Japanese MotoGP Results, Qualifying | Marquez takes first pole in three years

Qualifying for the 2022 MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix took place in unpredictable, but fully wet, conditions, after delays due to the weather conditions. 

Typhoon Nanmadol was the major worry ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. It swept through Japan on Friday, but by Saturday Typhoon Talas had arrived and for MotoGP it meant the cancellation of their third and final practice session of the race weekend, and a delayed start to qualifying. 

When qualifying finally did get underway, conditions remained completely wet, and the threat of added rainfall contributing to even worse conditions as the session went on meant that every lap was crucial. 

Aragon race winner Enea Bastianini was one of several big names in Q1, but it was the Pramac Racing duo - Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco - and Franco Morbidelli who set the pace in the first part of the session while Takaaki Nakagami crashed.

In the end, it was the Pramac pair that went through to Q2, with Zarco ahead of Martin, while Bastianini crashed with two minutes left and will start from 15th.

In Q2, the conditions were slightly better, but there was never even a remote possibility of moving to slick tyres. This was good news for Marc Marquez, who topped Saturday morning's full-wet FP2 by over 0.1 seconds.

And Marquez made the most of it to take his first pole position since Motegi 2019, almost three years ago. Further, with dry weather expected for Sunday, and Johann Zarco and Bad Binder joining Marquez on the front row, an early escape for the eight-times World Champion could put him in genuine victory contention, even with questions over his race fitness. 

Maverick Vinales will start from the head of the second row in fourth place, alongside Jorge Martin and the second-placed Aprilia of Aleix Espargaro, who is best-placed of the championship contenders. 

Championship leader Fabio Quartararo will start from the third row in ninth place, behind seventh-placed Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira in eighth; while Francesco Bagnaia - who came to Motegi just 10 points behind the Frenchman - will start 12th, having lapped slower than Remy Gardner, who finished Q1 in 10th. Luca Marini (10th) and Pol Espargaro (11th) will join Bagnaia on row four. 

Full Japanese MotoGP qualifying results are below.

2022 Japanese Grand Prix | Motegi Mobility Resort | Qualifying Results

Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade 30th Anniversary review | Road and track test on the Birthday Blade!