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| Race 15 of 18 races in the 2015 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | 11 October 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Official name | Motul Grand Prix of Japan[1][2][3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Twin Ring Motegi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2015 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix was the fifteenth round of the 2015 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, consisting of the MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 classes. It was held at the Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi on 11 October 2015.[4][5]
In the premier class, the race began in damp conditions but dried out over the course of the race. Jorge Lorenzo had started on pole but faded to third with tyre issues, and it was Dani Pedrosa that achieved his first victory since the 2014 Czech Republic Grand Prix,[6] and as a result, became the eighth rider to record 50 victories at World Championship level.[7] Valentino Rossi extended his championship lead to eighteen with a second-place finish, ahead of Lorenzo.[6]
During free practice, Alex de Angelis crashed heavily and was taken to hospital in a critical but stable condition.[8] De Angelis missed the remainder of the season as a result of the crash.
In the intermediate Moto2 class, Tito Rabat pulled out of the weekend due to injury and as a result, Johann Zarco won his first World Championship title,[9] and the first by a French rider in the intermediate class since Olivier Jacque in 2000.[10] Zarco went on to win the shortened race ahead of German duo Jonas Folger and Sandro Cortese.[11] In the Moto3 race also shortened by weather delays, Niccolò Antonelli took his second win of the season ahead of Miguel Oliveira and Jorge Navarro, while championship leader Danny Kent maintained his points lead with sixth place.[12]
- ^ "2015 Japanese MotoGP". Motorsportmagazine.com. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
- ^ Mitchell, Malcolm. "2015 MotoGP Class (FIM Grand Prix World Championship) Programmes - The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project". Progcovers.com. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ^ Mitchell, Malcolm. "Twin Ring Motegi - The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project". Progcovers.com. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
- ^ "MotoGP announces 18-round 2015 calendar". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
- ^ "2015 provisional MotoGP calendar announced". MotoGP.com. Dorna Sports. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
- ^ a b "Peerless Pedrosa takes his 50th GP victory at Motegi". MotoGP.com. Dorna Sports. 11 October 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ^ "Pedrosa: "It has been a long time since my last one"". MotoGP.com. Dorna Sports. 11 October 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ^ "Alex de Angelis' condition stabilizing". MotoGP.com. Dorna Sports. 15 October 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- ^ "Tito Rabat withdraws, Johann Zarco wins championship". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ^ "Johann Zarco is 2015 Moto2 world champion". Crash.net. Crash Media Group. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ^ Lewis, Lisa (11 October 2015). "Champion Zarco powers to damp Motegi win". Crash.net. Crash Media Group. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ^ Lewis, Lisa (11 October 2015). "Antonelli dominates for wet Motegi win". Crash.net. Crash Media Group. Retrieved 9 July 2016.