Record-breaking poles for Guevara in Moto2

· Guevara’s fourth pole. Izan Guevara (Boscoscuro) will start the Moto2™ race of the Grand Prix of Japan from pole position, after setting a time of 1’46.851 on his final qualifying attempt, beating the previous all-time lap record set by Manuel Gonzalez in 2025 by more than one second. Filip Salač and Manuel Gonzalez, both on Kalex, completed the front row. 16 riders lapped below the previous circuit record, all with a soft SC1 front and supersoft SCX rear tyre combination.

· Record-breaking Moto3™ pole for Almansa. In Japan, David Almansa (KTM) claimed his seventh Moto3™ pole position of the season, with 1’54.572, a new all-time lap record and almost two tenths faster than the previous time set by Iván Ortolá in 2024 (1’54.761). The Spanish rider achieved this result using soft SC1 tyres on both axles, while KTM teammates Brian Uriarte and Álvaro Carpe, who will start second and third respectively, opted for the medium SC2 front and soft SC1 rear combo.

· Temperatures are steadily rising. On the first two days of the weekend, we witnessed fairly stable weather conditions, following the rain that fell on Thursday night into Friday morning, with warming temperatures. During the morning sessions – FP1 on Friday and FP2 on Saturday – air temperatures were around 20°C, while track temperatures ranged from 21°C to 29°C. Friday afternoon’s Practice sessions were held with an air temperature of around 24°C and a track temperature of 35°C, while today’s qualifying was the hottest session so far, with approximately 25°C in the air and 45°C on the track.

New all-time lap records on Motegi’s resurfaced track
 
“Motegi’s new asphalt has greatly affected the track performance, as evidenced by the circuit records set in both classes. In Moto2™, lap times gradually lowered in every session through to qualifying, when Guevara improved the previous record by more than one second. The new 2026-specification supersoft SCX rear also contributed to this result, once again confirming its high performance potential also at this circuit. The Moto3™ circuit record was also updated, this time with the same tyre solutions used in 2025. The new results was achieved thanks to the new asphalt’s higher grip, and as the teams and riders are getting more and more familiar with our tyres, after three seasons.
The new surface provides a very high level of grip while keeping tyre wear relatively low, which is particularly interesting from a race perspective. In Moto2™, we expect all riders to unanimously opt for the softest combination available, with a SC1 front and SCX rear combo. On the other hand, in Moto3™, the track’s grip reduces the advantage normally provided by the soft SC1 rear option, which is why many riders are leaning towards the medium SC2, whose competitive performance has shown with greater consistency. Honda riders may, however, continue to prefer the SC1. The soft SC1 front tyre will likely be the most popular choice, with a few exceptions”.