Diogo Moreira started the Moto3 Japanese GP as the fastest rider in the first practice session. It was right at the end of the session that the Brazilian rider set the morning’s benchmark time in Motegi.
After constant changes in the lead during the first 15 minutes, Jaume Masiá (Leopard Racing/Honda) held the top spot for about 13 minutes until he was overtaken by Ryusei Yamanaka (Gaviota GasGas Aspar). The last 15 minutes were again intense, with a lot of instability in the timing table.
At the very end, Moreira (MT Helmets-MSi/KTM) – who had briefly taken the lead before – posted two fast laps in succession that put him at the front. His best time was 1m57.260s, allowing him to beat David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports/KTM) by 0.206s. Masiá finished in third. Further down the field, the other rider tied for the championship lead, Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3), placed sixth.
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