Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) has started the Motul Grand Prix of Japan in the hotseat, with the Thai rider pipping Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) by a tenth and a half in P1. Filip Salač (QJMotor Gresini Moto2™) headed the chasing pack, but the Czech rider was four and a half tenths off the top as P1 proved a tale of two riders.
Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Team) heads Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) as they take fourth and fifth, respectively, with 2022 winner Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) next up. 2022 Moto3™ Champion Izan Guevara (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) had his best rookie showing yet in seventh, with Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp), Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) and Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), the latter fresh from the rostrum, completing the top ten.
So where did second in the title fight, Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), start the Japanese GP? P11, which isn’t the postcode he’ll be aiming for when the flag drops, but it’s P1 with plenty of track time still to go!
Moto2™ head back out at 14:05 (GMT +9) so tune in to see how the pack shuffles again!
| 1 | Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) | 1'50.477 |
| 2 | Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | +0.140 |
| 3 | Filip Salač (QJMotor Gresini Moto2™) | +0.448 |
| 4 | Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Team) | +0.536 |
| 5 | Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) | +0.744 |
| 6 | Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) | +0.749 |
| 7 | Izan Guevara (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) | +0.774 |
| 8 | Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) | +0.818 |
| 9 | Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) | +0.891 |
| 10 | Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) | +0.905 |