Binder, riding for Red Bull KTM, set a blistering lap of 1 minute 43.436 seconds at the cloudy Motegi, edging out Spain’s six-time world champion Marc Marquez by just 0.033 seconds, who claimed second place. Martin, holding a 21-point lead over his closest rival Francesco Bagnaia in the championship standings with five races left, was 0.132 seconds behind Binder’s impressive time.
Defending world champion Bagnaia finished seventh, 0.318 seconds off the lead pace. Martin, who is eager to secure his first MotoGP championship after finishing second to Bagnaia last year, showcased strong performance throughout the session.
Italy’s Enea Bastianini, currently third in the overall standings, crashed midway through the hour-long session but managed to recover and secure the fifth-fastest qualifying time, finishing 0.169 seconds behind Binder.
Martin seemed poised to top the time sheets until Binder’s late surge just a few minutes before the session ended. Marquez also made a late push for the top spot but fell short.
Other riders in the top 10 included Pedro Acosta, Maverick Vinales, Alex Marquez, Fabio Di Giannantonio, and Marco Bezzecchi.
In a morning free practice session interrupted by rain, Bagnaia had the fastest time, finishing ahead of Martin.
The top 10 fastest riders from practice earn a spot in Saturday’s second qualifying session, which determines the first four rows of the grid. They will be joined by the two fastest riders from the initial qualifying session.
