Leading MotoGP riders have admitted they missed a trick by not trying the hard tyre earlier in the Japanese GP weekend - given that it proved to be by far the best option for the race. 
Some, including winner Marc Marquez, even went so far as to suggest the hard tyre would have been the best for qualifying laps. 
The hard tyre, with its reinforced casing, was only considered a contingency ...Keep reading

Source: Marc Marquez: 'We could have used the hard tyre for qualifying!'