MotoGP Japanese GP: Chantra, Masia take Moto2 and Moto3 wins

Thai rider Chantra scored only his second career win, and his first of 2023, in a dominant display from pole position, as he led every lap to lead a one-two for Honda Team Asia ahead of Ai Ogura.

Pedro Acosta meanwhile took a major step towards the title as he finished in third on a weekend to forget for chief title rival Tony Arbolino.

As Chantra checked out at the head of the field, pulling a two-second gap on the rest within four laps, Ogura had to battle his way back after a poor start from second grid left him fourth on the opening lap.

Jake Dixon slotted into second at the start but was passed by both Alonso Lopez and Ogura on the second lap of 19, and Ogura managed to grab second off Lopez - who dropped down the order with a double long-lap penalty held over from the Indian round - on lap three.

Once in clear air, Ogura was able to match Chantra's pace and started to close the gap in the latter half of the race, bringing down the 2.3s cushion held by his team-mate to as little as 1.2s.

But Chantra was not to be denied and took the chequered flag by 1.353s at the finish.

Ajo KTM man Acosta dropped from fourth on the grid to seventh on the first lap, but was back in his grid position by lap five and then took third when Lopez served the first of his penalties, staying there for the rest of the race.

Aspar's Dixon likewise rode a lonely race to fourth ahead of Filip Salac (Gresini) and Manuel Gonzalez (VR46 Master Camp).

Marc VDS rider Arbolino had to fight hard for his 11th-place finish, his second-worst result of the season, and now trails Acosta by 50 points with six rounds to go.

His team-mate Sam Lowes fared even worse however as he crashed out at the final corner on lap six.

Lopez (Speed Up) went from third to 10th after serving both of his penalties and finally wound up 13th.

Moto2 Japanese Grand Prix - race results:

Driver Info

Cla	Rider	#	Bike	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h	Retirement	Points
1	S. Chantra Honda Team Asia	35	Kalex	19	-				25
2	A. Ogura Honda Team Asia	79	Kalex	19	+1.353	1.353			20
3	P. Acosta Ajo Motorsport	37	Kalex	19	+3.080	1.727			16
4	J. Dixon Inde GASGAS Aspar Team	96	Kalex	19	+5.065	1.985			13
5	F. Salač QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2	12	Kalex	19	+10.492	5.427			11
6	M. Gonzalez Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp	18	Kalex	19	+12.961	2.469			10
7	M. Ramirez American Racing	24	Kalex	19	+14.352	1.391			9
8	A. Canet Pons Wegow Los40	40	Kalex	19	+16.360	2.008			8
9	Z. van den Goorbergh Fieten Olie Racing GP	84	Kalex	19	+17.692	1.332			7
10	D. Binder Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP	15	Kalex	19	+19.405	1.713			6
11	T. Arbolino Elf Marc VDS Racing Team	14	Kalex	19	+20.661	1.256			5
12	J. Roberts Italtrans Racing Team	16	Kalex	19	+20.809	0.148			4
13	A. López Beta Tools - Speed Up Racing	21	Boscoscuro B-21	19	+21.303	0.494			3
14	I. Guevara Inde GASGAS Aspar Team	28	Kalex	19	+21.477	0.174			2
15	B. Baltus Fieten Olie Racing GP	7	Kalex	19	+24.032	2.555			1
16	J. Alcoba QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2	52	Kalex	19	+25.623	1.591
17	B. Bendsneyder Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team	64	Kalex	19	+26.803	1.180
18	A. Arenas Ajo Motorsport	75	Kalex	19	+27.371	0.568
19	T. Hada Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team	23	Kalex	19	+29.412	2.041
20	A. Surra Forward Team	67	Forward F2	19	+33.825	4.413
21	S. Agius Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP	8	Kalex	19	+34.103	0.278
22	F. Aldeguer Beta Tools - Speed Up Racing	54	Boscoscuro B-21	19	+34.291	0.188
23	S. Kelly Forward Team	4	Forward F2	19	+36.473	2.182
24	B. Gomez Fantic Racing	72	Kalex	19	+39.635	3.162
25	R. Skinner American Racing	33	Kalex	19	+43.069	3.434
26	M. Casadei Fantic Racing	9	Kalex	19	+45.508	2.439
dnf	S. García Pons Wegow Los40	11	Kalex	9				Retirement
dnf	D. Foggia Italtrans Racing Team	71	Kalex	8				Retirement
dnf	K. Nozane Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp	5	Kalex	7				Accident
dnf	S. Lowes Elf Marc VDS Racing Team	22	Kalex	6				Accident
View full results

In the earlier Moto3 race, Masia overhauled Daniel Holgado to take the lead of the championship with his third win of the season.

