MOTORCYCLING Live

0' Behind the podium places are Talmacsi, Debon, Honda man Shuhei Aoyama, Pasini and Thomas Luthi. All the top riders on Aprilias except the Aoyamas.

0' Bautista wins the 250cc race at the Japanese MotoGP from home rider Aoyama, with Pasini third.

1' No change in the top order as we enter the final lap.

2' Bautista looks set to break Japanese hearts after reigning champion Simoncelli was forced to drop back earlier in this race.

3' Pasini alone in third, while Talmacsi is equally alone in fourth. Wilairot has crashed somewhere and is being stretchered into an ambulance. Hope he's okay.

4' Bautista moving away a bit, enough to safeguard his position. Alex Baldolini does a flip after his Aprilia leaps from beneath him, but he will be okay.

5' Bautista moves past with five laps to go!! They are reaching the backmarkers too, just to complicate things!!

6' The gap is, in fact, 0.049. Bautista getting closer and closer, having a nip at him here and there.

7' Bautista will make a move at some point. The gap is very small and he is weighing up when to try and go past...

8' Pasini still third from Talmacsi. The sun still blazing down, but there are wet bits under the bridges...

9' Aoyama holding off Bautista as the fans will him on. It will be a fabulous battle in the final laps.

10' Following Talmacsi, in fifth, is Ratthapark Wilairot of Thailand.

11' Spaniard Alex Debon, who had passed Talmacsi, allows the Hungarian back past as he loses his line and enters the dirt!! He manages to get the bike back on track to continue, pushing it along with his legs...

12' Aprilia's Pasini behind the leaders with another Aprilia man Talmacsi - a 250s rookie - on his tail.

13' The Japanese fans go mad with their national flags as Aoyama leads from Bautista. They are a long way clear of the pack; and in comes Simoncelli for a tyre change. He shakes his head - he will be some way behind the rest when he rejoins: this ain't Formula One.

14' Bautista through into second and Simoncelli, he of the mad hair, is struggling.

15' But Aoyama drops him and takes the lead as Simoncelli makes a mistake!! He hit the kerb and may have punctured his front tyre... it looks deflated but he will have to battle on regardless.

16' Pesek dropping back while Bautista and Aoyama battle for second.

17' Raffaele de Rosa has been penalised for jumping the start. The shame for him is that he braked immediately and also lost places from the second row.

18' Frenchman Mike Di Meglio into the kitty litter and out of this race!! He slid out on the left side of the track.

19' Bautista, the lap record holder here at Motegi, makes a couple of moves to regain the spot he had at the start - third.

20' Jules Cluzel crashes out of the race and will not be able to continue.

21' Lukas Pesek was one of the other riders to make up early ground, shooting from 11th to fourth. Mattia Pasini follows ahead of Karel Abraham, who started down in 16th.

22' Marco Simoncelli remains in front ahead of Hiroshi Aoyama, although Alvaro Bautista has been passed by Gabor Talmacsi for third - up from seventh.

23' The race starts with little movement between the riders.

- Off they go on the warm-up lap.

- Here is the top 10, plus the Brits: 1. Iannone (Aprilia); 2. Simon (Aprilia); 3. Bradl (Aprilia); 4. Rabat (Aprilia); 5. Terol (Aprilia); 6. Aegerter (Derbi); 7. Smith (Aprilia); 8. Espargaro (Derbi); 9. Cortese (Derbi); 10. Marquez (KTM); 13. Webb (Aprilia); 11. Redding (Aprilia); 36. Hoyle (Haojue)

- Rain washed out qualifying so free practice determines the starting grid.

- Welcome to LIVE commentary from the 250cc class at the Japanese MotoGP!!