Summary
- Jorge Martín leads Marc Márquez by seven points, with Marco Bezzecchi 45 behind.
- Aprilia Racing leads the teams’ championship by 119 points over Ducati.
- Aprilia’s constructors’ advantage is down to five points, while Moreira’s podium boosts Honda and LCR.
The 2026 MotoGP championship battle tightened after the Japanese Grand Prix Sprint, with Marc Márquez reducing Jorge Martín’s advantage from 12 points to seven. Márquez’s victory at Motegi also helped Ducati close on Aprilia in the constructors’ standings.
Martín remains first with 313 points, ahead of Márquez on 306. The Aprilia rider crossed the line second but was demoted to third for exceeding track limits on the final lap, increasing the points recovered by his rival.
Diogo Moreira benefited from penalties for Martín and Enea Bastianini to finish second. His nine-point haul brought him to 74 points, strengthening his hold on 14th in the riders’ championship and contributing to LCR Honda’s strongest result of the weekend so far.
The Sprint produced different consequences across the three MotoGP championships. Aprilia Racing retains a substantial teams’ lead, but the manufacturers’ contest is now separated by just five points.
Riders: Márquez moves within seven points of Martín
Márquez earned 12 points for victory, while Martín collected seven for third. The five-point swing leaves the Ducati rider close enough to take the championship lead on Sunday, depending on their finishing positions.
Marco Bezzecchi remains third with 268 points, but his deficit increased from 42 to 45 after finishing sixth in the Sprint. Pedro Acosta and Fabio Di Giannantonio failed to score following their opening-lap collision and remain fourth and fifth.
Ai Ogura’s fifth place brought him to 227 points, just three behind Di Giannantonio. Raúl Fernández remains seventh, while Bastianini’s six points moved him ahead of Luca Marini into 11th.
MotoGP 2026 riders’ standings after the Japanese Sprint
| Pos | Rider | Points | Behind leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | J MARTÍN | 313 | — |
| 2 | M MÁRQUEZ | 306 | 7 |
| 3 | M BEZZECCHI | 268 | 45 |
| 4 | P ACOSTA | 234 | 79 |
| 5 | F DI GIANNANTONIO | 230 | 83 |
| 6 | A OGURA | 227 | 86 |
| 7 | R FERNÁNDEZ | 205 | 108 |
| 8 | A MÁRQUEZ | 158 | 155 |
| 9 | F BAGNAIA | 156 | 157 |
| 10 | F ALDEGUER | 115 | 198 |
| 11 | E BASTIANINI | 103 | 210 |
| 12 | L MARINI | 98 | 215 |
| 13 | B BINDER | 94 | 219 |
| 14 | D MOREIRA | 74 | 239 |
| 15 | F QUARTARARO | 62 | 251 |
| 16 | F MORBIDELLI | 56 | 257 |
| 17 | J ZARCO | 48 | 265 |
| 18 | J MIR | 33 | 280 |
| 19 | J MILLER | 28 | 285 |
| 20 | A RINS | 24 | 289 |
| 21 | T RAZGATLIOĞLU | 18 | 295 |
| 22 | M VIÑALES | 10 | 303 |
| 23 | I LECUONA | 9 | 304 |
| 24 | A FERNÁNDEZ | 6 | 307 |
| 25 | P ESPARGARÓ | 5 | 308 |
| 26 | T NAKAGAMI | 3 | 310 |
Table includes all riders with championship points.
Teams: Aprilia Racing retains a commanding advantage
Aprilia Racing added 11 points through Martín’s third place and Bezzecchi’s sixth, bringing its total to 581. Ducati collected 12 through Márquez, with Francesco Bagnaia failing to score.
The factory Aprilia team therefore leads Ducati by 119 points, one fewer than before the Sprint. Trackhouse remains third with 432, after Ogura and Fernández combined for seven points.
LCR Honda added 12 points, matching Ducati’s Sprint haul through Moreira’s second place and Johann Zarco’s seventh. LCR now has 122 points, putting it just 12 behind the factory Honda team.
Tech3 remains ninth with 118 points, four behind LCR. The factory KTM squad and both Ducati satellite teams failed to score.
MotoGP 2026 teams’ standings after the Japanese Sprint
| Pos | Team | Points | Behind leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aprilia Racing | 581 | — |
| 2 | Ducati Lenovo | 462 | 119 |
| 3 | Trackhouse Aprilia | 432 | 149 |
| 4 | KTM Factory Racing | 328 | 253 |
| 5 | VR46 Ducati | 286 | 295 |
| 6 | Gresini Ducati | 282 | 299 |
| 7 | Honda HRC | 134 | 447 |
| 8 | LCR Honda | 122 | 459 |
| 9 | Tech3 KTM | 118 | 463 |
| 10 | Yamaha | 86 | 495 |
| 11 | Pramac Yamaha | 46 | 535 |
Constructors: Ducati closes to five points
The constructors’ championship counts only the highest-placed rider from each manufacturer in each race. Márquez therefore earned Ducati 12 points, while Martín contributed seven to Aprilia.
That reduced Aprilia’s advantage from ten points to five, with the Italian manufacturers now on 449 and 444 points respectively. Despite Aprilia having four riders in the Sprint’s top eight, its other results did not add to its constructors’ score.
Bastianini’s fourth place earned KTM six points, bringing it to 283. Moreira supplied Honda’s nine points, taking the Japanese manufacturer to 155, while Quartararo added one for Yamaha.
MotoGP 2026 constructors’ standings after the Japanese Sprint
| Pos | Constructor | Points | Behind leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aprilia | 449 | — |
| 2 | Ducati | 444 | 5 |
| 3 | KTM | 283 | 166 |
| 4 | Honda | 155 | 294 |
| 5 | Yamaha | 85 | 364 |
MotoGP returns to the track on Sunday, 4 October, at 14:00 in Japan, for the Japanese Grand Prix. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action at Motegi.
MotoGP today: FAQ
What time does the Japanese MotoGP race start?
The race starts on Sunday, 4 October, at 14:00 JST: 06:00 BST in the UK, 01:00 EDT in eastern US and Canada, 10:30 IST in India and 16:00 AEDT in Sydney and Melbourne. In Los Angeles and Vancouver, it begins at 22:00 PDT on Saturday, 3 October.
Can Marc Márquez take the MotoGP championship lead in Japan?
Yes. Márquez trails Jorge Martín by seven points after winning Saturday’s Sprint. If Márquez wins Sunday’s race and Martín finishes third or lower, Márquez takes the lead. Second place for Márquez and fourth for Martín would also be enough: they would draw level on points, with Márquez ahead on the Grand Prix victory tiebreak.
Why has Michelin withdrawn the soft rear tyre at Motegi?
Michelin withdrew the soft rear tyre after problems during Saturday’s Sprint, including those affecting Jorge Martín and Francesco Bagnaia. The medium and hard options remain available, but Michelin recommends the hard and has warned that the medium still carries risks.
How far behind Jorge Martín is Marc Márquez?
Márquez trails Martín by seven points after the Japanese Sprint. Martín has 313 points and Márquez 306.
