2024 Japanese GP Sprint Race Results

An exciting sprint race at the Japanese Grand Prix saw Pecco Bagnaia achieve victory and reduce the gap in the MotoGP World Championship standings by 6 points. Jorge Martín now holds just a 15-point advantage over the Italian. Bagnaia got a good start and took the holeshot, but poleman Pedro Acosta overtook him and led the race until he fell halfway through the race.

This error left the victory on a silver platter for the current World Champion. However, the pace of Bastianini and Márquez, who fought back from ninth position on the grid, brought excitement in the final metres. Márquez managed to overtake Bastianini two laps from the end, but the Italian managed to recover the position later that lap and increase his pace until reaching Bagnaia. The three crossed the finish line within just 3 tenths of a second of each other.

Jorge Martín finished fourth, with Morbidelli, Di Giannantonio, Álex Márquez, Miller and Viñales completing the points.

Marini fights back and Mir crashes

The sprint race in Japan had mixed fortunes for the Repsol Honda team riders. Joan Mir started from seventeenth position on the grid and managed to make up a position on the opening corners. However, a crash before the first lap was over ended his chances of a fightback. He remounted to finish the race, one lap behind the winner.

Luca Marini also managed to complete the race. Starting from twentieth on the grid, he gradually moved up the order, taking the chequered flag in thirteenth position as the best placing Honda.

On Sunday, the sixteenth race of the season starts at 2 pm local time

Japanese GP: Sprint Race Results (12 laps)

General standings

Statements

Joan Mir

«It is easy to look at our position and be upset, but when we look at what happened today was a day of positives. On the first lap I almost high-sided at Turn 10 and then when I arrived to Turn 11 I couldn’t stop so I went into the gravel. I recovered and after a couple of laps I was able to really unleash my speed and I have to say I am happy with my pace. The speed was that same as the guys fighting in the top eight and we have to be happy with that level of improvement. A better grid position would help us a lot. Tomorrow I am feeling confident for the longer race with the speed we showed today.»

Luca Marini

«I was surprised at our pace; it was very close to the group in front of me and our position isn’t too bad, so I have to be satisfied with today when we look at where we were yesterday and where we started the race. We knew coming here that the layout of this track would be tough for us, but we have been able to fight and make progress which is the key. Now we need to check the data of the other riders to see what they are doing differently. Some more things to try in the morning to make another step, but we are making progress and able to do this at each race now.»