MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 teams are converging on Mobility Resort Motegi this weekend for Round 16 of the 2026 FIM MotoGP World Championship. Following the Austrian round, the paddock returns to action from October 2-4, with all three classes set to tackle the fast and technical 2.98-mile (4.80-kilometer) circuit in Motegi, Japan. As the championship battle continues into the overseas rounds, every point becomes increasingly important.
Aprilia Racing resumes in Asia with the Grand Prix of Japan.
Aprilia Racing heads to Asia for the first of the overseas rounds in this championship run-in—the Grand Prix of Japan—the sixteenth round of the FIM MotoGP World Championship, held at Mobility Resort Motegi.
Jorge Martín travels to Japan following a successful weekend at Spielberg, where he claimed victory in the Sprint race and finished second in the main race, allowing him to reclaim the lead in the overall standings. The Spanish rider’s goal will be to maintain his momentum aboard his RS-GP26.
Marco Bezzecchi arrives in Motegi after a solid weekend in Austria, leaving with two third-place finishes. The Italian rider approaches the Japanese round with confidence and the clear intention to continue fighting for the top positions.
The Mobility Resort Motegi, also known as Twin Ring Motegi, features a “stop & go” configuration with a few fast corners and many long, slow turns with straights in between, making it one of the most demanding tracks on the brakes. The layout runs 4.8 km clockwise with a total of 14 turns – 8 right-handers and 6 left-handers.
Jorge Martín: “The Asian tour begins and we are headed into it at a good time. We are working very well as a team, and I want to thank Aprilia for the great job they are doing. We need to keep moving along this path, maintaining consistency and staying focused on our objectives. I have great respect for the Asian culture, and I am looking forward to racing in front of our Japanese fans. An extremely important stage of the championship begins. Let’s go!“
Marco Bezzecchi: “It will be really great to go to Japan. I can’t wait to meet all the fans. I like the Motegi track very much, and we did pretty well there last year. Our goal is to have a good weekend and continue the work we’ve been doing.“
Ducati Lenovo Team ready for the Japanese trip: Motegi hosts the first race of the oversea tour on a special track for the Desmosedici GP.
The MotoGP paddock heads to Japan for the first of five oversea races in a row. It is a special track that has always held a warm place in the heart of every Ducatista, inextricably linked to sweet memories for the Borgo Panigale manufacturer: it was right on the Motegi circuit that the Italian squad secured the Riders’ World Championship title twice, first with Casey Stoner in 2007 and then with Marc Márquez in 2025. It is a track historically ideal for showcasing the strengths of the Desmosedici GP, as demonstrated by an impressive tally of nine overall victories—ranging from Loris Capirossi’s legendary three in a row starting in 2005 to Pecco Bagnaia’s recent dominant back-to-back victories in both 2024 and 2025.
Marc Márquez arrives in Japan determined to get fully back into the fight for the top positions. After fighting tooth and nail during a tough weekend in Spielberg, which he nevertheless ended with 2nd place in the Sprint and 2nd in the general standings, Marc is ready to tap into the full potential of the Ducati package.
Extra motivation comes for Pecco Bagnaia, a true “Japan addict.” Coming off a solid weekend where he rediscovered good feelings and consistently returned to the points, Pecco is preparing to tackle one of his absolute favorite tracks, boosted by his victories in the last two editions.
Marc Márquez (#93, Ducati Lenovo Team): “The 2025 Japanese GP represents an indelible memory that creates a special bond between me and the Ducati Lenovo Team. That memory, along with the incredible affection of the Japanese fans, gives me an extra boost for the weekend. Motegi is a track I really enjoy: the goal is to do well and be competitive.“
Francesco Bagnaia (#63, Ducati Lenovo Team): “I love Japan, and every year I’m really happy to come back and race here. Motegi is where I took my last win, and that’s a positive thought to keep in mind heading into the weekend. In Austria we struggled, but we still managed to get back in the points: now we have to keep working hard to regain the best riding feeling.“
The Call of Home – Marini and Chantra line up for Japanese GP.
Luca Marini will line up alongside Thailand’s Somkiat Chantra for Honda’s home race; targets clearly set on delivering a strong result for the local fans to cheer for with a few surprises in store.
