MotoGP Japanese GP: Marc Marquez beats Jorge Martin in early duel to close in on points lead

Marc Marquez defeated Jorge Martin in a straight battle to claim victory in the Japanese Grand Prix and move within two points of the MotoGP championship leader.

After a commanding sprint win on Saturday, Ducati star Marquez had to work hard to complete a double at Motegi, with polesitter Martin resisting intense pressure to hold station.

But the reigning world champion pulled off a brilliant move on Martin just before the halfway point and then streaked clear to score his sixth win of the 2026 MotoGP season. 

Martin had to settle for second position, while team-mate Marco Bezzecchi fended off a late attack from Enea Bastianini to complete the podium.

At the start of the race, Martin pulled away cleanly from pole position to lead into Turn 1, with Marquez unable to replicate his sprint move and staying in second.

Meanwhile, Austrian GP winner Pedro Acosta slipped from third to fifth in the first sequences of corners, allowing Bezzecchi to slot in directly behind his title rivals.

The trio remained within a second of each other for the first quarter of the race, trading the fastest laps between themselves as the victory fight remained wide open.

But Marquez upped the ante on lap 7 and began mounting serious pressure on Martin, just as Bezzecchi started losing touch with the leading duo.

Martin initially did well to keep the reigning world champion at bay, not putting a foot wrong on the Aprilia to maintain the status quo.

But on lap 11, Marquez pulled the pin and sent his Ducati up the inside at Turn 9, making the move stick to hit the front for the first time.

Martin initially managed to match Marquez’s pace, with the 2024 champion keen on not letting his rivals get away.

But over the following seven laps, Marquez was able to extend his advantage to a second, before cruising to the finish line and securing his 79th premier class win.

While the battle for victory was settled already, Bezzecchi and Bastianini were involved in a thrilling scrap for the final podium till the final lap.

Tech3 KTM rider Bastianini showed blistering pace in the closing stages of the race, overcoming a one-second deficit to close right on Bezzecchi’s tail.

Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

But getting a great exit coming out of the last turn, Bastianini was unable to do much about his countryman, who hung on to third place by just 0.089s in a drag race to the finish.

Bastianini was still KTM’s highest-placed rider in fourth after passing the factory bike of Acosta early on.

The Spaniard dropped as low as eighth in the early stages of the race, but gradually clawed his way back, engaging in a brilliant battle with Trackhouse Aprilia duo Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura.

Although he briefly passed them to gain fifth on lap 16, Fernandez launched a counterattack, leaving behind both Acosta and Ogura.

Fernandez ultimately won the three-way battle to finish fifth ahead of home hero Ogura, while Acosta could only manage seventh. 

Francesco Bagnaia enjoyed a stronger day aboard the factory Ducati to finish eighth, while Fermin Aldeguer recovered from 16th on the opening lap to finish ninth.

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Luca Marini emerged as Honda’s highest-placed rider on home turf in 10th, two spots ahead of lead Yamaha runner Fabio Quartararo.

Following Saturday’s tyre drama, the entire field opted for the hard rear tyre, which they sampled during the extended 20-minute warm-up session in the morning.

Diogo Moreira, Johann Zarco and Alex Marquez all crashed out of the race, while Jack Miller remounted after a fall to finish 19th and last.

MotoGP Japanese GP results

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