MotoGP Japanese GP: Marquez Beats Martin in Early Duel to Close Points Gap
Marquez completed a sprint-race double and moved to 331 points, while Martin finished second and Bezzecchi took third.
- On Sunday, October 4, 2026, Ducati Lenovo rider Marc Marquez won the Japanese Grand Prix at the Motegi Circuit, completing a sprint-race double after overtaking title rival Jorge Martin.
- Michelin withdrew the soft rear tyre option due to blistering concerns during Saturday's sprint, forcing the entire field to utilize the heat-resistant hard compound during the extended 20-minute warm-up session.
- On the 11th lap, Marquez exploited a sliver of space on Martin's inside at Turn 9, making the decisive pass stick to control the pace until the chequered flag.
- The victory sliced Martin's overall championship lead to two points, tightening the title battle with six events remaining in the 2026 season as both riders employ high-risk strategies.
- Martin maintained he possesses 'a good package to fight for the rest of the season' despite conceding that Marquez was the better rider on the day.
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90 Articles
The Spaniard Marc Márquez has added his fifth 'full' of the season by winning the sprint race and the MotoGP Japan Grand Prix on the circuit...
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…
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