Immediately after the Indian GP, Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp have made their way to Japan for Round 14 of the 2023 Moto2 championship, held at the Mobility Resort Motegi.
Manuel Gonzalez is excited to be back in Japan as he is planning a do-over. The Spaniard suffered a hard crash at the Motegi circuit last year, but he feels certain that he can make a strong comeback this time round. Thanks to his increased speed and experience one year on, he has arrived in Japan in 8th place in the overall standings and is keen to add to his 94-point tally this weekend.
Kohta Nozane is full of excitement ahead of his home GP. The Japanese rider knows the Motegi track and has already experienced riding a Moto2 bike there thanks to wild cards in 2012 and 2013, with a best result of 16th place. Knowing that the local fans will cheer him on, the number-5 rider is feeling fully motivated to make further steps in front of the Japanese crowds.
The Motegi circuit was built in 1997 for test purposes. It was first visited by MotoGP in 1999 for the Japanese Grand Prix. A year later the track hosted the Pacific Grand Prix, and it has remained a major attraction for motorsports fans ever since. In 2004 Motegi replaced the Suzuka Circuit on the MotoGP calendar to become the host of the Japanese Grand Prix once again, and it has kept this status. The 4.8km track is known for setting the scene for lots of memorable and exciting racing moments, thanks to its challenging layout of six left and eight right corners, and various hard braking and acceleration areas.
The Grand Prix of Japan is held in the GMT +9 time zone. P1 will take place on Friday from 09:50 - 10:30 local track time and P2 from 14:05 – 14:45. On Saturday, P3 will be held from 09:25 - 09:55, and the qualifying sessions from 13:45 - 14:25. On Sunday, the Race starts at 13:15.
