Motegi News — Latest Headlines & Stories

Motegi repurposes parts of historic oval while retaining the rest for now

Parts of Motegi’s historic speedway have been given a new lease of life as spectator areas, but much of the oval remains intact as part of a phased redevelopment plan. Earlier this year, circuit owner Honda began dismantling parts of Motegi’s 1.5-mile oval that previously served as the home for IndyCar and NASCAR’s forays to Japan. Work to redevelop the oval began in May, with new ... Keep reading

Honda IndyCar Japan

Oct 7, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

The numbers that show how Gigi Dall’Igna turned Ducati into a MotoGP powerhouse

The 2026 Japanese Grand Prix was a special one for Ducati’s technical guru Gigi Dall’Igna. Exactly a year after Marc Marquez clinched the MotoGP title on one of his creations, Dall’Igna celebrated his 100th grand prix success at Motegi. All of these 100 wins have come in just the last 203 races, stretching back to Andrea Iannone’s maiden success at the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix. That ... Keep reading

Ducati Marc Márquez Motegi

Oct 6, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

The numbers behind Ducati becoming a modern MotoGP powerhouse

The 2026 Japanese Grand Prix was a special one for Ducati’s technical guru Gigi Dall’Igna. Exactly a year after Marc Marquez clinched the MotoGP title on one of his creations, Dall’Igna celebrated his 100th grand prix success at Motegi. All of these 100 wins have come in just the last 203 races, stretching back to Andrea Iannone’s maiden success at the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix. That ... Keep reading

Ducati Marc Márquez Motegi

Oct 6, 2026 · byAutosport

Fabio Quartararo worried about fuel-thirsty Yamaha after Motegi battles

Fabio Quartararo has revealed that his Japanese Grand Prix was heavily compromised by fuel conservation issues last Sunday, hinting that it was not an isolated probem. Quartararo finished Yamaha's home race 12th, the same position where he had started, making it a reasonably average result by the standards of his season. The Frenchman was also the Iwata factory's top representative at the ... Keep reading

Fabio Quartararo Japanese Grand Prix Motegi

Oct 6, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

'My shoulder is healed' says Maverick Vinales after points on comeback

Maverick Vinales says he considers his shoulder healed after completing his latest MotoGP comeback at the Japanese Grand Prix last Sunday. The veteran Spaniard came away from Motegi with two points for 14th place in the main race, rounding off his first full weekend of competition since the German Grand Prix in July. The Tech 3 KTM rider has been battling a shoulder injury ever since an ... Keep reading

KTM Motegi

Oct 6, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

Alex Marquez makes “unacceptable” gear-shifting mistake twice in wretched Japanese GP

Alex Marquez says he crashed out of the Japanese Grand Prix after accidentally upshifting his Ducati while turning into a corner, describing the mistake as “unacceptable”. The Gresini rider failed to score a single point across the weekend at Motegi, in what was his worst showing since the season opener in Thailand. The Spaniard’s troubles began in Saturday’s sprint when he ... Keep reading

Ducati Motegi Tailandia

Oct 5, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

Winners & Losers from MotoGP's Japanese Grand Prix

At first glance, a 37-point haul for Marc Marquez hardly suggests an unusual or intriguing weekend. But Motegi almost always provides novel sub-plots - and 2026 was, in fact, no exception. Last-corner penalties, first-lap crashes, a new track surface, Honda's ups and downs at home and Michelin banning one of its own products were just some of the stories fizzing beneath the top line. While ... Keep reading

Honda Japanese Grand Prix Marc Márquez

Oct 5, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

Pedro Acosta: “Strange” problem caused first tough MotoGP race in a “long time”

Pedro Acosta described the Japanese Grand Prix as his first “tough” race in a “really long time”, as a “strange” issue left him struggling in seventh place. Fresh off his maiden MotoGP win at the Austrian Grand Prix, Acosta endured a relatively lacklustre weekend at Motegi, despite showing strong pace over a single lap to qualify on the front row. Racing the hard rear tyre ... Keep reading

