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Reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Team) led current points leader Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) on the timesheets following a rain-hit Free Practice 1 for this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi.
Another two Ducatis rounded out the top four in a session in which running was limited by two showers that caused the riders to spend long periods sitting in their garages. They were Fabio di Giannantonio (Team VR46) and eight-time world champion Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing).
Takaaki Nakagami gave his fans a photo moment in his final home race as a full-time MotoGP rider when he took the top spot on the timing screens just after the session got underway.
But it was mere minutes before a more likely contender took over at the top of the order in the form of VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi, who was the first to break the 1m46s barrier.
But it was Bagnaia who led the way with a 1m45.209s lap when light rain began to fall just 13 minutes into the session. At this point, the entire field headed for the pits and all fell quiet.
Only with 10 minutes remaining in the session did the riders venture out onto the circuit again. The track looked as good as dry at that point, but it was only a couple of minutes before the rain flags began to wave once more.
Although a handful of riders continued to circulate until the end, the lap times remained as they had been at the point rain first fell. That left Bagnaia 0.109s clear of Martin at the end of the weekend’s first session, with di Giannantonio and Marquez next up.
Jack Miller was the fastest non-Ducati on his KTM Factory Racing entry in fifth. He headed Bezzecchi in the final reckoning.
The fastest home bike was, unusually, a Honda, with Joan Mir clocking the seventh-fastest time. Like Marquez and in contrast to most of the field, he was running the soft front tyre.
Johann Zarco (LCR Honda), Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing) and Enea Bastianini – who lies a distant third in the title race for Ducati – rounded out the top 10.
Nakagami eventually landed up 12th, behind Gresini’s second rider Alex Marquez. KTM’s rookie Pedro Acosta (Tech 3) was 13th-quickest and Alex Rins was fastest Yamaha in 14th.
Lorenzo Savadori, who steps in for the injured Miguel Oliveira at Trackhouse Racing this weekend, was 22nd on the timesheets. So hurried was the plan for the Italian to take up this ride that he took to the track in unbranded leathers for Free Practice 1.
Yamaha’s wildcard entry for its home race, Remy Gardner, was 23rd and last.
No rider completed more than 12 laps in a session that was of limited value. It is however unlikely to be the last time we see rain at Motegi this weekend, with the forecast for Saturday looking decidedly damp.