The 2026 MotoGP World Championship has effectively been reset.
Marc Marquez completed a sensational Japanese Grand Prix weekend by defeating championship leader Jorge Martin at Motegi, taking his second victory of the weekend and reducing Martin’s championship advantage to just TWO POINTS.
After winning Saturday’s Sprint, the Ducati Lenovo rider produced another masterclass in Sunday’s 24-lap Grand Prix.
Martin started from pole and made the better launch, leading Marquez into the opening stages.
With tyre degradation having caused major concerns during Saturday’s Sprint, the entire MotoGP grid elected to race with the hard rear tyre on Sunday.
That created an intriguing strategic battle between the two championship protagonists.
MARTIN VS MARQUEZ
Martin controlled the opening ten laps, but Marquez remained firmly attached to the Aprilia.
By Lap 10, the pair had started breaking away from Marco Bezzecchi in third.
Then came the decisive moment.
On Lap 11 at Turn 9, Marquez attacked.
The #93 Ducati went up the inside of Martin, secured the apex and took control of the Japanese Grand Prix.
Martin attempted to respond and remained close enough to keep Marquez under pressure, but the reigning World Champion had enough pace in reserve.
Marquez eventually crossed the line 1.363 seconds ahead of Martin, with Bezzecchi completing the podium for Aprilia.
BASTIANINI ALMOST STEALS THE PODIUM
While the championship leaders fought at the front, one of the most spectacular late-race performances came from Enea Bastianini.
The Tech3 KTM rider produced a sequence of extremely fast laps and rapidly closed on Bezzecchi.
Bastianini recorded four consecutive fastest laps during his late charge, but ran out of laps before he could challenge successfully for third.
Bezzecchi held on.
Behind them, Raul Fernandez won a fierce battle for fifth ahead of Japanese hero Ai Ogura and Pedro Acosta.
Francesco Bagnaia recovered to eighth, followed by Fermin Aldeguer and Luca Marini completing the top ten.
MARQUEZ’S 79TH MOTOGP VICTORY
The Motegi victory was Marquez’s 79th MotoGP premier-class win and his fourth Japanese Grand Prix victory at the circuit.
But the championship mathematics are far more important.
After Japan:
Jorge Martin – 333 points
Marc Marquez – 331 points
Two points.
That’s it.
