Marc Márquez turned the Japanese GP into a statement weekend, completing a clean sweep at Motegi to move within just two points of Jorge Martín in the 2026 MotoGP championship.
After winning Saturday’s Sprint, Márquez followed it up with victory in Sunday’s 24-lap Grand Prix, overcoming pole-sitter Martín in the opening half of the race before controlling the gap to the chequered flag. Martín finished second, while Aprilia teammate Marco Bezzecchi survived a late charge from Enea Bastianini to take the final podium position.
The result gave Márquez his 79th MotoGP victory and his fourth premier-class win at Motegi. More importantly, his 25 points reduced Martín’s championship advantage from 14 points to just two heading into the Indonesian Grand Prix.
Martín Gets the Better Start
Starting from pole, Martín made the strongest getaway and immediately placed his Aprilia at the front. Márquez settled into second, while Bezzecchi moved into third.
Behind them, Pedro Acosta’s race became difficult almost immediately. The Austrian Grand Prix winner started on the outside of the front row but slipped to fifth before falling further down the order on the second lap as Enea Bastianini, Raúl Fernández and Ai Ogura moved ahead.
Álex Márquez also had work to do after being handed a double Long Lap penalty for his involvement in Saturday’s Sprint incident. He served the first penalty on Lap 5 and the second two laps later, dropping from fifth to ninth in the process.
Márquez Turns Up the Pressure at Motegi
Martín continued to lead through the opening ten laps, but Márquez remained close enough to threaten. By Lap 10, the gap between the two championship rivals and Bezzecchi had grown to 1.9 seconds. Martín and Márquez were trading the fastest laps of the race, with neither able to establish a decisive advantage.
Then, on Lap 11, Márquez made his move. The Ducati rider attacked Martín at Turn 9, positioning his bike firmly on the inside and completing the pass for the lead. Martín stayed close initially, but Márquez began to stretch the gap over the following laps.
By Lap 15, Márquez had opened up an advantage of around eight-tenths of a second.
Martín responded on Lap 16, finally recording a lap quicker than his rival and trimming the deficit slightly. He continued to apply pressure, but Márquez remained just far enough ahead to prevent an immediate counterattack.
Márquez Keeps Control
Rather than allowing Martín back into striking distance, Márquez responded with another burst of pace. Martín was unable to close the gap significantly, leaving Márquez free to manage the final stages of the race.
The fight for third was considerably more dramatic.
Bezzecchi had occupied the final podium position for much of the race, but Bastianini began producing increasingly quick laps as the finish approached. The KTM Tech3 rider set four consecutive fastest laps while closing on Bezzecchi.
Bastianini eventually arrived within striking distance, but Bezzecchi held his position through the final lap to secure third. Bastianini’s fourth place was nevertheless an impressive recovery and capped a strong weekend for the Tech3 rider.
At the front, Márquez crossed the line 1.363 seconds ahead of Martín, completing his second victory of the weekend.
A Perfect Response
The result was particularly important for Márquez after the championship momentum had shifted toward Martín in recent rounds. Motegi provided the perfect response. Márquez won both the Sprint and Grand Prix, taking the maximum 37 points available across the weekend.
“I’m really happy with the 37 points we were able to score this weekend, because that was the goal,” Márquez said after the race.
The Ducati rider also credited the feeling he has found with the bike since Aragón, while acknowledging that Austria had been an exception.
For Ducati, the weekend carried another milestone. Márquez’s Grand Prix victory was his 20th MotoGP win with Ducati, contributing to Gigi Dall’Igna’s 100th MotoGP victory as Ducati’s General Manager. Among Ducati riders during the Dall’Igna era, Francesco Bagnaia remains the leading winner with 31 victories, followed by Márquez on 20.
Fernández Wins the Fight Behind
Further down the order, Raúl Fernández emerged from a closely fought battle for fifth. The Trackhouse rider finished ahead of home favourite Ai Ogura, with Acosta recovering to seventh after his difficult opening laps.
Francesco Bagnaia took eighth, while Fermín Aldeguer and Luca Marini completed the top ten. Brad Binder, Fabio Quartararo, Somkiat Chantra, Maverick Viñales and Franco Morbidelli rounded out the points-paying positions.
Álex Márquez ultimately failed to finish, while Diogo Moreira was also classified as a non-finisher following his own crash earlier in the race.
Two Points Separate the Title Rivals
The championship is now entering its most intense phase. Martín leaves Japan still at the top of the standings with 333 points, but Márquez has closed to 331. Bezzecchi remains third on 284 points, 49 behind Martín.
For Martín, second place limited the damage on a weekend when Marquez collected every available point. For Márquez, however, the result represents a huge shift after arriving at Motegi 14 points behind his title rival.
The next stop is Indonesia, where the championship fight will continue at the Mandalika International Circuit.
Feature Image courtesy of Ducati Lenovo Team