Jorge Martín had a strong start to the MotoGP Japanese GP, leading the first free practice session in Motegi with a significant gap: at one point he was nearly half a second ahead.
The practice had two notable news: Álex Rins (LCR Honda) returned to the track nearly four months after suffering injuries to his right leg at the Italian GP. Cal Crutchlow (Yamalube RS4GP Racing Team) was in action for the first time this year as a wildcard entry.
The session began with Martín (Prima Pramac/Ducati) leading by over eight-tenths of a second ahead of Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM). Maverick Viñales (Aprilia) followed as the next leader, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) taking second place.
The Spanish rider managed to hold onto his position until Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) dethroned him on his fourth lap. At the end of the first quarter of the session, the Italian was in the lead, with Martín in second and Viñales in third.
In a session where the priority was to prepare for the weekend without focusing on lap times, the top of the timesheet remained unchanged for several minutes. And 17 minutes from the end Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team/Ducati) moved into third place.
With 13 minutes remaining, Martín returned to the lead. The Spaniard was fast at this point, seemingly having found settings to his liking. However, in the final ten minutes, he had a crash that cost him precious working time.
At that point, Martín had almost half a second of an advantage over Bagnaia. In the final minutes, Augusto Fernández (GasGas Tech3/KTM) surprised by moving into second place, finishing 0.138s behind Martín on the final timesheet. The rookie opted for a different tire combination than most, with a hard front and a soft rear. Bezzecchi, Bagnaia, and Joan Mir (Repsol Honda) completed the top five.
Timesheets: