{"id":3360,"date":"2026-10-04T02:50:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T05:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=3360"},"modified":"2026-10-04T03:14:59","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T06:14:59","slug":"marc-marquez-beats-martin-in-japan-to-leave-motogp-title-fight-just-2-points-apart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/marc-marquez-beats-martin-in-japan-to-leave-motogp-title-fight-just-2-points-apart\/","title":{"rendered":"Marc M\u00e1rquez beats Mart\u00edn in Japan to leave MotoGP title fight just 2 points apart"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Marc M\u00e1rquez beat Jorge Mart\u00edn by 1.363s to win the Japanese Grand Prix.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mart\u00edn retains the championship lead with 333 points, just 2 ahead of M\u00e1rquez.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Marco Bezzecchi completed the podium, while Diogo Moreira and \u00c1lex M\u00e1rquez failed to finish.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marc M\u00e1rquez won the Japanese <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">MotoGP<\/a> Grand Prix on Sunday, overtaking Jorge Mart\u00edn midway through the race to complete a double at Motegi and <strong>reduce the championship gap to just 2 points<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Ducati rider took the lead on lap 11 and controlled the remaining distance, finishing <strong>1.363s ahead of Mart\u00edn<\/strong>. Marco Bezzecchi completed the podium on the second factory Aprilia, narrowly holding off Enea Bastianini.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mart\u00edn leaves Japan with <strong>333 points to M\u00e1rquez\u2019s 331<\/strong>. Having arrived with a 12-point advantage, the championship leader lost 5 points to his rival in each race across the weekend. M\u00e1rquez had already <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/marc-marquez-cuts-martins-lead-to-7-points-as-ducati-closes-on-aprilia\/\">reduced the deficit to 7 points with his Sprint victory<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Diogo Moreira\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"645\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jorge-martin-motogp-motegi-1024x645.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1020317017\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jorge-martin-motogp-motegi-1024x645.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jorge-martin-motogp-motegi-300x189.jpg 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jorge-martin-motogp-motegi-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jorge-martin-motogp-motegi-150x95.jpg 150w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jorge-martin-motogp-motegi.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jorge Mart\u00edn (Photo: Michelin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mart\u00edn leads early before M\u00e1rquez takes control<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Starting from pole, Mart\u00edn held off M\u00e1rquez through the opening corners, while Bezzecchi moved into third. Moreira initially slipped from ninth to tenth before recovering ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race followed a weekend of uncertainty over Michelin\u2019s rear tyres on Motegi\u2019s new asphalt. After <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/michelin-bans-motegis-soft-tyre-but-warns-the-medium-is-still-risky\/\">the soft rear was withdrawn and Michelin warned about the medium option<\/a>, riders used the special hard rear alongside a medium front for the Grand Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mart\u00edn established an early advantage, moving approximately six tenths clear by the third lap. Bezzecchi also threatened M\u00e1rquez from behind as Aprilia showed strong pace during the opening stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video class=\"video-js vjs-big-play-centered\" data-gp-vjs=\"1\" controls src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio-portal.b-cdn.net\/2026\/10\/largada-motogp-motegi.mp4\"><\/video><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jorge Mart\u00edn retains the lead at the start of the Japanese Grand Prix (Video: MotoGP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">M\u00e1rquez began closing the gap from lap seven and was on Mart\u00edn\u2019s rear wheel by the eighth. The pair pulled away from the chasing group, turning the race into a direct contest between the championship\u2019s leading contenders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The decisive pass came on lap 11<\/strong>, when M\u00e1rquez took the inside line and moved ahead. Mart\u00edn stayed close through the second half of the race, but could not reclaim the position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marc M\u00e1rquez overtakes Jorge Mart\u00edn for the lead at Motegi. Video: MotoGP<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Behind them, Bezzecchi faced a late challenge from Bastianini. The Tech3 KTM rider set the fastest lap of the race, a <strong>1:43.041 on lap 23<\/strong>, but finished fourth, only 0.078s behind the Aprilia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ra\u00fal Fern\u00e1ndez and home rider Ai Ogura took fifth and sixth for Trackhouse Aprilia. Pedro Acosta finished seventh, followed by Francesco Bagnaia, Ferm\u00edn Aldeguer and Luca Marini.