P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Opening practice for MotoGP’s 2025 Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi had a distinctly 2023/24 feel to it as erstwhile title rivals Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin led the way
During the opening practice session of the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin, former title rivals, dominated the leaderboard for Ducati. Bagnaia showcased strong performance, briefly outranked by teammate Marc Marquez, but ultimately reclaimed the top spot with a fast lap time of 1m44.857s.
This marked the first Friday morning session in the year where Bagnaia led, suggesting a potential breakthrough following focused efforts during the Misano post-race test. On the other hand, reigning champion Martin showed improvement in single-lap pace, trailing closely behind Bagnaia as one of the few using new tires later in the session.
Although Martin’s performance was crucial for Aprilia, his teammate Marco Bezzecchi faced challenges with two crashes, impacting the team’s progress. Simultaneous crashes were witnessed involving riders Franco Morbidelli, Jack Miller, and Enea Bastianini, highlighting the intense competition during the session.
Honda started the weekend strong at their home circuit, with Luca Marini impressing in the top three and Somkiat Chantra delivering his best performance of the season, aiming for a successful MotoGP campaign. Overall, the practice session set the stage for an exciting and competitive 2025 Japanese Grand Prix.
