By Donovan Fourie | Guest Contributor | MotoGP Analyst
The Fly-Away Season Begins
This weekend, we begin the first of the “fly away” events. After a string of European rounds, the MotoGP Championship flies to Japan, the first of four eastern rounds followed by Indonesia, Australia and Malaysia.
The Twin Ring Motegi Circuit
The circuit is the Twin Ring Motegi, built by Honda in 1997, it’s called thus because it features a traditional circuit and a NASCAR-style oval track. The oval track understandably does not meet MotoGP requirements so we shall concentrate on the other one.
It is 4.8km long with 15 corners – eight right and six left. Mostly, the track consists of medium-length straights followed by hairpins and medium-paced corners. The longest straight is a relatively short 762m with a top speed of 319km/h. It’s a circuit that requires strong, steady brakes and stability on hard acceleration. Sounds like a Ducati dream. Or, possibly, KTM.
Records and Rising Stars
The current all-time lap record is held by KTM rider Pedro Acosta who set it during qualifying on his way to pole. He ended up falling in the race, but a year’s more experience should have wizened the youthful Spaniard somewhat. He could put on a strong race.
Marc Marquez Chasing History
Naturally, the man to beat will be Marc Marquez not just in the race, but in the championship. Currently, the Ducati rider is 182 points ahead of his closest title rival – brother Alex Marquez. After Japan, there are five rounds left for the year which, including the 12-point Sprint Race wins, is 185 possible points.
Marc Marquez needs to score just three points more than his brother this weekend and he will be celebrating his seventh premier class title.
Dark Horses and Underdogs
Another man who has so far defied expectations is Marco Bezzecchi. Traditionally, the Aprilia enjoyed fast, flowing circuits, and struggled with the slower, tighter stuff. And yet, in the hands of Bezzecchi, it has shown competence on nearly all circuit types. It’s a decent bet that Motegi will be no different.
He may not be the only Aprilia rider shining this weekend, Motegi is the home race for Trackhouse Aprilia rider Ai Ogura who, although a MotoGP rookie, has put in some strong performances. No doubt, a home race will provide a stack of motivation.
Ducati Dominance and KTM Hopes
As for the rest, last year, Ducatis made up the first five places in the race. Bagnaia won with Martin in second. The best non-Ducati was Brad Binder in sixth place. The nature of Motegi is one that suits the South African’s riding style. If he can find a setup that lets his KTM work with him, he could have a strong race.
Honda and Yamaha Outlook
Honda and Yamaha might struggle with the hard acceleration. Last year, the top Honda was Zarco in 11th while Quartararo was the first Yamaha in 12th.
The Hondas have had a somewhat return to form, especially Luca Marini. This year might be a better one for Honda at Motegi. The Yamahas still prefer flowing tracks very different from Motegi. Quartararo might pull a rabbit out of the hat but it’s unlikely.