Marquez wins at Motegi, trims Martin’s title lead to two
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 4, 2026
Motegi qualifying
Jorge Martin put himself on top of the Motul Grand Prix of Japan field at Mobility Resort Motegi with a lap-record 1:42.371, but Marc Marquez stayed right on his tail. Martin beat Marquez by 0.110 seconds to take pole, and the front row reflected how tight the fight was at the sharp end. Pedro Acosta lined up third and Marco Bezzecchi took fourth, with Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio filling out the second row. The session also brought a few sharp swings farther back in the order. Ai Ogura topped Q1 at his home event, then wound up 11th in Q2. Johann Zarco reached 10th despite a crash. Martin carried the better championship position into the race weekend after qualifying, but Marquez had already cut the gap to 12 points before the sprint even began.
Sprint points
Marquez changed the tone of the weekend in the sprint race. He won the race and backed up the speed he showed in qualifying, while Martin left with less than he wanted. Martin initially finished second, then dropped to third after running onto the green on the final lap while defending from Enea Bastianini. That result mattered in the title fight because Marquez had started the sprint 12 points behind Martin in the championship. The victory and the shakeup around Martin tightened the pressure heading into the Japanese Grand Prix. It also showed how little room either rider had to make a mistake at Motegi. Martin still kept himself in strong position, but the sprint gave Marquez a clear route to chip away at the lead and keep the championship within reach.
Marquez victory
Marquez finished the job in the Japanese Grand Prix. Martin led for 11 laps, but Marquez found the opening he needed at Turn 9 on lap 11 and went by to take the lead. Once he got to the front, he stayed there and won at Motegi, with Martin crossing second. The result matched the momentum Marquez built across the rest of the weekend and turned the sprint win into a full sweep of the key races. It also left the championship picture much tighter. Martin’s runner-up finish kept his World Championship lead at two points, so the title race remains on a knife edge after Motegi. The margin narrowed from the points position Marquez faced going into the sprint, and the battle now shifts with both riders coming out of Japan with clear evidence they can control a race and strike when the moment opens. After the race, Martin put it plainly. “It wasn’t the day to beat Marquez.”
