Marc Márquez reveals turning point behind Motegi win as Martín’s lead shrinks to two points

News Summary

Marc Márquez identifies Aragón as the turning point in his recent improvement.
The Ducati rider beat Jorge Martín at Motegi to complete a Sprint and Grand Prix double.
Martín leads the championship by just two points ahead of next weekend’s Indonesian GP.

Marc Márquez identified the improved feeling he has developed since Aragón as the foundation of his Japanese Grand Prix victory, which brought him within two points of Jorge Martín at the top of the MotoGP standings.

The Ducati rider left Motegi with all 37 available points, following Saturday’s Sprint success with victory in Sunday’s main race. His Japanese GP double tightened the championship fight ahead of the trip to Indonesia.

Speaking after the race at Motegi, Márquez pointed to the progress made over recent rounds rather than treating his Japanese performance as an isolated result.

“Since Aragon the feeling was great. We just had a small problem in Austria, but we were there again,” Márquez said.

That assessment puts his victory in the context of a growing understanding of the Ducati. He felt competitive from Friday in Japan, with a small adjustment for the Sprint helping him become more comfortable as the weekend progressed.

Márquez had to change his plan against Martín

Sunday required a different approach from the Sprint. Márquez had wanted to establish himself at the front immediately, but Martín retained the lead at the start and forced his rival to follow.

The opening laps also involved learning how the hard rear tyre behaved over a race distance. Michelin had withdrawn the soft rear following Saturday’s problems, leaving riders to evaluate the hard option in the extended Sunday warm-up before committing to it for the Grand Prix.

Márquez overtook Martín at Turn 9 on lap 11, then managed the gap through the second half of the race. Martín remained close enough to apply pressure, but the Ducati rider reached the finish 1.363 seconds ahead.

Marco Bezzecchi completed the podium, giving Aprilia second and third behind Márquez. Enea Bastianini finished fourth for Tech3 KTM, ahead of Raúl Fernández and Ai Ogura.

Indonesia is the next test

The result leaves Martín on 333 points and Márquez on 331, with Bezzecchi third on 284. The updated championship standings after Japan also show Ducati and Aprilia level on 469 points in the constructors’ competition.

Márquez now heads to a circuit where he has yet to finish a premier-class Grand Prix. Mandalika will therefore test whether his recent improvement can translate into another strong result at a venue with a very different character from Motegi.

MotoGP returns next weekend, 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.