Motorsports: Marquez fastest in rain-hit Japanese MotoGP practice

Six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez topped a tricky second practice on Saturday for the Japanese Grand Prix as a typhoon brought heavy rain.

The Spanish great has only recently returned from a long injury absence but he showed all his experience to master the conditions at Motegi for a leading time of one minute and 55.232 seconds on his Honda.

That was ahead of Ducati riders Jorge Martin, also from Spain, and Jack Miller.

Australia's Miller topped a mostly dry first practice on Friday and still holds the fastest lap, 1:44.509, so far.

The forecasted rain duly arrived on Saturday, when there is qualifying scheduled for later in the day, and the trio of title contenders had to settle for places further down the timesheets.

World champion and current leader Fabio Quartararo was 10th on his Yamaha in the wet second practice, a place ahead of Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro.

Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia, who has closed Quartararo's championship lead to 10 points with fives races left, was 15th.

The Italian was second-fastest on Friday in the dry.

The wild weather is forecast to dump heavy rain on the Motegi area on Saturday but should clear up for Sunday's race.

Japan is hosting its first MotoGP since 2019 because of the pandemic.

Leading times from the first two practice sessions for the Japanese Grand Prix:

1. Jack Miller (AUS/Ducati) 1min 44.509sec, 2. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA/Ducati) at 0.028sec, 3. Fabio Quartararo (FRA/Yamaha) 0.049, 4. Aleix Espargaro (ESP/Aprilia) 0.068, 5. Luca Marini (ITA/Ducati-VR46) 0.136, 6. Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) 0.147, 7. Pol Espargaro (ESP/Honda) 0.169, 8. Brad Binder (AFS/KTM) 0.226, 9. Miguel Oliveira (POR/KTM) 0.234, 10. Maverick Vinales (ESP/Aprilia) 0.288

Agence France-Presse

Lorenzo on pole for Japanese Grand Prix

MOTEGI, Japan - World champion Jorge Lorenzo continued his desperate fight to keep his MotoGP title by taking pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix in a wet qualifying session at the weather-disrupted race on Saturday.

The Yamaha rider swept around the circuit in one minute 53.471 seconds on his 24th of 25 laps to top the timesheets ahead of fellow Spaniard Marc Marquez, who could seal the title in his rookie season on Sunday if he outscores Lorenzo by eight points.

Friday's entire practice programme was wiped out by fog and wet weather with the rain also forcing the cancellation of Saturday morning's free practice session and leading to the extended 75-minute qualifying session.

American Nicky Hayden rounded out the front row on his Ducati with Marquez's Honda team mate Dani Pedrosa, the winner of the race for the last two years, relegated to the second row in fourth place.

A mistake from Marquez's team blew the 20-year-old's chance of clinching the title in Australia last weekend when he was disqualified but he gets second chance in the penultimate race of the season on Sunday.

MORE RISKS

A seventh victory of his sensational debut season, combined with anything worse than second for Lorenzo, would make him the youngest champion in the top class of grand prix racing and he was delighted with second place given the conditions.

"It was quite difficult, it was my first time in Motegi, first time in qualifying without any practice sessions, in wet conditions and I took more risks than usual," he said.

"But we did a very good job because our target was the front row and we did it. We are hoping for a dry race."

The Honda-owned track was still slick with rain when the bikes finally got out of their garages for the first time this weekend and Marquez, Pedrosa and Hayden all set quickest times before Lorenzo took charge.

The 26-year-old said it had been tough having to push hard while riding in wet conditions for the first time since he broke his collarbone in a high speed crash in the Dutch round of the championship in June.

"I am very happy to get this second pole position in a row," said the twice world champion, who won in Australia last week to cut Marquez's championship lead to 18 points.

"It was hard because the last time I rode in the wet was in Assen, so at the beginning I was careful and not so confident and a bit scared.

"Little by little, I got better and in the end did a very good lap. Tomorrow is probably going to be dry so let's see what happens." (Writing by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by John O'Brien)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com