MOTEGI, Japan (Reuters) – The Japanese Grand Prix was red-flagged halfway through the race on Sunday due to torrential rain that made conditions treacherous for the riders.
Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin was in the lead with Ducati’s championship leader Francesco Bagnaia in second and Honda’s Marc Marquez in third.
If the race does not restart, riders will get full points as they had run half the distance, leaving Bagnaia in the championship lead.
Riders had a nervy start when rain began falling just as the race got underway. Race directors waved the white flag, allowing riders to swap their bikes, and almost everyone came in, except the Yamahas.
The gamble failed for Yamaha as they eventually fell behind while Martin recovered from an error and scythed his way through the pack to take the lead and increase his chances of taking the lead from Bagnaia in the riders championship.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by William Mallard)
