MotoGP 2023 Preview Round 14, Grand Prix of Japan
Japan: After the strongest round of the season, the Repsol Honda Team arrive at home in Japan after a strong weekend for both Marc Marquez and Joan Mir.
Work continues relentlessly for the Repsol Honda Team as they arrive in Japan for round 14 of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship. Hard braking is a key characteristic of the 4.8-kilometer-long track, a point which should suit the Honda RC213V. Both Marc Marquez and Joan Mir have proven that they have the speed to challenge and run consistently at the front.
Joan Mir’s fifth place on Sunday was his best result of the year and provided both rider and team with confirmation of the work done during the Misano Test. Now the #36 is aiming to do it all again, this time in front of Honda’s home crowd at Mobility Resort Motegi. In previous visits, Mir has achieved consistent results in the top ten with a best of eighth in 2019.
The Japanese Grand Prix has seen some of Marc Marquez’s crowning moments in the premier class, including taking the 2014 and 2016 World Championships. In 2022, the eight-time World Champion returned to pole position with a stunning wet-weather lap for the first time since the Japanese GP in 2019 and he has earned three premier class wins alongside three additional podiums.
As Honda’s home race, the Japanese Grand Prix will be a special one for the entire Repsol Honda Team. Throughout history Honda have achieved 48 Grand Prix victories on home soil, 13 coming in the premier class and most recently in 2019 when Marquez stormed his way to an eighth World Championship.
Marc Marquez
“Motegi is always a special race, especially when you are a Honda rider. We have had many memorable moments there in the past, winning championships, returning to pole last year so I hope that we can do something nice to give the fans a reason to cheer for us. Conditions in Motegi can often change a lot, so we will have to adapt as the weekend goes but our overall objective remains the same: make steady progress and achieve the best result possible.”
Joan Mir
“I am looking forward to riding at Motegi as a Honda rider, always the fans there are incredible, and I can’t wait to ride there again. We come from a weekend in India where we were able to be consistent throughout with a good final result and I hope that we can do this again in Japan. But I think we will have a more challenging weekend, so let’s see finally what will happen. It’s all about setting up to end the season in the best way possible.”
Rider standings- Grand Prix of Japan
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Points | Team | Constructor |
| 1 | BAGNAIA Francesco | 1 | ITA | 292 | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati |
| 2 | MARTIN Jorge | 89 | SPA | 279 | Pramac Racing | Ducati |
| 3 | BEZZECCHI Marco | 72 | ITA | 248 | Mooney VR46 Racing Team | Ducati |
| 4 | BINDER Brad | 33 | RSA | 192 | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM |
| 5 | ESPARGARO Aleix | 41 | SPA | 160 | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia |
| 6 | ZARCO Johann | 5 | FRA | 157 | Pramac Racing | Ducati |
| 7 | VINALES Maverick | 12 | SPA | 138 | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia |
| 8 | MARINI Luca | 10 | ITA | 135 | Mooney VR46 Racing Team | Ducati |
| 9 | MILLER Jack | 43 | AUS | 109 | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM |
| 10 | MARQUEZ Alex | 73 | SPA | 108 | Team Gresini Racing MotoGP | Ducati |
| 11 | QUARTARARO Fabio | 20 | FRA | 105 | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha |
| 12 | MORBIDELLI Franco | 21 | ITA | 77 | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha |
| 13 | OLIVEIRA Miguel | 88 | POR | 69 | RNF MotoGP Team | Aprilia |
| 14 | FERNANDEZ Augusto | 37 | SPA | 58 | Tech3 GASGAS Factory Racing | KTM |
| 15 | RINS Alex | 42 | SPA | 47 | LCR Honda | Honda |
| 16 | MARQUEZ Marc | 93 | SPA | 45 | Repsol Honda Team | Honda |
| 17 | DI GIANNANTONIO Fabio | 49 | ITA | 43 | Team Gresini Racing MotoGP | Ducati |
| 18 | NAKAGAMI Takaaki | 30 | JPN | 40 | LCR Honda | Honda |
| 19 | PEDROSA Dani | 26 | SPA | 32 | KTM Test Team | KTM |
| 20 | FERNANDEZ Raul | 25 | SPA | 29 | RNF MotoGP Team | Aprilia |
| 21 | BASTIANINI Enea | 23 | ITA | 25 | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati |
| 22 | MIR Joan | 36 | SPA | 16 | Repsol Honda Team | Honda |
| 23 | ESPARGARO Pol | 44 | SPA | 11 | Tech3 GASGAS Factory Racing | KTM |
| 24 | SAVADORI Lorenzo | 32 | ITA | 9 | RNF MotoGP Team | Aprilia |
| 25 | FOLGER Jonas | 94 | GER | 9 | Tech3 GASGAS Factory Racing | KTM |
| 26 | BRADL Stefan | 6 | GER | 6 | Repsol Honda Team | Honda |
| 27 | PETRUCCI Danilo | 9 | ITA | 5 | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati |
| 28 | PIRRO Michele | 51 | ITA | 5 | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati |
| 29 | LECUONA Iker | 27 | SPA | 0 | Repsol Honda Team | Honda |
