Jack Miller dominates Japanese MotoGP

Aussie Jack Miller (Lenovo Ducati) started the flyaway races in the best way possible, putting in a dominant performance to celebrate his fourth premier class win at the newly named Mobility Resort Motegi in Japan.

On a day when the three title contenders suffered, the Aussie shone. From seventh on the grid, he moved into second on lap two and into the lead on lap three where he put his head down and pulled clear of the chasing pack, by as much as five seconds back to Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Ducati) and his future teammate Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) with half a dozen laps left to run.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team) was the highest qualifier of the three title rivals, starting from sixth on the grid, while Fabio Quartararo (Monster Yamaha) and Pecco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati) were ninth and 12th respectively. But an electrical problem on the warm-up lap meant the Aprilia rider started the 25-lap race from pitlane. And as the Aussie ran away with the race at the front to pick up the maximum 25 points, Quartararo and Bagnaia were unable to make any real inroads into their finishing places.

Enea Bastianini (Gresini Ducati) made a bold move on Bagnaia for ninth and put some clear air between him and his future teammate, but some late-race speed from the #63 rider meant he could retake the position and get to work to try and chase his title rival down for eighth.

Bagnaia reduced the gap and was all over the rear wheel of Quartararo by the last lap, but a desperate lunge up the inside of the Yamaha rider saw him tuck the front and slide out of the race, and he was lucky not to take his title rival with him.

Up ahead, Binder made a move that would stick, passing Martin for second, cementing his second podium of the year, while the Spaniard held firm for third place. Pole man Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) finished a credible fourth in what was his 150th premier-class start, ahead of Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM) and Luca Marini (Mooney VR46). Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing) finished seventh. Bastianini kept it upright for ninth, with Marco Bezzechi (Mooney VR46) completing the top 10.

Remarkably, Quartararo’s eighth place increases his lead in the championship standings to 18 points over Bagnaia, with 219 points to 201. Espargaro’s (194pt) zero points means he’s now 25 points adrift in third. Bastianini (170pt) remains in fourth, with Miller (159pt) in fifth.

The series now moves to Thailand, with FP1 kicking off in just five days’ time.

With title rivals Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) qualifying 11th and 13th respectively, it was pole sitter Aron Canet’s (HP Flexbox) best chance to finally celebrate a Moto2 Grand Prix victory. And when he exited the first corner of the 22-lapper in the lead, followed by a crash by Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools) out of second place on just lap three, it looked like the maiden victory was finally on the cards.

But three laps later, and for the third time this season, Canet blew it and crashed out of the lead. Behind him, Ogura found himself in fourth place by lap two and was all of a sudden into third place with Canet’s crash.

Fernandez, too, was making ground, but not as quickly as his Japanese rival. The championship leader was up to third with 12 laps to go, but took too long to pass second-placed Lorenzo Lopez (Beta Tools). When he eventually got by and broke clear of his fellow Spaniard, Ogura was already 1.8 seconds further up the road and he had just six laps left to bridge the gap.

And while it looked like he may have had the speed to chase his Japanese rival down, Ogura used the support of his home crowd and kept his pace where it needed to be to hang on to the win and become the first Japanese rider to win the Japanese Grand Prix in 16 long years.

“It’s the biggest day of my life,” he said in Parc ferme. “I can’t believe what’s happening today.”

Lopez managed to hold off a late charge by Jake Dixon (GasGas Aspar) to complete the podium.

Ogura’s third win of the season reduces the gap to Fernandez to just two points, 234 to 232. Canet and Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46) both crashed – Canet crashed twice – essentially ruling themselves out of the title chase. They’re now 57 and 72 points behind Fernandez respectively.

From ninth on the grid, Ivan Guevara (GasGas Aspar) rode the race of a champion to claim his fifth Moto3 victory of the season and extend his championship lead over teammate and title rival Sergio Garcia.

After an incredible launch off the line, the 18-year-old Spaniard found himself leading on the opening of the 20-lap race and traded places with home-town hero Ayumi Sasaki (Sterligarda Husqvarna Max), as a leading quartet including Leopard Honda teammates Dennis Foggia and pole man Tatsuki Suzuki began to break away.

A crash from Suzuki on lap six reduced it to three but a flurry of fast laps by Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM) bought the Spaniard into podium contention by lap nine. With four to go, Masia had pushed past Sasaki for second sending him wide, with Foggia relegating the Japanese man to fourth.

And while it looked like that might be all she wrote in terms of finishing places, Masia suffered a fast highside at Turn 12 on the 17th lap. It gave Guevara a bit of breathing space, which he managed beautifully to the line to keep a late-race charge by Foggia at bay. Sasaki crossed the line in third to complete the podium.

Garcia held off a David Munoz (BOE Motorsports) and Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets) for fourth, while there was more heartache for Aussie Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power) who highsided heavily out of the opening lap.

Guevara’s (254 pts) win puts him 45 points clear of Garcia (209 pts) and 63 points ahead of Foggia (191), with just 100 points left on the table.