Marc Marquez wins Japanese MotoGP to close within two points

The Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi was the 16th round of the 2026 MotoGP season, according to Fanpage. Jorge Martin arrived as the championship leader, with Marc Marquez trying to close the gap.

The weekend offered two opportunities to score points, first in the Sprint and then in the main Grand Prix. Marquez used both, turning the trip to Japan into a significant gain in the title contest.

On October 3, Marquez won the Sprint after starting second on his Ducati, L'Équipe reported. La Repubblica described a dominant performance, with Martin second and Bastianini completing the podium.

That result reduced Martin's championship lead to seven points, according to NewsIt.gr. It left Marquez within reach of a further reduction in Sunday's race.

On October 4, Marquez won the Japanese Grand Prix after a duel with Martin, Fanpage reported. Martin finished second, while Bezzecchi took third ahead of Bastianini's recovery through the field.

Marquez's Ducati finished ahead of the two Aprilias on the podium, according to ANSA. The result cut Martin's remaining championship advantage to just two points.

Away from the championship fight, L'Équipe reported on October 4 that Marquez had sent a lookalike to replace him in a karting event held between the warm-up and the Grand Prix. Fanpage reported the following day that the substitution had drawn a reprimand.

Martin still leads the championship. But Marquez's two wins at Motegi reduced the gap to seven points after the Sprint and then two after the Grand Prix, as Autocar India reported on October 5.

The next challenge is Mandalika in Indonesia. In its October 7 coverage, Fanpage reported that Marquez had failed to finish the Sunday Grand Prix in all four of his appearances there. His strong Japanese weekend therefore leads directly into a venue with a very different record.

The immediate test is whether Marquez can finish at Mandalika and protect the gains made in Japan. Fanpage reported that Ducati was already allowing for a possible loss of 10 to 12 points there, although that remains an expectation rather than a result.

A separate issue emerged on October 8: Marquez opposed planned changes to the MotoGP weekend format for 2027, according to Fanpage. The supplied coverage does not specify those changes, so their practical effects remain unclear here.