Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou and his team-mate Takahisa Fujinami had to settle for a rather inferior starting position after a lacklustre qualifying round as TrialGP arrives at Japan’s Motegi Twin Ring circuit.

FIM race authorities confirmed a controversial decision and sanctioned Toni Bou with a point in the overall standings. The current championship leader is forced to start the main events of tomorrow and Sunday among the opening group of TrialGP riders. Being one of the first riders out is not without its drawbacks although Bou remains confident that he can overcome the handicap will skilful riding in some of the more demanding sections.

After performing a solid Q1, Bou headed into the definitive Q2 looking to improve on the time but a slip made him take his foot off the footrest. The FIM race director adjudicated that he had put his foot down for support and the consequent penalization dropped the Repsol Honda Team rider to thirteenth place.

Takahisa Fujinami, likewise, failed to shine in front of the home crowd. ‘Fujigas’, in a carbon copy of his performance in Camprodón, avoided losing his balance only to concede time before settling for tenth place.

Tomorrow sees the first main event of the two-day TrialGP of Japan. There will be fifteen sections in a four kilometre course to be tackled over two laps. The weather forecast is for sun.

Toni Bou

QUALY: 13th 1 point

I'm not very happy with how this qualification went. I have done a good training session and a good Q1, but although in the second I tried not to take any risks, I ended up making a small mistake. The control marked '0' but later changed it. These are things that happen and I will once again open the trial. I didn’t want to be in the first group, but we will nevertheless have to work hard over both days. The weekend is complicated and we will have to fight to try to make it onto the podium.

Takahisa Fujinami

QUALY: 10th 0'44"70

The qualification didn’t go too well, I came close to a fault, but I was able to hang on and finish Q2 without penalty, but with a bad time. The other Japanese guys and also Toni [Bou] will start ahead of me which I think is good. We will look at the positive points and we hope that everything goes better than today.

TrialGP 2018
Qualifying Round TGP 2 , 1   Motegi

Qualification results

Pos. Rider Num Nation L1 L2 L3 T3 Team Constructor Points
1 Busto Jaime 69 SPA 0 0'33"86 Gas Gas Factory Team Gas Gas 0'33"86
2 Cabestany Albert 37 SPA 0 0'36"57 Beta Factory Racing Beta 0'36"57
3 Dabill James 22 GBR 0 0'37"10 Beta Factory Racing Beta 0'37"10
4 Gelabert Miquel 11 SPA 0 0'38"31 Sherco Factory Team Sherco 0'38"31
5 Bincaz Benoit 16 FRA 0 0'38"71 Scorpa Factory Scorpa 0'38"71
6 Casales Jorge 33 SPA 0 0'38"88 Vertigo Factory Team Vertigo 0'38"88
7 Kadlec Franz 9 GER 0 0'39"25 Gas Gas Factory Team Gas Gas 0'39"25
8 Raga Adam 67 SPA 0 0'40"48 TRRS Factory Team TRRS 0'40"48
9 Price Jack 34 GBR 0 0'41"60 Gas Gas Factory Team Gas Gas 0'41"60
10 Fujinami Takahisa 5 JPN 0 0'44"70 Repsol Honda Team Montesa 0'44"70
11 Kuroyama Kenichi 98 JPN 0 0'45"76 Yamaha Racing Yamaha 0'45"76
12 Nozaki Fumitaka 99 JPN 0 0'49"53 Yamaha Racing Yamaha 0'49"53
13 Bou Toni 1 SPA 1 0'35"45 Repsol Honda Team Montesa 0'35"45
14 Ogawa Tomoyuki 97 JPN 1 0'44"78 Honda Honda 0'44"78
15 Fajardo Jeroni 4 SPA 5 Gas Gas Factory Team Gas Gas 5
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