And just like that, it is time for the traditional overseas tour to begin, and this season, it is the Motul Grand Prix of Japan which will be opening the festivities at the good old – but gold – Mobility Resort Motegi track. The 4.8km layout of fourteen corners, eight right and six left, with a particular demand for hard braking, awaits both Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales, as they will be both eager to get the flyways started strong.

Grand Prix of Japan

The KTM package has often been very competitive at the Land of the Rising Sun in the last years, with the Tech3 team having started from pole position in 2024 with rookie prodigy Pedro Acosta. This week, Enea Bastianini will be looking to bounce back from a tough weekend on home soil in Misano, with the Italian failing to qualify in Q2, and not standing on the San Marino podium for the first time since his MotoGP™ debuts. Nevertheless, the ‘Bestia’ will be looking to show his recent good form in Motegi, a track where he got the sprint silver medal last season starting from the front row, before clinching P4 on the Sunday. Maverick Viñales will be excited to head to Japan, a country he is particularly fond of, as the Spaniard continues to shape his return to full fitness. ‘Top Gun’ worked hard during the San Marino Test, with many laps done, and after a full week of recovery at home, he will be eager to return to his KTM, and get the work going!

Watch out for the schedule as we will be 7 hours ahead of European time (UTC+9), with an exciting packed-action weekend of MotoGP™ awaiting us at Motegi. The action of the Grand Prix of Japan will start on Friday morning at 10:45 local time with Free Practice 1, followed later on by the Practice session at 15:00. On Saturday, Bastianini and Viñales will return to their RC16s at 10:10 for Free Practice 2, before qualifying starts at 10:50. In the afternoon, the Tissot Sprint will see the best riders of the world fight for the gold medal, at 15:00 for 12 laps. Finally, the big show will be on Sunday with the main race, scheduled at 14:00 (GMT+9), for 24 laps! 

ENEA BASTIANINI: "I am super curious to go to Motegi, because the KTM has often been very competitive on this track, and it is a circuit that suits the KTM style, with many stop-and-go corners. Last year, KTM were really strong in Japan, so we will have to see how we feel from Friday. Misano was disappointing for us for sure, but I really want to make a comeback, and Motegi is a track where we can do it. We found few improvements during the San Marino test which I hope will help us with the issues we have had, so let's see! It is always great to come back to Japan, I love the culture, the people, their mutual civil respect, and everyone is so friendly, it has always been a nice race weekend!"

MAVERICK VIÑALES: "Misano was difficult for us, the track was very demanding physically, but we made it through, with a good feeling, because we know we have the pace, and our package is strong. I worked well at home this week to recover my body, and we are arriving in Japan in good shape. I feel stronger as days go by, so our target is to keep improving to get back at our 100%. The KTM is performing well on this track, so I am sure that it will help us this week. I love racing in Motegi, the fans are always so nice, and I really love the Japanese culture, it is one of my favorite stops of the calendar, so I am excited to begin the Asian tour with Japan!"

NICOLAS GOYON, Team Manager: "The championship is about to start its Asian tour with the first stop in Motegi for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan. This track is well known to be the highest stop-and-go layout of the calendar, which is good news for us, as it matches one of the strongest points of our KTM. Last year, we started from the pole position and all KTMs showed really fast pace, so we are expecting to be competitive too this year. Japan will be a great opportunity for Enea Bastianini to confirm his good form from the second half of the season. Misano somehow was tricky for him, he missed Q2 for the first time in the last 5 races, which makes your weekend totally different. We found a good setting during the Misano test which should match with Motegi’s characteristics and give him the weapons to fight for the top 5, our main target. Maverick Viñales left San Marino a bit frustrated unfortunately. He is fast on one lap, our package is performing well, but he is still unable to ride at 100% which is difficult for him. He suffered in Misano, but I believe that after ten days of recovery, he will arrive in better shape to Japan as he is progressively getting back to full capacity!"

ABOUT THE TRACK

Located amongst the vast natural beauty of the northern Kanto district, the twin ring circuit at Motegi in Japan consists of a 1.5 mile oval and a 2.9 mile road course constructed to international standards. Built by Honda as the ultimate test facility in August 1997, the road circuit became home to MotoGP in 2000 whilst the oval is designed to introduce American motorsports culture to the country. Twin Ring Motegi is a major attraction for motorsports fans all year round as it is the venue for the Honda Collection Hall, a museum which houses an illustrious collection of motorcycle, car and racing machines from throughout the ages. The complex also includes a safety and riding school, dirt track, go-karts, hotel, restaurant, shops and event halls and currently employs some 300 staff.

TRACK RECORDS

All Time Record: 2024 - P. Acosta (SPA) - 1'43.018 - 167.7 km/h
Best Race Lap: 2024 - J. Martin (SPA) - 1'44.461 - 165.4 km/h
Best Pole: 2024 - P. Acosta (SPA) - 1'43.018 - 167.7 km/h
Top Speed: 2024 - P. Acosta (SPA) - 319.5 km/h