Motegi Pedro Acosta

Oct 5, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

Why the Motegi tyre drama delivers a lesson MotoGP teams cannot ignore

On the Thursday afternoon ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, Jack Miller spoke to the media as usual. He was asked about the tyre allocation made by Michelin, the championship's supplier, for the weekend at Motegi. There were three options for dry conditions: the conventional soft, medium and hard compounds - with the caveat that the latter featured a stiffer carcass. That ‘stiff ... Keep reading

Michelin Motegi

Oct 4, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

Why the Motegi tyre drama delivers a lesson MotoGP teams cannot ignore

On the Thursday afternoon ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, Jack Miller spoke to the media as usual. He was asked about the tyre allocation made by Michelin, the championship's supplier, for the weekend at Motegi. There were three options for dry conditions: the conventional soft, medium and hard compounds - with the caveat that the latter featured a stiffer carcass. That ‘stiff ... Keep reading

Michelin Motegi

Oct 4, 2026 · byAutosport

Jorge Martin: “Even on one of my good days, it was impossible to beat Marc Marquez”

Jorge Martin says he found it “impossible to beat” Marc Marquez for victory at the Japanese Grand Prix even on what he felt was “one of my good days” in MotoGP. Martin put a strong challenge against the reigning world champion on Sunday after Aprilia delivered a vastly improved bike at Motegi compared to last year, with the 28-year-old leading from the front after claiming pole ... Keep reading

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Aprilia Jorge Martín Marc Márquez

Oct 4, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

Enea Bastianini: "I've been waiting a long time for this moment"

Enea Bastianini has framed his stellar Japanese Grand Prix performance as a breakthrough moment in a difficult couple of years. The Tech3 KTM rider has battled since leaving the factory Ducati squad at the end of 2024, with highlights few and far between. But he set the track alight late in the Motegi race on Sunday, almost passing Marco Bezzecchi for third place at the finish line after ... Keep reading

Enea Bastianinifavorable

Ducati Enea Bastianini Japanese Grand Prix

Oct 4, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

MotoGP Japanese GP: Marquez beats Martin in early duel to close points gap

Marc Marquez defeated Jorge Martin in a straight battle to claim victory in the Japanese Grand Prix and move within two points of the MotoGP championship leader. After a commanding sprint win on Saturday, Ducati star Marquez had to work hard to complete a double at Motegi, with polesitter Martin resisting intense pressure to hold station. But the reigning world champion pulled off a ... Keep reading

Micheál Martinneutral

Jorge Martín Marc Márquez Micheál Martin

Oct 4, 2026 · byAutosport

MotoGP Japanese GP: Marc Marquez beats Jorge Martin in early duel to close in on points lead

Marc Marquez defeated Jorge Martin in a straight battle to claim victory in the Japanese Grand Prix and move within two points of the MotoGP championship leader. After a commanding sprint win on Saturday, Ducati star Marquez had to work hard to complete a double at Motegi, with polesitter Martin resisting intense pressure to hold station. But the reigning world champion pulled off a ... Keep reading

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Jorge Martín Marc Márquez Micheál Martin

Oct 4, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

“Too slow” Marco Bezzecchi baffled by lack of pace in Japanese GP sprint

Marco Bezzecchi says he has no answer as to why he was “one second too slow” in the Japanese Grand Prix sprint, having recorded strong pace on the same medium tyre in practice. The Italian was one of the only two riders on the grid to opt for Michelin’s medium rear compound, the other being Pramac Yamaha’s Jack Miller, in Saturday’s half-distance race at Motegi. While this call ... Keep reading

Michelin Motegi

Oct 3, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

MotoGP Japanese GP: Full starting grid

Aprilia's Jorge Martin will start the Japanese Grand Prix from pole position after breaking the circuit record in Saturday's qualifying session at Motegi. The 2024 MotoGP champion will line up just in front of Ducati rival Marc Marquez, who won the sprint race on Saturday and has vowed to attack in the remaining rounds of the season. Completing the front row will be Austrian GP winner Pedro ... Keep reading