Honda’s home round – the Japanese Grand Prix at Mobility Resort Motegi – is always the highlight of the year for the Honda HRC Castrol team as friends, family, engineers, technicians, partners and supporters join the team in unprecedented numbers. 60 years since first entering the premier class with the RC181, Honda continue their proud history of challenging for success, demonstrating what The Power of Dreams can achieve. The Challenge fuels The Dream.
Continuing to steadily bring in points, Luca Marini is determined to once again fight inside the top ten at such an important race and see off his time as a factory HRC rider in the best way possible. With less than a hundredth of a second frequently being the difference between delight and heart break when it comes to Q2, Marini will need to deliver from the very first lap of Free Practice 1. Although he suffered his lone DNF of the season in Japan last year, Luca Marini’s Sprint performance in 2025 confirmed the RC213V’s speed at its home track. With his teammate continuing his recovery, it will again be Marini leading the Honda HRC Castrol squad.
Somkiat Chantra will mount the second Honda RC213V of the Honda HRC Castrol squad while Joan Mir continues his recovery at home. Winner of the 2023 Japanese Moto2 GP, Chantra’s riding style is well suited to the 4.8kilometre-long track and saw him earn 15th place on the LCR Honda in 2026 – one of his five races in the points that season. He is well aware of the significant challenge that jumping from a WorldSBK machine to MotoGP holds without any testing and will be calling on all of his Grand Prix experience this weekend.
The 2026 Japanese GP is already set to be a memorable one for Honda HRC fans around the world as the dawn of a new era in the MotoGP World Championship draws ever closer with a special reveal set for 14:00 Local Time on Thursday, October 01.
Luca Marini: “As a Honda rider, the Japanese GP is something really special and unique. It’s like no other race on the calendar. It’s a busy weekend but I really want to enjoy my time this weekend with all the people in this project and the Japanese fans, to say thank you for their efforts over the last three seasons together. In the past, this circuit has suited the Honda RC213V and I hope that we can put together a solid weekend rain or shine. It’s a really intense part of the season now, pushing right until the end and I am determined to finish this season on a high. We still have some targets to achieve. I am really looking forward to what we have to show this weekend.”
Somkiat Chantra: “First I want to say a big thank you to Honda HRC for putting their faith in my to come and ride MotoGP in Motegi and with the factory team. We have been working very hard in WorldSBK this year to make progress and last weekend we made another step. Now I need to switch mind and adapt to a new bike and a new challenge. Motegi is a circuit I have good memories at; in 2023 I was able to win there in Moto2.”
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Head to Yamaha’s Home Grand Prix in Japan.
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team have travelled to Japan for Yamaha’s home race, held this weekend at the Mobility Resort Motegi. Before the on-track action begins, Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins joined three of their fellow Yamaha riders for a visit to Yamaha Motor Company’s headquarters in Iwata, strengthening the connection between Yamaha’s racing activities and the people behind them.
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team are in high spirits ahead of the Grand Prix of Japan, Round 16 of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship. This event always holds extra significance for the team as it is Yamaha’s home Grand Prix.
Fabio Quartararo arrives at the Mobility Resort Motegi holding 15th position in the championship standings with 61 points. The Frenchman showed encouraging pace during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend and is determined to continue building on those positives. Motegi has previously delivered one MotoGP podium for Quartararo, who secured second place at the Japanese venue in 2019.
Álex Rins currently occupies 20th place in the championship standings with 24 points. The Spaniard has enjoyed some results in Japan throughout his Grand Prix career – his best was a third place in MotoGP in 2018 – and is motivated to make the most of Yamaha’s home event. Together with the team, he remains focused on continuing the development work that has been ongoing throughout the season.
The Mobility Resort Motegi circuit first joined the MotoGP calendar in 1999 and remains one of the championship’s most iconic venues. The 4.8 km track features six left and eight right corners and is renowned for its hard-braking zones, stop-and-go layout, and overtaking opportunities, creating unique technical demands for riders and teams alike.
The Grand Prix of Japan is held in the GMT+9 time zone. FP1 will take place on Friday from 10:45-11:30 local track time and Practice will be held from 15:00-16:00. On Saturday, FP2 will be held from 10:10-10:40, and the qualifying sessions from 10:50-11:30, followed by the 12-lap Sprint at 15:00. On Sunday, Warm Up is held from 09:40-09:50 and the 24-lap Race starts at 14:00.