Deniz Oncu (Ajo KTM) grabbed the holeshot from second on the grid as poleman Masia (Leopard Honda) made a poor start, with a group of four riders forming at the head of the field comprising Oncu, Holgado (Tech3 KTM), local hero Ayumu Sasaki (Intact Husqvarna) and Masia.

Ajo KTM man Oncu maintained the lead until Masia passed him at Turn 1 on lap 7 of 17, and while the leading group remain tightly bunched for several more laps, intense fighting between Oncu, Holgado and Sasaki allowed Masia to get away.

Oncu then crashed out of second place on lap 11 at the Turn 9 left-hander, by which point Masia had extended a comfortable lead of more than one second that he would maintain to the finish.

Sasaki - whose move to Moto2 in 2024 with the VR46 Master Camp team was confirmed on the eve of his home race - came out on top in an entertaining duel over second place.

Holgado managed to pass Sasaki at Turn 11 on the final lap only to make a poor exit from the final corner and concede the position by 0.056s.

It means Masia now leads the standings by six points from Sasaki, with Holgado slipping to third, nine behind the new leader.

Moto3 Japanese Grand Prix - race results:

Driver Info

Cla	Rider	#	Bike	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h	Retirement	Points
1	J. Masia Leopard Racing	5	Honda	17	33'30.018		146.1		25
2	A. Sasaki Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP	71	Husqvarna	17	+1.546	1.546	146.0		20
3	D. Holgado Red Bull KTM Tech 3	96	KTM	17	+1.602	0.056	146.0		16
4	S. Nepa Angeluss MTA Team	82	KTM	17	+5.200	3.598	145.8		13
5	I. Ortola Angeluss MTA Team	48	KTM	17	+5.230	0.030	145.7		11
6	D. Munoz BOE Motorsports	44	KTM	17	+8.900	3.670	145.5		10
7	D. Alonso GAVIOTA GASGAS Aspar Team	80	GASGAS	17	+8.959	0.059	145.5		9
8	K. Toba SIC58 Squadra Corse	27	Honda	17	+9.253	0.294	145.5		8
9	R. Yamanaka GAVIOTA GASGAS Aspar Team	6	GASGAS	17	+9.629	0.376	145.4		7
10	J. Antonio Red Bull KTM Factory Racing	99	KTM	17	+9.734	0.105	145.4		6
11	C. Veijer Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP	95	Husqvarna	17	+9.804	0.070	145.4		5
12	T. Furusato Honda Team Asia	72	Honda	17	+10.195	0.391	145.4		4
13	R. Rossi SIC58 Squadra Corse	54	Honda	17	+10.874	0.679	145.3		3
14	D. Moreira MT Helmets - MSI	10	KTM	17	+11.577	0.703	145.3		2
15	J. Kelso CFMoto Racing PruestelGP	66	CF MOTO	17	+13.905	2.328	145.1		1
16	F. Farioli Red Bull KTM Tech 3	7	KTM	17	+16.674	2.769	144.9
17	D. Almansa Rivacold Snipers Team	92	Honda	17	+31.109	14.435	143.9
18	S. Ogden VisionTrack Racing Team	19	Honda	17	+31.282	0.173	143.9
19	S. Azman MT Helmets - MSI	63	KTM	17	+31.478	0.196	143.9
20	J. Whatley VisionTrack Racing Team	70	Honda	17	+31.551	0.073	143.9
21	L. Fellon CIP	20	KTM	17	+31.587	0.036	143.9
22	A. Carrasco BOE Motorsports	22	KTM	17	+32.969	1.382	143.8
23	M. Aji Honda Team Asia	64	Honda	17	+38.000	5.031	143.4
dnf	T. Suzuki Leopard Racing	24	Honda	13	+4 Laps	4 Laps	144.7	Retirement
dnf	D. Öncü Red Bull KTM Factory Racing	53	KTM	10	+7 Laps	3 Laps	145.9	Retirement
dnf	M. Bertelle Rivacold Snipers Team	18	Honda	10	+7 Laps	5.181	145.2	Accident
dnf	X. Artigas CFMoto Racing PruestelGP	43	CF MOTO	9	+8 Laps	1 Lap	143.5	Accident
View full results