Japanese MotoGP, Motegi - Friday Practice Results

*Rookie.

Official Motegi MotoGP records
Best lap: Jorge Lorenzo 1m 43.790s (2015)
Fastest race lap: Jack Miller 1m 45.198s (2022)

Title contender Jorge Martin sets the pace in opening practice for the 2023 Japanese MotoGP at a sunny Motegi, despite a late fall.

Martin was fastest by 0.4s with 8mins remaining when he ran wide and toppled over in the Turn 3 gravel, but remained in charge at the top.

While the rest of the field used medium rear tyres, rookie Augusto Fernandez put a new soft and snatched a late second place for GASGAS Tech3.

Buddh winner Marco Bezzecchi claimed third on his last lap, pushing reigning champion and title leader Francesco Bagnaia to fourth.

Joan Mir fell while appearing to try the 2024 Honda prototype but put in a late charge for fifth ahead of KTM's Brad Binder and Aprilia's Maverick Vinales.

KTM team-mates Binder and Jack Miller put their first grand prix laps on the carbon fibre chassis.

Yamaha wild-card Cal Crutchlow began his first event since Valencia 2022 with 18th.

Alex Rins, riding in his first MotoGP session since fracturing his right tibia and fibula at Mugello in May, was 21st and last (+2.395s) having completed 16 laps.

Friday's afternoon's hour-long session will decide the top ten riders with direct access to Qualifying 2.

• Japanese Moto2: Latest Results
• Japanese Moto3: Latest Results

Reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia leads the standings by just 13 points over Jorge Martin after a costly fall falling in last Sunday’s Indian Grand Prix, where a dominant victory for Marco Bezzecchi moved the VR46 rider to within 44 points of the top.

But the inaugural Buddh event also took its toll on the full-time riders, with two more - Alex Marquez (ribs) and Luca Marini (collarbone) - suffering fractures that will see them join Enea Bastianini in missing this weekend’s Motegi round.

Ducati test rider Michele Pirro continues in place of Bastianini at Ducati, however Alex Rins, sidelined since Mugello in May due to leg fractures, is making his return for LCR Honda this weekend.

Also on track will be Yamaha test rider Cal Crutchlow, making his first official wild-card appearance since retiring at the end of 2020.

The 37-year-old Englishman made ten starts as a replacement rider for Yamaha during 2021 and 2022, with a best race finish of 12th at Sepang last year.

Joan Mir has one 2024 Honda prototype this weekend, as debuted at the Misano test, while KTM riders Brad Binder and Jack Miller have the factory's new carbon fibre chassis available, which Dani Pedrosa took to a pair of fourth places at the San Marino GP.

Rain is forecast for Saturday.