Marc Márquez claimed a commanding victory in the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, finishing ahead of Jorge Martín and Marco Bezzecchi. The result is particularly important for the championship, with Márquez cutting Martín’s lead to just two points.
Martín made the best start from pole position and led into the first corner, with Márquez and Bezzecchi behind him. Pedro Acosta lost several positions immediately, while Álex Márquez moved into fourth early in the race.
Tyre choice was a major factor. Following concerns about rear-tyre overheating during Saturday’s Sprint, the soft rear tyre was not available, meaning all riders opted for the hard compound.
Martín initially appeared comfortable at the front, setting a strong pace. Acosta, meanwhile, began losing ground and was overtaken by Enea Bastianini before dropping further down the order.
Márquez increases the pace
After a cautious opening phase, Márquez began to turn up the pace. On lap four he set the fastest lap, while Bezzecchi remained close to the two leaders.
Bezzecchi briefly responded with the fastest lap himself, but Márquez continued closing on Martín. By the following lap, the Ducati rider had reduced the gap from around half a second to just over three tenths.
The race then lost Diogo Moreira, who crashed at Turn 9 on lap nine. The Brazilian had achieved his first MotoGP podium in Saturday’s Sprint but was unable to finish Sunday’s race.
At the front, Martín and Márquez continued increasing their pace, while Bezzecchi began to struggle and lost some ground after running wide at Turn 3.
The decisive move at Turn 9
Márquez gradually closed in on Martín before making his decisive attack on lap 11.
The Ducati rider braked extremely late into Turn 9 and successfully passed Martín for the lead. Martín attempted to respond immediately, but on the following lap he ran onto the green at the exit of the same corner.
That allowed Márquez to establish a gap. By lap 16, the advantage was approaching one second.
Behind them, Bezzecchi began closing back in on Martín, bringing the battle for second place back to life.
Acosta also launched an important recovery, passing Ai Ogura at Turn 10 to move into sixth and rejoin the fight for the top five.
Bastianini fights for the podium
With six laps remaining, Márquez effectively secured control of the race by setting another fastest lap.
The fight behind him remained intense, particularly for the final podium position. Enea Bastianini was one of the strongest riders in the closing stages, pushing hard from fourth place and setting the fastest lap on lap 20 before improving it again one lap later.
Several incidents then changed the complexion of the race. Álex Márquez, Jack Miller and Johann Zarco all crashed separately in the closing stages.
At the start of the final lap, Bastianini was extremely close to Bezzecchi and had a realistic chance of taking third. However, he nearly made contact with the Aprilia rider at Turn 10, losing his opportunity to challenge for the podium.
Márquez takes the win
Márquez comfortably crossed the finish line to take a major victory at Motegi, with Martín second and Bezzecchi third.
Bastianini finished fourth, just missing the podium. Raúl Fernández took fifth after a close battle involving teammate Ai Ogura and Pedro Acosta.
Acosta eventually finished seventh, while Francesco Bagnaia crossed the line eighth. Fermín Aldeguer and Luca Marini completed the top ten.
The victory gives Márquez another major boost in the championship fight. Martín remains the leader, but the gap has now been reduced to only two points, with Márquez on 331 and Martín on 333 after Motegi.
Overall, Márquez’s Motegi performance was built around patience, tyre management and a perfectly timed attack on Martín. He waited for the right opportunity, made the decisive move at Turn 9 and then controlled the race to the chequered flag.