Marc Marquez wins Japanese MotoGP after battle with title rival Jorge Martin

After overcoming Jorge Martin at the start of Saturday’s sprint, Marc Marquez waited a little while longer before taking charge of Sunday’s Japanese MotoGP at Motegi. 

Second during the early stages of the Grand Prix, Marquez was able to respond every time Martin attempted to break away.

The Ducati star then produced a brilliant overtake around the mid-race point, diving to the inside of Martin at turn nine. 

Despite Martin’s best efforts to stay with Marquez, the 2024 world champion ultimately had no answer and was forced to settle for second position. 

Winning the Japanese Grand Prix looked very likely for Marquez following Saturday’s sprint, however, a major change was made ahead of the main race when Michelin removed the soft rear tyre from the allocation. 

Fears of extreme overheating meant riders could only choose between the unfavoured medium, or the hard rear.

With riders and teams having very little data of the hard rear throughout the weekend, it was unclear who the harder compound would suit.

Early on it looked as though the Aprilias adjusted to the hard casing better than anyone, but Marquez would soon show his potential. 

The nine-time world champion’s victory means he is now just two points back from Martin heading to Indonesia, where Aprilia is expected to hold an advantage over Ducati.

The final place on the podium went the way of Bezzecchi, who faced late pressure from Tech3 KTM’s Enea Bastianini.

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