MotoGP Japanese GP: Marquez Beats Martin in Early Duel to Close Points Gap
Marquez completed a sprint-race double and won his fourth Japanese Grand Prix, while Martin’s championship lead fell to two points, Reuters said.
- On Sunday, October 4, 2026, Ducati rider Marc Marquez won the Japanese Grand Prix at Twin Ring Motegi, completing a sprint-race double and cutting championship leader Jorge Martin's title advantage to two points.
- Following blistering in the Sprint, Michelin withdrew the soft rear tyre, forcing the entire field to use the hard compound during Sunday's race after testing it in an extended 20-minute warm-up session.
- Exploiting a sliver of space at Turn 9 on lap 11, Marquez executed a decisive overtake on Martin to seize the lead, which the reigning champion controlled until crossing the finish line.
- Marquez called the maximum points haul "very important," while Martin admitted that despite riding "almost perfectly," he "couldnt win" against the champion during the tight battle.
- This victory marks Marquez's sixth grand prix win of the 2026 season, achieved despite missing races in Le Mans and Catalonia to undergo foot and shoulder surgery.
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79 Articles
The MotoGP class of the World Championship was won by Spaniard Marc Marquez (Ducati), who beat rival Jorge Martin (Aprilia) by 1.363 seconds at the Motegi circuit.
Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) climbed on the third step of the podium, resisting Enea Bastianini (KTM-Tech3) in the last two laps. Martin took an excellent turn from pole position and kept his place ahead of Marc Marquez, unlike on Saturday when he was surprised at the second turn. Both riders broke out in the front and in the 11th lap, Marquez got into the first opening by making the inside of Martin to take the lead in the race. "The race was diff…
Marc Marquez wins the Japanese Grand Prix. The Ducati rider won the MotoGP World Championship in Montegi, crossing the finish line first in front of Jorge Martin's two Aprilias, who started from pole position, and Marco Bezzecchi. Marquez, after winning the Sprint on Saturday, is then repeated in the race [...] The MotoGP article in Japan, Marc Marquez wins ahead of Martin and Bezzecchi's Aprilia | Order of arrival and overall classification com…
The pulse between the two Spaniards for the title leaves both separated by only two points in the general ranking after the triumph of Ducati
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