Marc Marquez wins in Japan and cuts gap to 2 points — BBC Sport

Marc Marquez won Sunday’s MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix race at Motegi and cut the gap to championship leader Jorge Martin to two points. The Spaniard also won Saturday’s sprint, scoring the maximum number of points for the weekend.

Battle for victory

Martin started from pole position and retained the lead after the start, but on lap 11 Marquez made an inside pass through a corner. After that, the Ducati rider held first place until the finish, while Martin took second position.

“The race was difficult, especially when I was behind Jorge, but I knew that if I could take the lead, my pace would be good,” said Marquez, as quoted by BBC Sport. According to him, after Martin’s attack, he slightly increased his pace, which allowed him to negotiate the final two laps more calmly.

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Championship standings

After the round, Marquez has 331 points, with six rounds remaining in the season. Martin, who became champion in 2024, leads his rival by only two points.

Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi finished third in Japan. He scored 284 points and retained his title chances, fending off a late-race attack from Tech3’s Enea Bastianini. Gresini’s Alex Marquez retired after a crash, having previously served a double long-lap penalty for his involvement in a three-rider collision in Saturday’s sprint.