Before turning their attention to the race weekend, Quartararo and Rins visited Yamaha Motor Company’s headquarters in Iwata today alongside Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP riders Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 rider Izan Guevara. The five riders received a warm welcome at Yamaha’s Communication Plaza, where they took part in a special Q&A event and met with Yamaha Motor Company President Motofumi Shitara. The visit provided an opportunity for the riders to connect with the employees whose work supports Yamaha’s racing efforts around the world.
After the official Yamaha programme, the teammates’ schedules diverge. Rins remains in the Iwata area, visiting Yamaha’s Toyooka Factory. Quartararo travels to Tokyo for a series of MotoGP-organised promotional activities, including a fan Q&A session, an autograph signing, and official rider photographs before making his way to Motegi.
Fabio Quartararo: “I’m always happy to come to Japan: it’s not just Yamaha’s home Grand Prix but in general there’s always a special atmosphere around the event. We always take the opportunity to visit Yamaha Motor Company’s headquarters before the race and meet the people who work behind the scenes. And as usual, we will give it our maximum to do them proud. The goal at Motegi remains the same: keep working hard, improve where we can, and get the best result possible.”
Alex Rins: “It’s always a pleasure to come to Japan, especially for Yamaha’s home Grand Prix. I really enjoy spending time here because the local MotoGP fans and the Yamaha employees are so passionate about motorsport. It gives us all an extra boost. Motegi is a track I like and one that has given me good memories in the past. We know it won’t be an easy weekend, but we have clear objectives, and I’m looking forward to getting started. Let’s see what we can do.”
Massimo Meregalli – Team Director: “After a one-week break, everyone is ready to get back to work. We are heading into the always busy overseas schedule in Asia and Oceania. However, our focus is currently fully on the first one: the Japanese GP. This is always a special round for Yamaha because it is our home race, and our riders’ visit to Yamaha Motor Company’s headquarters beforehand makes that connection even more tangible. We know the Motegi circuit presents its own challenges, but we approach the weekend with determination and the goal of achieving the best result possible while continuing our development work.”
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP heads to Japan aiming to bounce back and continue the development.
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP arrives at Yamaha’s home Grand Prix determined to put the difficult Austrian weekend behind it, continue the development of the YZR-M1 and return to the fight for the Top 10 at the Twin Ring Motegi.
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP heads to Japan for an important round of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship, with the Twin Ring Motegi hosting Yamaha’s home Grand Prix. The team arrives determined to put the difficulties of the Austrian Grand Prix behind it and resume the development path of the YZR-M1, with the objective of returning to the Top 10 and continuing to make progress with the new project.
The Japanese circuit has been part of the MotoGP World Championship calendar since 1999 and is characterised by its stop-and-go layout, with 14 corners, eight right-handers and six left-handers, as well as a series of heavy braking zones followed by strong acceleration. These characteristics could offer the YZR-M1 a different challenge compared with the faster and more flowing circuits where the team has found it more difficult to express its full potential. The weekend will also be an important opportunity to collect further data and understand the behaviour of the bike on a different type of track.
For Jack Miller, Japan represents an opportunity to get back to the positive trajectory he had been following before the difficult Austrian Grand Prix. The Australian knows the circuit well and has an especially strong record at Motegi, having dominated and won the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix. Pramac Racing also has positive recent memories of the circuit, with Jorge Martín finishing on the podium in 2022 before taking victory there in 2023.
For Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, meanwhile, Motegi represents another completely new challenge in his rookie MotoGP season. The Turkish rider will experience the Twin Ring Motegi for the first time on a MotoGP bike and is looking forward to learning the characteristics of the circuit and continuing his adaptation to the YZR-M1. With Yamaha’s technical staff and the wider Japanese workforce at the centre of the home Grand Prix, the whole team will be focused on making the most of the weekend and continuing the development work on the project.
The Japanese Grand Prix will also bring a significant change to the usual European television schedule. Japan is eight hours ahead of CET, as a result, all sessions and the race will be broadcast in Europe at earlier times than during the European rounds.
Jack Miller: “I’m really looking forward to the overseas rounds, starting with Japan. Motegi is probably one of my top three favourite tracks on the calendar, and I always love racing in front of the Japanese fans. It’s also Yamaha’s home round, so we’ll try to put on a good show for everyone there. After a difficult weekend in Austria, I’m looking forward to bouncing back, getting back to work and hopefully having a strong weekend.”
