MotoGP Japanese GP: Marquez beats Martin in early duel to close points gap
Marquez earned his sixth win of the 2026 season after a lap 11 pass and stretched the championship margin to two points.
- Ducati's Marc Marquez won the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, October 4, 2026, at Motegi Circuit, securing his 79th premier class win and cutting Jorge Martin's championship lead to 2 points.
- Polesitter Jorge Martin led the opening laps after every rider opted for hard rear tyres following Saturday's tyre drama during the extended 20-minute warm-up session.
- Marquez executed a decisive move on lap 11 to take the lead, then controlled the race to pull clear; Marco Bezzecchi fended off Enea Bastianini for third place in a tight scrap until the final lap.
- Martin conceded Marquez was the better rider on the day, admitting "a good package to fight for the rest of the season" proved insufficient. Marquez called the victory "very important" to maximize weekend points.
- With six events remaining in the 2026 season, Martin retains a narrow 2-point lead, setting up a continued championship battle between the two riders for the remainder of the calendar.
19 Articles
19 Articles
The pulse between the two Spaniards for the title leaves both separated by only two points in the general ranking after the triumph of Ducati
The Catalan driver scores a spectacular one-two in Japan and is only two points away from first place in the general standings.
Seven-time world champion Marc Marquez won the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi to come within two points of overall leader Jorge Martin. The Spaniard started from second place but on the 11th of 24 laps he overtook Martin and took control of the race. The Ducati Lenovo rider finished in 41:31.460 minutes, recording the 171st podium of his career. Jorge Martin on Aprilia Racing finished second, 1.363 seconds behind the winner. Third place went to h…
Motorcycling-Marquez wins Japanese GP to cut Martin's lead
MOTEGI, Japan, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Ducati's Marc Marquez won his fourth Japanese Grand Prix to complete a sprint-race double at the Motegi Circuit on Sunday and cut title rival Jorge Martin's championship lead to two points.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 38% of the sources lean Left, 37% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
