Marquez third fastest in Japan MotoGP practice

AFP | Motegi

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Championship-chasing Marc Marquez clocked the third-fastest time of an action-packed practice for the Japan MotoGP yesterday as he looks to clinch his first world title since 2019.

Spanish Ducati rider Marquez recorded a best time of 1min 43.36sec in unseasonably warm conditions at Motegi, where temperatures were close to 30C.

That was 0.167sec slower than Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi, who topped the timesheets despite crashing twice in the morning session.

Marquez is looking to win his seventh world title in Japan this weekend after dominating the competition with 11 Grand Prix wins this season already.

He can seal the deal if he finishes the weekend with at least three more points than his brother and nearest championship rival, Alex Marquez.

Alex Marquez had a tough time in practice, finishing 15th-fastest and missing out on a direct spot in the second qualifying session.

It was the first time the Gresini rider had finished outside the top 10 in practice all season.

Marc Marquez faced the same fate as he went into the final 10 minutes languishing near the bottom of the timesheets, but he put together a fast lap when it counted.