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: “I have watched the MotoGP race in Motegi for many years, but I have never raced there before, so I’m really excited about this weekend. It will be the first time in my life that I race at Motegi with a MotoGP bike, so it will be a completely new experience for me. It’s another new track to learn, and I will try to adapt as quickly as possible and understand the circuit with the MotoGP bike. As always, I will give my best and try to enjoy the experience. I’m really excited to race at Motegi.”
Gino Borsoi – Team Director: “Japan is Yamaha’s home Grand Prix, so obviously the expectations are quite high and we are all very focused on continuing to improve the package with the latest evolutions we have been working on. It should be an interesting weekend, especially because it will give us another opportunity to understand whether the direction we have taken is the right one. For Toprak, it will not be an easy weekend because he has never raced at Motegi, so once again he will have to learn a new circuit from scratch. Hopefully the weather will allow us to spend as much time as possible on track, which will be particularly important for him. For Jack, on the other hand, it is a circuit where he has had good results in the past, including a victory, so he has a good feeling with Motegi. It will be interesting to compare what we see now with our previous experience there, but most importantly to understand whether the latest developments are taking us in the right direction. It is also a back-to-back weekend, so we need to manage it well and, above all, avoid any crashes that could compromise the following race. It is important to stay focused, stay consistent and come through the weekend in the best possible condition.”
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team is back on track at Motegi for the first of the 2026 MotoGP season Overseas.
MotoGP is approaching its final stages and the Overseas start, with the Japanese GP opening the Asian leg this weekend. The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team is flying to Motegi for the first of the two back-to-back Asian races with Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli, who are determined to be back in the top positions fight.
Di Giannantonio arrives to Motegi in fifth place in the World Standing with 230 points, just 4 points away from the Top4. Fabio likes the Japanese track, where he got a sixth place as his best result in MotoGP (Sprint, 2024), and he made a solid comeback last year. The rider from Rome’s goal is to be back in the podium fight this weekend.
Morbidelli, who is now sixteenth in the World Standing with 56 points, is ready to face the first of the Asian weekend with determination: at Motegi, Franco’s goal is to keep working to confirm the steps forward showed in these last races, even if they have not always translated into results. On the Japanese track, the Italian-Brazilian rider got a third place as his best result (Moto2, 2016), and he was one of the standout riders with a Top5 last year.
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will hit the track on Friday for free practice, while qualifying will take place on Saturday at 10:50 (local time, +9 UTC). The Sprint will get underway at 3:00 pm (local time, +9 UTC) on Saturday, while the Japanese GP will conclude on Sunday with the main race, starting at 2:00 pm (local time, +9 UTC).
Fabio Di Giannantonio: “These last two races didn’t go as we wanted, so I want to be back on the bike and work even more. I look forward to be in Japan, I like Motegi track a lot, and our goal is to be competitive and fight for the podiums again. We want to do a great job in this last part of the season, which will be challenging. But we will race on tracks I like a lot. We will stay focused and work together with the team. I am very pumped up!”
Franco Morbidelli: “Japan kicks off the Overseas: I like Motegi track a lot, even if it’s quite tough. This last part of the season will be very challenging and we must be well prepared, adapting to the different time zones. In Japan, we will keep working and try to do our best to turn the situation around. I have a great support both from the team and Ducati, so we have everything we need to make other steps forward. We’re still confident for this Asian leg.”
Canet and Öncü ready for intense flyaway tour.
Elf Marc VDS Racing Team riders Aron Canet and Deniz Öncü have landed in Japan to begin an intense flyaway tour of Asia and Oceania that will also take in Indonesia, Australia and Malaysia over the next five weeks.
- Canet and Öncü have swapped the lush green scenery of Styria in Austria for another spectacular mountainous setting as the Mobility Resort Motegi host round 16 in this year’s Moto2 World Championship.
- Their globe-trotting adventure roars into action at 950am local time on Friday morning with the opening Free Practice session ahead of a 19-lap race on Sunday afternoon at 1215pm
Aron Canet: “This final part of the season is going to be very intense and demanding physically and mentally with so many races in a short period of time. But I’m raring to go and take some confidence to Japan after some decent recent performances. Japan is always a good way to start the overseas sequence because the fans have great respect for every rider and it’s always a pleasure to race at Motegi. While results have improved lately, we clearly want more and my aim this weekend is to make a good start to this run of races while continuing to build on some momentum we’ve worked hard to gain in recent weeks. It’s never easy but like always I’ll be giving it my all to put on a good show for the Japanese fans.”
