Marc Marquez ends a three-year pole role drought in a soaking moist and delayed qualifying session for the 2022 Japanese MotoGP.
Rain arrived at Motegi on Saturday morning, with thunder and lightning then being blended with a torrential downpour throughout this afternoon's Moto2 Qualifying.
Red flags had been duly raised and MotoGP closing exercise in consequence cancelled.
Conditions ultimately improved, permitting the completion of Moto2 Q2, however extra rain at the stop of the Triumph-powered session intended MotoGP Qualifying was once delayed as soon as once more due to standing water.
The Safety Car splashed its way round the song for ten minutes earlier than a new Q1 begin time used to be verified at 4:10pm.
Pramac Ducati team-mates Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin then improved via Qualifying 1, their information of music stipulations proving precious in the following Q2 pole role shootout.
Zarco set the early tempo earlier than Marquez's charge, the Frenchman then confirming 2nd on the grid whilst KTM's Brad Binder snatched a late 0.33 to declare his first MotoGP the front row.
That got here at the cost of Maverick Vinales, pushed to the 2nd row, the place he will be joined through Jorge Martin and Aprilia team-mate Aleix Espargaro.
Espargaro was once the satisfactory of the title top-three, with Yamaha's world championship chief Fabio Quartararo ninth after a late scare and Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia twelfth and ultimate in Q2.