MotoGP preview: Motegi

Venue
Motegi

Circuit
4.801km; 14 corners, eight right, six left. Every rider in the field will have a stop-and-go penalty this weekend – that’s the nature of the Motegi track, with its series of quick braking/accelerating efforts. To help the MotoGP riders cope they will be allowed 340mm carbon discs, 20mm larger than normal. A key feature is the downhill stretch – 750 metres – from turn 10 to Turn 11. Fans can also enjoy a visit to the unique Honda Collection Hall.

Lap records
MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 1:45.589 (163.687 km/h), 2012
Moto2: Pol Espargaro (Kalex) 1:51.100 (155.567 km/h), 2012
Moto3: Alessandro Tonucci (FTR Honda) 1:59.111 (145.104 km/h), 2012

“Obviously I'm disappointed after Phillip Island, but these things can happen,” he said philosophically. “The important thing is that once again, we showed we were there for the fight and were competitive. Now we must put it behind us and concentrate on Motegi. Track conditions can vary quite a lot and we will work hard on the set up in terms of the hard acceleration and braking, which is an area we have improved now.”

To become world champion, putting it simply, Marquez needs to score 33 points in his last two outings at Motegi and Valencia. If he does that he will take the title regardless of what Yamaha rival Jorge Lorenzo achieves. At Motegi, if Marquez wins and Lorenzo is outside the top two, that’s it; if he is second, then he needs to see Lorenzo finish outside the top four; and if he is third, Lorenzo needs to finish outside the top seven.

Both men have previous Motegi form: Marquez was the 125cc winner in 2010 and took the Moto2 race last year, while Motegi was added to Lorenzo’s land back in 2009. “With one mistake from Marc and his team, we don’t have the championship in our hands - because it’s still very difficult -- but we have another chance and we have to play our cards in the best way,” Lorenzo said in Japan. “The weather could play either in our favour or against us. It’s true that braking is not normally our strong point, but we have good corner speed and acceleration. We have won here at Motegi in the past and this year the weather could play in our favour.”

Once again their respective teammates will be keen to elbow their way into the Motegi mix. Honda’s Dani Pedrosa has the best Motegi record of the field: 125cc winner in 2000, when it was the Pacific Grand Prix, in 250cc in 2004 when racing returned to Motegi from Suzuka, and for the last two years in MotoGP. Meanwhile, Valentino Rossi arrives buoyed by another brilliant and close-fought podium at Phillip Island, the Italian’s second top-three finish in the last three races. It’s five years since The Doctor’s last Motegi success, in his previous Yamaha stint.

One of the men who pushed Rossi all the way in Australia was Alvaro Bautista, in his own rich vein of late-season form. The Spanish rider was on the podium at Motegi in 2012 and thinks the Gresini Honda could carry him there again: “With the progress we have made lately and with this being Honda's home track I think we can close the gap to the front even more,” he says. “We have good memories and good data from a fantastic weekend at Motegi last year and even though the level is higher this season we will do our best to repeat the result.”

On the other Go&Fun bike in the CRT class, this could be Bryan Staring’s penultimate outing in the category as we await news of his two-wheeled future. Staring is seething after sharing Marquez’s black-flag fate in his home race: “I am still angry about the mistake at my home race, which was ended by a black flag after I failed to pit on the correct lap,” he said. “It's inexcusable and I am doubly determined to make up for it at Motegi this weekend. It is a tough track because of all the hard braking zones and it won't be easy for us to adapt. Anyway, we only have two races left now until the end of the championship and I am determined to finish it in the best possible way.”

Staring’s compatriot Damian Cudlin also received the black flag at Phillip Island, but he’s not angry anymore because the stewards revoked that decision. “I had come in on lap nine and swapped bikes but had a brake problem on the second bike,” said Damo. “So I had to pit again after a couple of laps and that confused the stewards.”

They changed their minds so Cudlin now has a race finish to his credit in this brief stint with Paul Bird Motorsport, which is due to finish after Motegi, the last of the three ‘fly-away’ races in a row.

The Englishman broke his left wrist at Phillip Island but is determined to see if he can race in Japan and claw back his title chances. “He has pain in the arm but he will try; that is good for the championship, for him and for the people following him. I was not 100 per cent happy in Australia because, although we got first position in the championship it was not perfect without him being there, but this sport is dangerous, you have to be very careful and one mistake can win or lose you the world championship.”

Espargaro surely just needs to keep a cool head to clinch the Moto 2 crown. The Spaniard enjoys a 16-point lead over Redding and can call on the experience of pole position and second place at Motegi last year. Espargaro is now a comfortable 36 points clear of compatriot and teammate Tito Rabat. Still, Motegi is the one track where Rabat managed a podium finish in 2012 so he will be looking for a return to his recent strong form after his Island disappointment.

Moto3: nervous run to the flag
Luis Salom’s lead was cut to just five points when he could only finish third in Australia behind title rivals Alex Rins and Maverick Vinales. His Motegi record isn’t great, despite what he says: he was eighth in 2010, 23rd in 2011 and posted a DNF last year. ”That was on the last lap, when I was fighting for the victory and I could not rejoin the race,” the Red Bull Ajo KTM rider recalls. ”This weekend we hope to be up there with the riders at the front of the field and have a good race. I’m sure that both the team and I will give our best, and that’s the most important thing.”