The Battle of Japanese MotoGP Riders: Round 16 Japanese GP - Moto2 and Moto3 Riders Show Their Strength at Their Home Grand Prix

The 16th round of the MotoGP, the Japanese GP, was held from October 2nd to 4th at Mobility Resort Motegi in Tochigi Prefecture.

This year's Japanese GP recorded 121,997 spectators, the highest ever for an event held at Motegi. The venue was buzzing with excitement, with fans forming long lines at the merchandise area from the early morning.

Here is a look at the weekend for the Japanese riders who competed in their home Grand Prix. Please note that we have covered MotoGP rider Ai Ogura in a separate race report, so please take a look at that as well.

Moto2: Ayumu Sasaki finishes 14th and scores points

Ayumu Sasaki placed 9th in Friday's practice, securing his spot in Q2 (Qualifying 2), and went on to qualify 13th in Saturday's Q2 session.

In Sunday's final race, Sasaki started from 13th on the 5th row and finished in 14th place.

"It feels like the Japanese GP ended sooner than I expected. Personally, I feel like I gave it my all and did the bare minimum required in the race. It's a bit bitter to finish 14th. I was aiming for at least the top 10, so the feeling of frustration is much stronger."

"However, I'm taking the positives from the fact that I finished the race and was able to ride in front of all the fans. I want to focus and do my best for the remaining six races."

Race day, October 4th, was also the birthday of Sasaki (#71) ©RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP / Rafa Marrodán

Taiyo Furusato, who was competing in his first Japanese GP as a Moto2 rider, qualified 6th after advancing from Q1. He started the final race from 20th position. However, he crashed at Turn 5 on the 9th lap and was forced to retire.

"I felt something a bit strange with the brakes about two laps before I crashed. It's a shame," Furusato explained regarding the cause of his fall.

For Furusato, this was his first time riding at Motegi in a year. While he rode a Moto3 machine last year, this year he was on a Moto2 machine. Although the race ended in a crash, there were takeaways for the future.

"I think I was able to ride more enjoyably than when I was on the Moto3 bike, but because it's simpler, there were also parts that were difficult. Still, I think it was good because there were things I was able to improve this week."

Furusato (#72), who has been competing in Moto2 since this season, rode at Motegi for the first time on a Moto2 machine ©Honda Team Asia

Moto3: Ryusei Yamanaka finishes 8th

In the Moto3 class, Ryusei Yamanaka set the top time in Free Practice 1 on Friday morning. He also placed 2nd in the afternoon practice, securing a direct spot in Q2. However, he mentioned that during Free Practice 2 (FP2) on Saturday morning, they changed the settings for the race and tested tires, but the feeling went in a negative direction. He qualified 10th in Q2 and started the final race from the 4th row.

This year, the track surface at Motegi was completely repaved. Yamanaka had already experienced the new surface during training in Japan, but he had to contend with the Moto3 machine and the ever-changing track conditions.

In the final race, he rode in a group around 7th place and finished 8th.

"The start was good, but I burned the clutch and couldn't change gears, which made it difficult. Also, I was struggling a bit at Turns 3 and 4, so that was the difficult point this time."

Yamanaka showed a strong start on the first day. The new surface had good grip but also led to many crashes, making for difficult conditions ©MSi Racing Team

Reiya Ogawara participated in the Japanese GP as a substitute rider. He is the 2025 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup (currently Idemitsu Moto4 Asia Cup) champion and has been competing in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and the Moto3 JuniorGP World Championship this season. These two are important stepping stones for competing in the Road Racing World Championship. The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup season has already concluded, and he finished 3rd in the rankings.

Although it was his first World Championship weekend, Ogawara came within 0.003 seconds of advancing to Q2 in Saturday's Q1, finishing 5th. In the final race, which he started from 18th, he engaged in position battles within the pack and finished 16th, just one spot away from scoring points.

"This time, I was able to ride in a large group led by the 9th-place rider, and since I was battling with others, it was fun. Starting from 18th at the back, I had nothing to lose, so I didn't feel any particular nervousness or pressure."

"The level of the World Championship is truly high. Also, the performance of the bikes varies from team to team, and there are many difficult things, but because of that, each rider has a different way of riding. Being able to battle in that environment was a good experience, and it was fun."

After the race, Ogawara showed a relaxed smile as he said this.

Ogawara completed his duties as a substitute rider. He showed a high level of adaptability ©Eri Ito

Full-time rider Zen Mitani started from 15th on the 5th row. However, he was penalized with a double long-lap penalty (*) for a jump start, which caused him to drop significantly in position. Mitani finished 21st.

"I wasn't particularly rushed, and I intended to start normally. The signal was a bit long, and when I released the clutch a bit too strongly, the bike started moving, which resulted in a jump start. I wish I had braked properly."

"Because I received a double long-lap penalty, I dropped quite a bit in position, so I can't say the content was good at all. However, I was able to continue riding at a really good pace on my own, but in that sense, I think it was a race that will really lead to the next one."

Mitani (#32) had a tough race due to a jump start ©Honda Team Asia

Additionally, Honda test rider Takaaki Nakagami participated in the Japanese GP as a wildcard entry, but he crashed during Free Practice 1 on the first day and broke his left collarbone, forcing him to withdraw. Since wildcard entries will no longer be permitted in the MotoGP class from 2027 onwards, this was the final wildcard entry for Nakagami.

Nakagami, who crashed and was injured in FP1. We wish him a speedy recovery ©Eri Ito

The next race is the 17th round, the Indonesian GP, which will be held from October 9th to 11th at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit in Indonesia.

* (Double) Long Lap Penalty:
A "Long Lap Penalty" is a penalty where the rider must pass through an area set up on the outside of the course during the race. This causes the rider to lose several seconds. At Motegi, it is set up on the outside of Turns 3 and 4. A "Double Long Lap Penalty" means this must be completed twice.