News Summary
- Marc Márquez beat Jorge Martín by 1.363s to win the Japanese Grand Prix.
- Martín retains the championship lead with 333 points, just 2 ahead of Márquez.
- Marco Bezzecchi completed the podium, while Diogo Moreira and Álex Márquez failed to finish.
Marc Márquez won the Japanese MotoGP Grand Prix on Sunday, overtaking Jorge Martín midway through the race to complete a double at Motegi and reduce the championship gap to just 2 points.
The Ducati rider took the lead on lap 11 and controlled the remaining distance, finishing 1.363s ahead of Martín. Marco Bezzecchi completed the podium on the second factory Aprilia, narrowly holding off Enea Bastianini.
Martín leaves Japan with 333 points to Márquez’s 331. Having arrived with a 12-point advantage, the championship leader lost 5 points to his rival in each race across the weekend. Márquez had already reduced the deficit to 7 points with his Sprint victory.
Diogo Moreira’s Sunday ended with a crash at Turn 9 on the ninth lap. The LCR Honda rider had been running inside the top 10 after taking his first MotoGP Sprint podium on Saturday.
Martín leads early before Márquez takes control
Starting from pole, Martín held off Márquez through the opening corners, while Bezzecchi moved into third. Moreira initially slipped from ninth to tenth before recovering ground.
The race followed a weekend of uncertainty over Michelin’s rear tyres on Motegi’s new asphalt. After the soft rear was withdrawn and Michelin warned about the medium option, riders used the special hard rear alongside a medium front for the Grand Prix.
Martín established an early advantage, moving approximately six tenths clear by the third lap. Bezzecchi also threatened Márquez from behind as Aprilia showed strong pace during the opening stages.
Márquez began closing the gap from lap seven and was on Martín’s rear wheel by the eighth. The pair pulled away from the chasing group, turning the race into a direct contest between the championship’s leading contenders.
The decisive pass came on lap 11, when Márquez took the inside line and moved ahead. Martín stayed close through the second half of the race, but could not reclaim the position.
Marc Márquez overtakes Jorge Martín for the lead at Motegi. Video: MotoGP
Behind them, Bezzecchi faced a late challenge from Bastianini. The Tech3 KTM rider set the fastest lap of the race, a 1:43.041 on lap 23, but finished fourth, only 0.078s behind the Aprilia.
Raúl Fernández and home rider Ai Ogura took fifth and sixth for Trackhouse Aprilia. Pedro Acosta finished seventh, followed by Francesco Bagnaia, Fermín Aldeguer and Luca Marini.
Moreira crashes out as Álex Márquez also fails to finish
Moreira recovered ninth by passing Bagnaia and gained another position when Álex Márquez served his second long-lap penalty. The Gresini rider had received the double sanction for the Sprint crash involving Acosta and Fabio Di Giannantonio.
Moreira’s progress ended at Turn 9, where he crashed on lap nine. Álex Márquez also retired later in the race, leaving both riders outside the final classification.
Marini was the highest-finishing Honda rider in tenth, ahead of Brad Binder. Fabio Quartararo led Yamaha’s contingent in 12th, while Somkiat Chantra finished 13th and Maverick Viñales scored 2 points in 14th on his return from injury.
Franco Morbidelli claimed the final point in 15th. Álex Rins, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, Di Giannantonio and Jack Miller followed, with Johann Zarco classified 20th, two laps behind.
Japanese MotoGP 2026: full race results
| Pos. | Rider | Team/Bike | Laps/Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M MÁRQUEZ | Ducati | 24 laps |
| 2 | J MARTÍN | Aprilia | +1.363 |
| 3 | M BEZZECCHI | Aprilia | +2.252 |
| 4 | E BASTIANINI | Tech3 KTM | +2.330 |
| 5 | R FERNÁNDEZ | Trackhouse Aprilia | +14.815 |
| 6 | A OGURA | Trackhouse Aprilia | +15.210 |
| 7 | P ACOSTA | KTM | +16.928 |
| 8 | F BAGNAIA | Ducati | +20.333 |
| 9 | F ALDEGUER | Gresini Ducati | +23.545 |
| 10 | L MARINI | Honda | +25.677 |
| 11 | B BINDER | KTM | +25.853 |
| 12 | F QUARTARARO | Yamaha | +30.867 |
| 13 | S CHANTRA | Honda | +31.333 |
| 14 | M VIÑALES | Tech3 KTM | +33.995 |
| 15 | F MORBIDELLI | VR46 Ducati | +34.590 |
| 16 | A RINS | Yamaha | +39.228 |
| 17 | T RAZGATLIOĞLU | Pramac Yamaha | +39.562 |
| 18 | F DI GIANNANTONIO | VR46 Ducati | +50.816 |
| 19 | J MILLER | Pramac Yamaha | +1:11.127 |
| 20 | J ZARCO | LCR Honda | +2 laps |
| NC | A MÁRQUEZ | Gresini Ducati | Retired |
| NC | D MOREIRA | LCR Honda | Retired |
Winner’s race time: 41:31.467. Fastest lap: E BASTIANINI, 1:43.041 on lap 23.
MotoGP returns from 9–11 October at Mandalika for the Indonesian Grand Prix. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action throughout the weekend, alongside the World Championship’s support categories.
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.
