The 16th round of the Moto3 World Championship at Honda’s home circuit, Motegi saw the Honda riders battle together throughout the 17-lap race, with Leopard Racing’s Adrian Fernandez, GRYD Racing’s Eddie O'Shea and Veda Pratama all taking turns leading the tightly contested group on the fringes of the top ten.

The Japanese round of the World Championship got underway under overcast skies but without any threat of rain, allowing the Honda riders to focus on fighting their way up the order.

Sadly, Honda Team Asia’s Zen Mitani was handed a long-lap penalty for a jump start, dropping him outside the top 20 and leaving him unable to recover. Meanwhile, Rivacold Snipers Team’s Kiattisak Singhapong became the first retirement of the race after crashing at the start of lap two.

Twelve laps into the race, Guido Pini suffered a highside crash that ended the Leopard Racing rider’s challenge while battling for the final points-paying positions. Thankfully, the Italian walked away unaided.

After spending most of the race as the leading Honda rider, Fernandez was displaced as the battle for 11th place intensified during the closing stages. O'Shea took charge, but just before the start of the final lap, the British rider crashed out, paving the way for Pratama to launch his bid for top Honda honours.

The Indonesian rider duly made the move stick and held on to secure 11th place at the chequered flag, finishing less than a tenth of a second away from a top-ten result. Fernandez ultimately crossed the line in 13th.

SIC58 Squadra Corse’s Casey O'Gorman, who demonstrated excellent racecraft throughout the battle for the final points-paying positions, finished 15th to claim a valuable championship point, an impressive achievement after starting 22nd on the grid.

The remaining GRYD Racing rider, Joel Kelso, missed out on a points finish by less than a second and was classified 17th, ahead of Rivacold Snipers Team’s Jesus Rios in 19th. His team-mate, Leo Rammerstorfer, retired on the penultimate lap, while Mitani eventually crossed the finish line in 21st and will be aiming to bounce back at the next round of the season.

Round 17 of the Moto3 World Championship will see the Honda riders take on the challenge of Mandalika for the Indonesian Grand Prix next weekend, from 9-11 October.