News Summary
- Enea Bastianini finished fourth at Motegi, just 0.078s behind Marco Bezzecchi.
- The Tech3 rider set the fastest lap and rediscovered confidence with the hard rear tyre.
- Work following Pedro Acosta’s Austrian victory helped Bastianini understand how to recover his speed.
Enea Bastianini described the Japanese Grand Prix as a breakthrough after finishing fourth and missing the podium by just 0.078 seconds. The Tech3 KTM rider’s late charge brought back the confidence and control he had been searching for during a difficult season.
Bastianini was the fastest rider in the closing stages of Sunday’s MotoGP race, repeatedly improving his lap times as he closed on Marco Bezzecchi. His final attack fell short, but the performance gave him his best Grand Prix result of 2026.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time! To be able to ride like that,” Bastianini said after the race.
Four fast laps bring Bastianini within reach of the podium
Bastianini’s strength emerged as the race progressed. After losing time getting past Pedro Acosta, he increased his pace through the second half and began reducing the gap to the leading group.
His final four laps were progressively quicker: 1:43.198, 1:43.189, 1:43.128 and 1:43.041. The last of those was the fastest lap of the race, but Bezzecchi retained third at the finish.
The full Japanese Grand Prix results put Bastianini 2.330s behind winner Marc Márquez. Acosta finished seventh, making the Tech3 rider KTM’s leading finisher.
The fourth place followed another near miss in Saturday’s Sprint, when a final-corner track-limits infringement cost Bastianini a podium position.
Hard rear tyre restores confidence
Sunday’s hard rear tyre was central to Bastianini’s improved feeling. He found it effective immediately in warm-up, giving him confidence in the choice for the Grand Prix.
The preparation followed a weekend of uncertainty over Michelin’s allocation. The supplier withdrew the soft rear after Saturday’s problems, while the longer warm-up allowed riders to evaluate the hard before racing.
Speaking after the finish, Bastianini explained that he could still push late in the race. Rather than simply preserving the tyre, he felt able to increase his effort as the podium came within reach.
His initial disappointment at missing third gave way to satisfaction with how he had ridden. The result mattered because he understood the speed he was producing and felt in control of the bike again.
Acosta’s Austrian performance provides a reference
Bastianini linked the improvement to work undertaken after Acosta’s victory in Austria. Seeing the factory rider’s competitiveness prompted him and Tech3 to study where they were losing performance and how to recover it.
“It’s too early to say we’re back to those days, but at this circuit we were competitive,” Bastianini said.
Mandalika will test whether that progress carries over. The Indonesian circuit brings different asphalt, tyres and temperatures, so Bastianini stopped short of presenting Motegi as proof that every difficulty had been resolved.
He nevertheless leaves Japan with a stronger foundation than he had before the weekend: a competitive race, a better understanding of his performance and 116 points, placing him 11th in the championship.
MotoGP returns from 9–11 October for the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action.
MotoGP today: FAQ
Who won the Japanese MotoGP race today?
Marc Márquez won the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, finishing 1.363s ahead of Jorge Martín. Marco Bezzecchi completed the podium, while Márquez secured a weekend double after also winning Saturday’s Sprint.
Who leads the MotoGP championship after the Japanese GP?
Jorge Martín remains the MotoGP championship leader with 333 points, just 2 ahead of Marc Márquez on 331. Márquez’s two victories in Japan reduced the gap from 12 points at the start of the weekend.
When is the next MotoGP race?
The next MotoGP race is the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika on Sunday, 11 October 2026. The weekend runs from 9–11 October.
