Jaume Masia is fourteenth and Dani Holgado sixteenth in first Free Practice.

The first Japanese Grand Prix in three years got underway this Friday at Motegi, with a reduced schedule run as the paddock made the transition from Aragon. Jaume Masia had a good feeling on day one and finished in fourteenth position. Dani Holgado was sixteenth on his first appearance at the Japanese circuit.

Masia started FP1 setting a positive pace, heading the timesheets early on. After stopping in the pits, the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider rejoined the session and remained in the top positions, although track conditions in the final stretch made things difficult for the competitors. After 15 laps, he finished in fourteenth position with a time of 1:58.098, set on his last lap. Holgado rode at the Japanese circuit for the first time and quickly felt comfortable, riding in the Top 10 from the start. The rookie worked to adapt to an unfamiliar track, improving his times lap after lap. Holgado set a best time of 1:58.248 on his last lap, which placed him in sixteenth.

Qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix will be held on Saturday from 12:35 PM local time.

Results (FP1 session)
1. Diogo Moreira (KTM) 1:57.252
2. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 1:57.447 +0.195
3. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) 1:57.493 +0.241
4. David Muñoz (KTM) 1:57.565 +0.313
5. John McPhee (Husqvarna) 1:57.585 +0.333
14. Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:58.098 +0.846
16. Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:58:248 +0.996

#5 JAUME MASIA

“I’m happy to return to Motegi after several years away. It was a very short day because we only had one session, but I have a good feeling. We have the potential to do well tomorrow and I am confident of getting a positive result. We will continue to work with the team to finetune details for qualifying, although we will have to keep an eye on the weather.”

#96 DANI HOLGADO

“I have a good feeling at what is a new circuit for me. Motegi is quite technical and long, but even so I am happy because we have worked a lot on the bike. I rode alone and improved my times lap after lap. We know what our strengths are so we are positive about doing our best.”