2024 Japanese MotoGP: Binder Leads, Weather and Rivals Stir the Pot in Thrilling Friday Practice

Coverage of the 2024 Japanese MotoGP Friday Practice Session

A summary of the Friday practice session for the 2024 Japanese MotoGP.

Following an eventful weekend in Mandalika, Jorge Martin leads Francesco Bagnaia by 21 points as they head into the Japanese MotoGP.

Martin may have rejoiced in his first Grand Prix win since the Le Mans event in May, but an initial lap error by the Pramac competitor during the Sprint led to Bagnaia gaining an additional three points in the championship battle after the Indonesian race.

Last year at Motegi, Martin achieved a remarkable feat by securing victories in both races. He clinched the Sprint race in dry conditions, finishing ahead of KTM's Brad Binder, and then went on to triumph over Bagnaia in a grand prix that was drenched in rain. The wet race was halted after 12 laps because of the severe weather, leading

Rainy conditions are expected to return for the 2024 occasion.

A collision on Sunday at Mandalika involving Enea Bastianini, coupled with an engine malfunction for Marc Marquez, has significantly jeopardized their championship aspirations. Despite these setbacks, they head into this weekend separated by a mere three points, contending for third place.

Last year, Marquez achieved his last podium finish with Honda at Motegi.

Pedro Acosta, who secured the second place at Mandalika, may once more challenge the dominance of the Ducatis. Meanwhile, Binder aims to reclaim the fifth position in the rankings from his soon-to-be team-mate.

Last year, Jack Miller secured a spot on the front row and should be kept an eye on should the weather conditions deteriorate.

The intermittent circuit is poised to challenge Aprilia's advancements in braking, as Yamaha and Honda strive to maintain their top ten pace in the presence of their company executives.

The first practice session (FP1) kicks off at 10:45 am local time, which corresponds to 2:45 am British Summer Time (BST). This is followed by another practice session at

That wraps up our coverage for the day, but stay tuned to Crash.net for continuous updates on MotoGP happenings from the Motegi paddock throughout the rest of Friday.

Tune in once more at 2:10am UK time tomorrow for the last practice and the qualifying round at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Practice Summary

Motegi 2024 Japanese MotoGP – Results from Friday's Practice Sessions

Binder maintains the lead position with a time of 1m43.436s, outpacing Marc Marquez and Martin during the second practice round.

Bagnaia finds himself in seventh place, whereas Jack Miller's crash towards the end significantly impacted his standings, pushing him out of the top 10.

Nakagami spearheads Honda's effort with a 12th place finish, as Quartararo secures the 14th spot for Yamaha.

The checkered flag has been waved, yet there are still some speedy laps being recorded.

Nakagami secured a lap time that provisionally places him ninth, earning a spot in Q2. This achievement makes for an impressive tale during his last Grand Prix in Japan as a regular competitor.

Event

Zarco experienced a fall at Turn 5. The rider is unharmed, but yellow flags have been deployed, negatively affecting numerous lap times.

Binder has reclaimed the lead with a time of 1 minute and 43.436 seconds.

Significant progress for Bastianini as he climbs to second place following his previous accident.

Accident

At Turn 3, Miller experienced a crash. The rider is unharmed.

The competition is extremely close just beyond the top 10 positions. Alex Marquez finds himself just 0.015 seconds away from qualifying for Q2, closely followed by Aleix Espargaro who is lagging by an additional 0.004 seconds.

With five minutes remaining in Q2, the current leaders are:

Bagnaia and Acosta recorded matching lap times, only for Martin to overshadow them with a blistering 1m43.568s.

Bagnaia now leads with a time of 1 minute and 43.754 seconds.

Acosta sets the pace with a time of 1 minute and 43.754 seconds.

Acosta advances to second place with a time of 1 minute and 43.987 seconds.

Brad Binder climbs to the top position with a time of 1 minute and 43.879 seconds.

Vinales arrived in Japan with the belief that it presented a promising chance for Aprilia, and so far, that belief is being validated.

Vinales climbs to the second position with a time of 1 minute and 44.084 seconds.

Raul Fernandez made significant progress, advancing to fifth place.

Several additional racers are now hitting the track on new, supple tires. We're in for an intense last quarter of an hour.

Quartararo isn't having any luck this lap riding the Yamaha.

Fabio Quartararo appears to be the initial rider opting for a fresh soft tire for a time trial during the last 17 minutes of Practice.

Martin yields to Bagnaia at Turn 12, allowing the Pramac competitor a closer examination of his opponent.

Currently, the championship's top two competitors are positioned one behind the other on the circuit. Bagnaia is closely observing Martin's racing techniques.

It

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