That is pole position number seven of the season for David Almansa, and what a way to take it. The Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP rider absolutely flew at Motegi, laying down an insane 1:54.572 that not only secured the Japanese GP polesitter spot but also shattered the all-time lap record in the process. It was a proper statement Saturday from the Spaniard, who continues to show immense pace as the championship enters its decisive final stretch.
Getting there was far from a walk in the park, though. Brian Uriarte, riding for Red Bull KTM Ajo, had laid down the early benchmark with a 1:54.617 on his third lap. But Almansa fired back immediately on his fourth tour just as the clock crossed into the final six minutes, putting down the time that ultimately could not be beaten.
The closing moments turned into absolute chaos. Uriarte was pushing hard on a fast lap with roughly three minutes left on the clock when he went down into the gravel, but the #51 rider scrambled straight back to his feet, hauled his KTM out of the dirt, and kept charging. Even after that wild excursion, he came within 0.072s of his own best time on his final attempt, though Almansa's benchmark remained completely safe.
Meanwhile, teammate Alvaro Carpe added to the Red Bull KTM Ajo celebrations by taking the scenic route through the gravel before pulling off a stunning recovery. The championship contender delivered right when it counted with a 1:54.647 on his last tour, jumping into third and securing a second consecutive front-row start for the #83 machine, meaning Red Bull KTM Ajo will lock out row one alongside Almansa.
Yellow flags kept everyone on edge during a frantic finish. Guido Pini of Leopard Racing suffered a tumble at Turn 5 before recovering to ride back, and his teammate Adrian Fernandez later tucked the front at Turn 9. Earlier in the session, Veda Pratama of Honda Team Asia took a nasty highside crash. Thankfully, he got back to his feet, though the Indonesian rider was unable to set another lap and ultimately finished 18th.
At the sharp end of the grid, championship leader Maximo Quiles of CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team threw everything at it in the final moments for a spot on the front row, but could only manage a 1:54.854 that leaves him heading up row two. Matteo Bertelle of LEVEL UP – MTA grabbed fifth, while David Muñoz secured sixth for Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP with a 1:55.147.
Rico Salmela of Red Bull KTM Tech3 leads row three in seventh, followed by his teammate Valentin Perrone and Marco Morelli of CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team, with home hero Ryusei Yamanaka rounding out the top ten for AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI. With just seven Grands Prix remaining, Quiles has his very first opportunity to wrap up the crown right here in Japan, but with Almansa, Uriarte, and Carpe all sitting pretty on row one, the fight is guaranteed to roll on.
