for Vinales who had qualified on the front row of the grid.

Francesco Bagnaia would hold the lead of the race, the Italian coming home to take a rather dominant victory, with Jorge Martin just behind. Bagnaia now closes to withing 10 points of Martin in the championship as MotoGP goes into the final four races. Marc Marquez would complete the podium places with Enea Bastianini following just behind, with Franco Morbidelli further up the road to round out the Top 5.

Despite phenomenal early pace, Brad Binder would finish in sixth place as the best performing KTM rider. The South African would be followed by Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio, the VR46 riders getting a decent haul of points. Aleix Espargaro would overtake many riders, coming home to finish in ninth at the Spaniard’s final Japanese GP.

Jack Miller would round out the Top 10 after strong opening pace, the KTM machines all slipping further through the field in the mid-late stages of the race. Johann Zarco would finish in 11th as the Top Honda rider once again, followed by Fabio Quartararo, who was the Top Yamaha rider with a 12th place finish.

Takaaki Nakagami would lead Luca Marini over the line for 13th and 14th, Honda taking one of their best performances of the season at their home race. Raul Fernandez would claim the final points paying position with 15th as Alex Rins and Remy Gardner would be the last of the finishing riders across the line.

MotoGP returns in two weeks’ time for the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island.

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