- Hard work to build confidence with his Boscoscuro machine is starting to pay off for the Spaniard after he scored back-to-back points scoring finishes in the recent Misano and Spielberg double-header.
- This weekend’s trip to Japan will be the ninth time Canet has taken on the stop and go Motegi track, where he took pole position in Moto2 in 2022 and has a best finish in the intermediate category of eighth in 2023.
- Canet’s best finish previously at Motegi was a fifth from the front row of the grid in Moto3 almost a decade ago back in 2017.
Deniz Öncü: “I’m always pumped to go on the flyaway tour because we get to experience very different tracks, very different conditions and very different cultures, which is why it’s super cool to race in different parts of the world. It’s a hectic schedule ahead but it is what we prepare for and I can’t wait to get started in Japan. Three top ten finishes in the last four races show we have raised our level recently, and I believe we have another great opportunity to start the flyaway trip with a positive result. Motegi has a lot of hard braking zones like Austria where I performed well, so I feel we can be fighting inside the top ten once again.”
- Öncü arrives in Japan fresh off the back of another brilliant top 10 finish in the Grand Prix of Austria, which he delivered after a season best qualifying in the Spielberg showdown.
- The Turkish star believes another top 10 challenge is on the cards this weekend, with Japan’s 4.8km layout very similar to that of Spielberg with an abundance of hard braking zones where he usually excels.
- Öncü missed last year’s Grand Prix of Japan through injury and his best finish is 15th in Moto3 back in 2022 after he fell out of contention in 2023 having started from the front row of the grid.
Izan Guevara Looking to Carry Momentum into Motegi Race Weekend.
The BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 team head to the Grand Prix of Japan seeking to build on Izan Guevara’s dominant victory in Austria. The Spaniard arrives at Mobility Resort Motegi with renewed momentum in the championship battle, while Alberto Ferrández will sit out the event as he continues his recovery from a right collarbone injury sustained in Austria.
The BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 team travel to the Mobility Resort Motegi for the Grand Prix of Japan, the first stop of the championship’s Asian and Oceanian flyaway tour. Following a superb victory at Spielberg, Izan Guevara arrives in Japan full of confidence after reducing the gap to the championship leader by 12 points. Meanwhile, Alberto Ferrández will not compete this weekend as he continues his recovery from a broken right collarbone sustained in Austria. The Spaniard is targeting a return to action at the Indonesian Grand Prix, and the team will not field a replacement rider in Japan.
Guevara arrives at Motegi in excellent form after securing his second victory of the season in Austria, the third Moto2 win of his career. The result saw him reduce the championship deficit to 35.5 points, keeping him firmly in contention as the title fight enters its decisive phase. The Japanese circuit holds fond memories for the Spaniard, who won there on his way to the 2022 Moto3 World Championship. While his best Moto2 result at Motegi is a top-10 finish achieved in 2024, the characteristics of the circuit, particularly its heavy braking zones, are expected to suit both Guevara’s riding style and the Boscoscuro package.
Izan Guevara: “The Asian tour is starting, and I was really looking forward to this moment. We are coming from a victory in the final European race, so we arrive in Asia highly motivated, especially because we were able to recover some points in the championship. Japan is a circuit I really like. I won there in Moto3, but more than that, I really enjoy the layout and the flow of the track. I think it can suit us well and that we can have a strong weekend with the Boscoscuro. Now it’s just about enjoying everything that is coming, making the most of the weekend in Japan, and trying to get the best possible result.”
Alex De Angelis – Team Manager: “With Izan, we arrive in Japan really motivated for many reasons. We are coming from a dominant victory in the last race, and we know that Motegi is a circuit where braking is one of the key elements to being fast. We have already shown that Izan and the Boscoscuro are a very strong combination when it comes to braking, both for overtaking and for carrying good speed into the corners. So, we can approach this weekend with a very positive mindset. We are very sorry that Alberto will not be able to be with us in Japan, especially at a moment when he was improving so much from race to race. However, we have to look at this as just two races missed, and hopefully this break will allow him to return in Indonesia at 100% and continue the work we have done throughout this season. He has made a lot of progress this year, also thanks to the support from and comparison with his teammate, and we have seen him getting stronger with every race. We believe that missing this one round will not change that progression. The goal will be to come back in Indonesia in the best possible condition and continue working to move further forward, get closer to the front, and keep learning.”