Spectacular MotoGP qualifying in Japan: Martin snatches pole from Marquez

Aprilia beats Ducati in Q2 at Motegi, with the top 6 incredibly close: there are promising signs ahead of the weekend’s races.

The MotoGP Qualifying for the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix ended with pole position for Jorge Martin. The championship leader’s 1:42.371 is also the new Motegi lap record. Marc Marquez’s final attacks weren’t enough; the Ducati rider stopped 0.110 seconds short of the Aprilia rival. The front row is completed by KTM’s Pedro Acosta.

The second row is led by Marco Bezzecchi, who will start alongside the Desmosedici GP26s of Fabio Di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez. The top six riders are covered by 0.175 seconds.

Ai Ogura and Raul Fernandez were the two riders who advanced from Q1 to Q2, securing the two available spots. Double satisfaction for the SuperFile Trackhouse team, disappointed after Pre-Qualifying and now ready to respond with both its riders.

Also disappointed today is Pecco Bagnaia, who in Q1 did no better than third and will have to start from thirteenth on the grid in the Japanese Grand Prix races. On the fifth row as well are Franco Morbidelli with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 team’s Ducati and Somkiat Chantra, standing in for Joan Mir at the Honda HRC team and able to outperform teammate Luca Marini (sixteenth). Underwhelming, too, from Fermin Aldeguer, who will line up eighteenth with his Desmosedici GP25 from the BK8 Gresini team.

The last three spots on the grid are occupied by the Yamaha M1s of Jack Miller, Alex Rins, and Toprak Razgatlioglu. Another heavy blow for the three-time Superbike world champion, the 2026 MotoGP rookie.

Martin–Marc–Acosta and Bezzecchi–Alex–Diggia are the trios on the first two rows, and fiery starts at Motegi are easy to predict. Obviously, it will be crucial not to make mistakes. There are riders fighting for the 2026 MotoGP world title, so they cannot afford errors.

Also worth highlighting are the strong Qualifying runs by Enea Bastianini, who did well to go straight into Q2 and then clinched seventh on the grid. Lining up near the KTM Tech3 rider will be the Aprilias of Raul Fernandez and the LCR Honda of Diogo Moreira. On the fourth row: the trio Zarco–Ogura–Quartararo.

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