Japanese MotoGP Statistics: Come On Ducati Driver Again?

MotoGP drivers are ready to compete at the Japanese Motegi Circuit. (Doc. MotoGP official website)

JAKARTA - The 2022 MotoGP race has turned to Asia. The riders will compete at the Motegi Circuit, Japan.

In the last five races, Ducati has always shown off. Their riders have always been champions.

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo) four times, while Etherea Bastianini (Gresini Racing) once. Even in the last two races, Bagnaia and Bastian are involved in a tight competition to the finish line.

Will Japan's MotoGP be a place for Ducati drivers to show off again?

After two years of absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Motegi Circuit this weekend held another Grand Prix race.

The race is highly anticipated because the competition at the top of the drivers' standings is getting hotter. The top three riders in the standings are only 17 points apart.

The Motegi Circuit was built in 1997 for test purposes before it first held a Japanese GP in 1999. One year later, the circuit hosted the Pacific GP, and has since been visited by motorcycle racing fans.

In 2004 Motegi replaced the Suzuka Circuit on the MotoGP calendar and returned to the Japanese GP arena again and maintained its status until now.

Since the MotoGP class took place in 2002, Honda has bagged nine wins in Motegi including three wins that Marc Marquez won in 2016, 2018, and 2019.

Marquez, Dani Pedrosa, Loris Capirossi, Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo have won three MotoGP classes each in Motegi.

Meanwhile, Ducati celebrated five victories in Motegi, the last time Andrea Dovizioso took control of the circuit's wet track in 2017. The other two Ducati riders who won in Japan were Loris Capirossi (2005, 2006, and 2007) and Casey totaling (2010).

Two Ducati riders have also started pole position in Motegi, namely Loris Capirossi (2005 and 2006) and Andrea Dovizioso (2014 and 2018), according to the official MotoGP records.

Meanwhile, Yamaha won at Motegi on four occasions, the last time Jorge Lorenzo finished first in 2014. The last sodium for Yamaha in Motegi was presented by Fabio Quartararo when he finished P2 in 2019.

Suzuki and Kenny Robert Jr. won their first Grand Prix (500cc) at Motegi in 1999 and repeated the success the following year. Since the MotoGP class was introduced in 2002, P3 Maverick Vinales in 2016 and P3 Alex Rins in 2018 became two podiums for Suzuki in Motegi.

Marquez became the last rider to win the race at Motegi from pole position in the MotoGP class, namely in 2019. The last pole for Yamaha was won by Johann Zarco in 2017.

A number of hosts who won in Motegi were Masao Azoma (125cc/1999), Shinya Nakano (250cc/1999), Daijiro Kato (250cc/2000), Youichi Ui (125cc/2001), Tetsuya Harada (250cc/2001), Makoto Tamada (MotoGP/2004) and Hiroshi Aoyama (250cc in 2005 and 2006).

The last Japanese rider to climb the podium of all classes in Motegi was Hiroshi Aoyama who finished in 250cc P2 in 2009.