Aprilia Ducati Jorge Martín

Oct 3, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

Diogo Moreira talks down Japanese GP hopes after 'lucky' sprint podium

While Honda more than delivered on expectations with a second place in the sprint at Motegi on Saturday, its rider Diogo Moreira was keen not to raise hopes for the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday. Though it was by far the Brazilian's best result thus far in his rookie premier class season, he reminded media after the sprint that the podium had been a fortunate one despite indications earlier in ... Keep reading

Honda Motegi

Oct 3, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

Michelin bans soft compound for MotoGP Japanese GP

Following acute tyre difficulties for some riders during today's sprint race at Motegi, MotoGP tyre supplier Michelin has taken the extreme step of banning the soft compound for tomorrow's Japanese Grand Prix. Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia were particularly affected by high temperatures on the soft rear compound, leading to worrying television images and some speculation that Michelin ... Keep reading

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Francesco Bagnaia Japanese Grand Prix Jorge Martín

Oct 3, 2026 · byAutosport

Michelin bans soft compound for MotoGP Japanese GP

Following acute tyre difficulties for some riders during today's sprint race at Motegi, MotoGP tyre supplier has taken the extreme step of banning the soft compound for tomorrow's Japanese Grand Prix. Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia were particularly affected by high temperatures on the soft rear compound, leading to worrying television images and some speculation that Michelin would ... Keep reading

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Francesco Bagnaia Japanese Grand Prix Jorge Martín

Oct 3, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

Enea Bastianini questions “unfair” Motegi penalty; Jorge Martin “angry with himself”

Enea Bastianini has labelled the last-lap penalty he received for a track limits infringement in the Japanese GP sprint as “unfair”, claiming he did not gain any time. Tech3 rider Bastianini was running in third place ahead of LCR Honda’s Diogo Moreira when Jorge Martin suddenly fell into his clutches due to heavy tyre degradation. As they began battling for place on the final lap ... Keep reading

Jorge Martínneutral

Enea Bastianini Jorge Martín Motegi

Oct 3, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

Tyre drama at Motegi: Jack Miller can “almost guarantee” untested hard will be mandatory

Pramac’s Jack Miller says he can “almost guarantee” that Michelin will mandate the untested hard tyre for the Japanese Grand Prix after several MotoGP riders faced severe tyre degradation in the sprint. The main talking point after Saturday’s half-distance race was tyre wear, with Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia in particular suffering severe drop-off on the soft ... Keep reading

Francesco Bagnaia Jorge Martín Michelin

Oct 3, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

Pedro Acosta rues 'losing everything' thanks to Alex Marquez sprint error

KTM rider Pedro Acosta has criticised Alex Marquez after the Gresini Ducati rider took out both Acosta and Fabio Di Giannantonio on the first lap of the Motegi sprint on Saturday. The incident brought a swift end to another promising day for Acosta, who had started the sprint on the front row after scoring his first grand prix win in Austria last month. The stewards agreed that the crash ... Keep reading

Àlex Márquezcritical

KTM Motegi Pedro Acosta

Oct 3, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

MotoGP Japanese GP: Marquez defeats Moreira for sprint victory

Marc Marquez closed the gap to world championship leader Jorge Martin by claiming victory in the sprint race at Motegi on Saturday. Jorge Martin and Enea Bastianini crossed the line second and third but were both demoted a place after the finish for exceeding track limits, giving Moreira his best MotoGP finish. KTM's Pedro Acosta was taken out of the race by Marc's brother Alex on the first ... Keep reading

Rafael Márquezneutral

Enea Bastianini Jorge Martín KTM

Oct 3, 2026 · byAutosport

MotoGP Japanese GP: Marc Marquez defeats Diogo Moreira in sprint

Marc Marquez closed the gap to world championship leader Jorge Martin by claiming victory in the sprint race at Motegi on Saturday. Jorge Martin and Enea Bastianini crossed the line second and third but were both demoted a place after the finish for exceeding track limits, giving Moreira his best MotoGP finish. KTM's Pedro Acosta was taken out of the race by Marc's brother Alex on the ... Keep reading

Marc Márquezneutral

Enea Bastianini Jorge Martín KTM

Oct 3, 2026 · byMotorsport.com

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