Miller dominates in Japan as title contenders struggle.
Jack Miller (Lenovo Ducati) dominates the field in Motegi Japan for his most convincing MotoGP performance to date.
Starting from seventh, Miller took just three laps to passe the six riders ahead, including an amazing two-in-one pass on Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM). By the tenth lap, the Aussie was out of sight, building a lead of 5.9s back to Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati)
Francesco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati) washed out the front when attempting an overtake on main rival Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) for eighth position on the final lap adding to his list of DNF’s this year. Fabio gained eight more points which could prove invaluable towards the end of the season.
Weather woes.
Friday’s track time was cut to a single 75-minute session with Typhoon Nanmadol causing long delays through Saturday. The bikes were eventually allowed out, but in the wettest conditions of the year turning the grid upside down as a result.
Marquez took pole position and Binder scored his first-ever premier-class front row. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was the best of the struggling championship contenders, with Quartararo, Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini qualifying ninth, 12th and 15th respectively.
The pits for Aleix.
With fuel usage a concern, a fuel saving map limits the revs to 5000rpm during the sighting lap. Unfortunately, Aprilia engineers forgot to switch it off on Espargaro’s machine on the grid forcing Aleix into pit lane to swap to his second machine before joining the contest from last.
Binder got the jump off the line to lead Martin, Marquez and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM) into the first turn with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) ahead of Miller in fifth. Quartararo was stranded in ninth, behind front-row starter Johann Zarco (Pramac Ducati) and Luca Marini (VR46 Ducati). And Bagnaia was 12th, just ahead of Bastianini.
As Martin was out-braking Binder’s KTM into Turn 7, Miller passed Viñales at turn 5 before passing both Oliveira and Marquez into Turn 11 with his entry for the overtake of the season.
Miller swiftly made his way through to the front and cruised home, winning comfortably by 3.4sec.
Viñales hung on for seventh, with Quartararo a relieved eighth and Bastianini ninth. Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Ducati) held off Zarco for tenth.
Quartararo (219 points) extends his lead to 18 points after Bagnaia’s (201) late fall. It was another missed opportunity for Espargaro (194), now 25 points back. And Bastianini’s (170) chances are greatly reduced.
“I felt strong all weekend,” Miller said. “Once I got going, I seemed to be able to pick off the blokes relatively quickly. Then it was just left to Jorge. I fired it in pretty deep on him, and he nearly got back. But once I hit the front, I was able to sort of just sit at my pace. I knew where I could push. I knew where I needed to manage it. The bike worked amazing all day. Rode out of my skin. I was able to manage it from the beginning to the end. It was an amazing day, amazing race.” Of his superiority into Turn 11, he said, “The biggest issue here is always the locking. I was able to really manage it and use it to my advantage. When the front would lock, it would speed up the deceleration so, I could stop the bike in a hurry.”
Remy Gardner finished 19th after qualifying 20th. “We’re missing a lot of pace. Personally, I thought I rode well. I was on the limit in every corner. There was nothing more to get out of the bike. We were missing grip, speed, braking and were overheating the front tyre so I did what I could.” Asked whether he could understand Binder’s ride to second, Gardner was at a loss. “I’m as lost as you are. They tell us we have the same material but I struggle to believe that. I can’t be that bad a rider. I had nothing more to get out of the package today.”
Moto2
Ogura wins home GP.
Canet established a commanding lead in the early laps from pole before tucking the front at turn nine ending his race.
Somkiat Chantra (HTA Kalex) then led from Tony Arbolino (Marc VDS Kalex), Alonso Lopez (Speed Up Boscoscuro) and Ai Ogura (HTA Kalex), a rapid riser from 13th on the grid. By lap 13 Ogura was past all of them, with Augusto Fernandez (Ajo Kalex) then on a charge from a poor qualifying 11th but Ogura had built up a 1.8sec lead.
Fernandez set fastest laps on laps 17 and 18, but Ogura matched him, holding on to win a third race of the year by 1.1sec.
This is now a two-horse race between Fernandez (234 points) and Ogura (232). Canet (177) is out of it, as is Celestino Vietti (VR46 Kalex, 162 points), who crashed out of a hopeless 15th.
Moto3
Kelso out.
An undeterred Izan Guevara (Aspar GASGAS) scored his fifth victory of the season after a huge warm-up collision with John McPhee (Max Racing Husqvarna), sending the Spaniard flying and destroying his bike.
Title contender Garcia managed fourth in an intense four-way fight that included David Muñoz (BOE KTM), Diogo Moreira (MSI KTM) and John McPhee (Max Racing Husqvarna). Guevara’s (254 points) lead is up to 45 points over Garcia (209) and 63 over Foggia (191).
Joel Kelso suffered a high-side nine turns into the race but luckily was uninjured. “A tough weekend,” said Kelso. “Honestly, I liked the track. We struggled a bit at the beginning, and with only one dry practice session, the race was not going to be easy. In the warm-up, we felt pretty good and showed good potential, but unfortunately we crashed on the first lap. Everything is going well physically. Let’s go to Thailand.”