Motegi MotoGP race day
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Starting order: 1 Dovizioso; 2 Zarco; 3 Miller; 4 Crutchlow; 5 Iannone; 6 Marquez; 7 Vinales; 8 Rins; 9 Rossi; 10 Bautista; 11 Pedrosa; 12 Nakagami; 13 Smith; 14 P. Espargaro; 15 Petrucci; 16 Syahrin; 17 Morbidelli; 18 Abraham; 19 A. Espargaro; 20 Nakasuga; 21 Redding; 22 Simeon; 23 Luthi; 24 Guintoli; 25 Torres.
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Vinales is targeting a podium finish: "Today is going be difficult to arrive in front but anyway we want to keep pushing. Even in FP1, I felt good on the rhythm, this morning I felt quite strong on the rhythm, there are only two guys that are farther away from us, but anyway I think the podium can be possible."
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Standings (top 6): 1 Marquez 271; 2 Dovizioso 194; 3 Rossi 172; 4 Vinales 146; 5 Lorenzo 130; 6 Crutchlow 128.
Two wildcards this weekend, Yamaha's Katsuyuki Nakasuga will start 20th and Suzuki tester Sylvain Guintoli will line up 24th on the grid.
Apart from Dovizioso and Marquez, it's quite an exciting grid with Zarco and Miller both making it to the front row. Meanwhile the factory Yamahas are back to struggling, Vinales and Rossi are only seventh and ninth.
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There was drama in one of the two support categories, as Moto3 leader Jorge Martin crashed and Marco Bezzecchi beat Darryn Binder on the drag to the finish line. The gap between the duo is down to one point with three races remaining.
In Moto2, Francesco Bagnaia was beaten by Fabio Quartararo, but the Italian can still be happy as he beat rival Miguel Oliveira by two places.
In Moto2, Francesco Bagnaia was beaten by Fabio Quartararo, but the Italian can still be happy as he beat rival Miguel Oliveira by two places.
Marquez and Dovizioso have dominated the weekend so far - perhaps the former has bit of an edge in terms of race pace, but he may fail to capitalize on that as he starts only sixth.
In the second half of the season, Dovizioso has stepped on the podium in every race, and he is primed to keep the streak going from pole position.
That makes the aforementioned permutations rather straightforward - Marquez has to beat Dovizioso to become champion.
That makes the aforementioned permutations rather straightforward - Marquez has to beat Dovizioso to become champion.
Marquez is 77 points ahead of Andrea Dovizioso and only 75 will be up for grabs after this race, meaning the Honda rider can afford to lose only two points to his rival. Marquez is champion, if he:
- finishes in the top four and Dovizioso isn't ahead of him
- finishes in fifth or sixth and Dovizioso is no more than one position ahead
- finishes between seventh and 15th and Dovizioso is no more than two positions ahead
- doesn't score and Dovizioso finishes no higher than 14th If Marquez can't score any points, he also needs Valentino Rossi not to win, as the Yamaha rider is 99 adrift, but there is probably no need to put too much thought into the likelihood of such scenario.
- finishes in the top four and Dovizioso isn't ahead of him
- finishes in fifth or sixth and Dovizioso is no more than one position ahead
- finishes between seventh and 15th and Dovizioso is no more than two positions ahead
- doesn't score and Dovizioso finishes no higher than 14th If Marquez can't score any points, he also needs Valentino Rossi not to win, as the Yamaha rider is 99 adrift, but there is probably no need to put too much thought into the likelihood of such scenario.
Welcome to the live coverage of the 2018 Japanese Grand Prix, where Marc Marquez could secure his third consecutive - and fifth overall - MotoGP title.
By: Matt Beer
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