The second date of the Trial World Championship gets underway this weekend at the Twin Ring Motegi Circuit in Japan. Toni Bou, the championship leader is one of the hot favourites, as is local idol Takahisa Fujinami.
The FIM Trial World Championship this week celebrates what has become one of its more exotic and more highly-anticipated events in recent decades – the Japanese TrialGP held in Motegi, Japan. Repsol Honda Team arrives fired up for one of the marque’s three ‘home’ GPs with Toni Bou already firmly installed at the top of the overall leader board with an advantage the Spanish champion will be looking to expand upon.
Another of the team’s members eager to claim victory in Motegi is local boy Takahisa Fujinami, certain to have the home crowd behind him every inch of the way, although the triumph has evaded him since 2013. Meanwhile, Jaime Busto will be seeking to consolidate his position among the elite of the trial paddock with another good race.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE JAPANESE TRIALGP
· The first ever Trial World Championship date in the land of the rising sun took place in 2000. Dougie Lampkin (Montesa) was the winner of the double date of the spectacular edition.
· With 14 wins, Toni Bou is the rider who has graced the podium most times in Motegi. Team-mate Takahisa Fujinami is second in the ranking, with six triumphs.
· Takahisa Fujinami, local hero, is the currently active rider with the greatest number of GP podiums in Japan: 26, compared to Toni Bou’s 21.
· The entire course of the trial takes place within the Twin Ring Motegi complex, with most of the sections on natural ground. Riders will have to endure 15 sections over two 4.5 kilometre laps.
· Schedule of the TrialGP of Japan (local time GMT+9):
Friday
10:30 to 11:00 scrutineering
11:00 to 13:00 free training
12:15 to 12:45 qualifying round
Saturday
09:00 first rider start
12:05 start of second lap
15:20 end of race
15:45 podium ceremony
Sunday
09:00 first rider start
12:05 start of second lap
15:20 end of race
15:45 podium ceremony
· Toni Bou’s Stats
90 world championship wins
186 GP participations
132 podiums
2938 points
· Takahisa Fujinami’s Stats
33 world championship wins
312 GP participations
158 podiums
4254 points
· Jaime Busto’s Stats
34 GP participations
359 points
Toni Bou
After starting the world championship in the best possible way with a victory on rather complicated terrain, that left us with good sensations - now it’s on to the second race in Japan, one of my favourite destinations. There I have won many times and the victories in Motegi are very important as it’s the home of Honda and HRC - so we will have to be at the highest level in this GP. Good team work and concentration in the sectors will be important to getting us good result.
Takahisa Fujinami
The Japanese Grand Prix is the home GP for us and this year I am very motivated to try to finish on the top step of the podium. The team worked hard in the race in Camprodón and only a bit of bad luck prevented me from getting a better result than fifth place. I am sure that in the next trials we will do even better and if we manage to do it in Motegi, that would be fantastic! I really hope Japanese fans turn out to support us.
Jaime Busto
The first world championship race was not as good as I expected. The result of the qualification allowed me to go with Toni and the rest of them, but on the second lap I made too many mistakes because of the effects of the rain, although we already knew that we could end up competing in the mud. Now I have to go back and focus on qualifying well in Motegi that would leave me options for a better result at the weekend.
Location Information
| Race format | 12 sections x 2 laps |
Twin Ring Motegi, Haga District, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan - View in Google Maps
Records
| Podium 2024 -day2- | Toni Bou - Adam Raga - Gabriel Marcelli |
| Podium 2024 -day1- | Toni Bou - Gabriel Marcelli - Adam Raga |
| Podium 2023 -day2- | Jaime Busto - Toni Bou - Adam Raga |
| Podium 2023 -day1- | Toni Bou - Jaime Busto - Adam Raga |
| Podium 2019 -day2- | Toni Bou - Adam Raga - Takahisa Fujinami |
| Podium 2019 -day1- | Toni Bou - Adam Raga - Takahisa Fujinami |
| Podium 2018 -day2- | Jaime Busto - Toni Bou - Adam Raga |
| Podium 2018 -day1- | Jeroni Fajardo - Adam Raga - Takahisa Fujinami |
| Podium 2017 -day2- | Toni Bou - Adam Raga - Albert Cabestany |
| Podium 2017 -day1- | Toni Bou - James Dabill - Takahisa Fujinami |
| Podium 2016 -day2- | Toni Bou - Adam Raga - Takahisa Fujinami |
| Podium 2016 -day1- | Adam Raga - Toni Bou - Takahisa Fujinami |
| Podium 2015 -day2- | Toni Bou - Takahisa Fujinami - Jeroni Fajardo |
| Podium 2015 -day1- | Toni Bou - Jeroni Fajardo - Adam Raga |
| Podium 2014 -day2- | Adam Raga - Toni Bou - Albert Cabestany |
| Podium 2014 -day1- | Adam Raga - Toni Bou - Takahisa Fujinami |