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Moreira crashes out as \u00c1lex M\u00e1rquez also fails to finish<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreira recovered ninth by passing Bagnaia and gained another position when \u00c1lex M\u00e1rquez served his second long-lap penalty. The Gresini rider had received <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/alex-marquez-punished-after-motegi-crash-takes-out-acosta-and-di-giannantonio\/\">the double sanction for the Sprint crash involving Acosta and Fabio Di Giannantonio<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreira\u2019s progress ended at Turn 9, where he crashed on lap nine. \u00c1lex M\u00e1rquez also retired later in the race, leaving both riders outside the final classification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marini was the highest-finishing Honda rider in tenth, ahead of Brad Binder. Fabio Quartararo led Yamaha\u2019s contingent in 12th, while Somkiat Chantra finished 13th and Maverick Vi\u00f1ales scored 2 points in 14th on his return from injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Franco Morbidelli claimed the final point in 15th. \u00c1lex Rins, Toprak Razgatl\u0131o\u011flu, Di Giannantonio and Jack Miller followed, with Johann Zarco classified 20th, two laps behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Japanese MotoGP 2026: full race results<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Pos.<\/th><th>Rider<\/th><th>Team\/Bike<\/th><th>Laps\/Time<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>1<\/td><td>M M\u00c1RQUEZ<\/td><td>Ducati<\/td><td>24 laps<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2<\/td><td>J MART\u00cdN<\/td><td>Aprilia<\/td><td>+1.363<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3<\/td><td>M BEZZECCHI<\/td><td>Aprilia<\/td><td>+2.252<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4<\/td><td>E BASTIANINI<\/td><td>Tech3 KTM<\/td><td>+2.330<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5<\/td><td>R FERN\u00c1NDEZ<\/td><td>Trackhouse Aprilia<\/td><td>+14.815<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6<\/td><td>A OGURA<\/td><td>Trackhouse Aprilia<\/td><td>+15.210<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>7<\/td><td>P ACOSTA<\/td><td>KTM<\/td><td>+16.928<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>8<\/td><td>F BAGNAIA<\/td><td>Ducati<\/td><td>+20.333<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>9<\/td><td>F ALDEGUER<\/td><td>Gresini Ducati<\/td><td>+23.545<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>10<\/td><td>L MARINI<\/td><td>Honda<\/td><td>+25.677<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>11<\/td><td>B BINDER<\/td><td>KTM<\/td><td>+25.853<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>12<\/td><td>F QUARTARARO<\/td><td>Yamaha<\/td><td>+30.867<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>13<\/td><td>S CHANTRA<\/td><td>Honda<\/td><td>+31.333<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>14<\/td><td>M VI\u00d1ALES<\/td><td>Tech3 KTM<\/td><td>+33.995<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>15<\/td><td>F MORBIDELLI<\/td><td>VR46 Ducati<\/td><td>+34.590<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>16<\/td><td>A RINS<\/td><td>Yamaha<\/td><td>+39.228<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>17<\/td><td>T RAZGATLIO\u011eLU<\/td><td>Pramac Yamaha<\/td><td>+39.562<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>18<\/td><td>F DI GIANNANTONIO<\/td><td>VR46 Ducati<\/td><td>+50.816<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>19<\/td><td>J MILLER<\/td><td>Pramac Yamaha<\/td><td>+1:11.127<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>20<\/td><td>J ZARCO<\/td><td>LCR Honda<\/td><td>+2 laps<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>NC<\/td><td>A M\u00c1RQUEZ<\/td><td>Gresini Ducati<\/td><td>Retired<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>NC<\/td><td>D MOREIRA<\/td><td>LCR Honda<\/td><td>Retired<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Winner\u2019s race time: 41:31.467. Fastest lap: E BASTIANINI, 1:43.041 on lap 23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MotoGP returns from <strong>9\u201311 October at Mandalika for the Indonesian Grand Prix<\/strong>. <strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> will cover all the action throughout the weekend, alongside the World Championship\u2019s support categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">MotoGP today: FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who won the Japanese MotoGP race today?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marc M\u00e1rquez won the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, finishing 1.363s ahead of Jorge Mart\u00edn. Marco Bezzecchi completed the podium, while M\u00e1rquez secured a weekend double after also winning Saturday\u2019s Sprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who leads the MotoGP championship after the Japanese GP?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jorge Mart\u00edn remains the MotoGP championship leader with 333 points, just 2 ahead of Marc M\u00e1rquez on 331. M\u00e1rquez\u2019s two victories in Japan reduced the gap from 12 points at the start of the weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When is the next MotoGP race?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next MotoGP race is the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika on Sunday, 11 October 2026. The weekend runs from 9\u201311 October.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Marc M\u00e1rquez completed a Motegi double ahead of Jorge Mart\u00edn and Marco Bezzecchi, while Diogo Moreira crashed out after his breakthrough Sprint podium.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020317005,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Marc M\u00e1rquez","42wp_featured_image_credits":"AFP","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":140,"location":""}],"footnotes":"","42wp_breaking_news":false},"categories":[38],"tags":[586,52,104,713],"42wp_author":[140],"class_list":["post-3360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-motogp","tag-japanese-gp","tag-jorge-martin","tag-marc-marquez","tag-motogp-race-results","42wp_author-kaio-esteves"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3360"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3360\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3361,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3360\/revisions\/3361"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020317005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3360"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=3360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}