Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia delivered a masterful performance at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, securing a dominant Tissot Sprint victory. The two-time World Champion finished 1.8 seconds ahead of his teammate, Marc Marquez, who took a significant step toward the 2025 MotoGP World Championship with his second-place finish. The title race tightened considerably as Marquez’s main rival, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing), finished tenth and failed to score points. Pedro Acosta of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing completed the podium in third.
Starting from pole, Bagnaia launched into an immediate lead. The race began dramatically behind him, as a Turn 1 incident took both Aprilia Racing riders, Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi, out of contention. Replays showed Martin losing control under braking and making contact with Bezzecchi. The crash resulted in a broken collarbone for Martin, forcing his withdrawal from Sunday’s Grand Prix.
As Bagnaia steadily built his lead on the opening lap, Acosta overtook Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) for second place. Marc Marquez, initially battling with his former HRC teammate Mir, found himself in fourth. While Bagnaia extended his advantage to over 1.6 seconds at the front, Marquez engaged in a fierce fight for the final podium spot.
With four laps remaining, Marquez executed an aggressive pass on Mir at Turn 10 to move into third. A lap later, at the same corner, he decisively overtook Acosta for second position. Meanwhile, title contender Alex Marquez fell to tenth place, outside of the points-scoring positions.
Bagnaia entered the final lap with an insurmountable lead, crossing the line to claim his first Sprint win of the season in commanding fashion. Marc Marquez solidified his second-place finish, while Acosta successfully defended third from a charging Mir, who finished fourth. Mir’s result marked a strong Saturday for Honda on home soil.
Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) finished fifth, followed by Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) in sixth and Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) in seventh. Raul Fernandez and his Trackhouse teammate Ai Ogura secured eighth and ninth, with Ogura denying Alex Marquez the final point.
The Sprint result has significant championship implications heading into Sunday’s Grand Prix. Marc Marquez can now clinch the 2025 MotoGP title with a second-place finish, regardless of other results. To keep his championship hopes alive and extend the fight to the next round, Alex Marquez must finish ahead of his brother.
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