Pedro Acosta recovers to seventh at Motegi
Pedro Acosta finished seventh in the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix at the Mobility Resort Motegi on Sunday as Marc Marquez claimed a convincing victory, but the Red Bull KTM rider was unable to replicate his winning form from Austria two weeks ago.
Acosta’s preparation for the Japanese Grand Prix was far from ideal. The KTM rider was taken out of Saturday’s MotoGP Sprint on the opening lap and, for Sunday’s race, the entire MotoGP field was advised to use Michelin’s hard rear tyre compound despite it not having been tested during Friday or Saturday’s sessions.
Understandably, Acosta took some time to find his rhythm. He dropped from third to eighth on the opening lap before settling into the race and joining a lively battle with the Trackhouse Aprilia riders Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura for fifth place.
Acosta made several aggressive attempts to pass both Aprilias, but was ultimately unable to finish ahead of them. Seventh place nevertheless earned him seven valuable championship points after a difficult weekend in Japan.
Marc Marquez dominates MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix
Marc Marquez capped a near-perfect weekend at Motegi by securing his fifth MotoGP Sprint and Grand Prix double of the 2026 season, moving to within just two points of Jorge Martin in the World Championship.
Unlike Saturday’s Sprint, Marquez did not lead from the start. Pole sitter Martin made the better getaway into Turn 1 and produced a strong opening stint, with Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi following closely behind to create an intriguing battle between the top three riders in the championship.
However, there was always a sense that Marquez was biding his time.
After closing in on Martin, the Ducati rider made his move on lap 11 with a clean pass at Turn 9. From there, Marquez immediately began to build an advantage, with his lead quickly extending beyond half a second.
Whenever Martin attempted to close the gap, Marquez responded. He eventually crossed the finish line 1.3 seconds clear to claim his sixth MotoGP Grand Prix victory of the 2026 season.
The victory was also the 79th MotoGP win of Marquez’s career.
Marco Bezzecchi holds on for MotoGP podium
Marco Bezzecchi secured his 10th MotoGP Grand Prix podium of the 2026 season, although he was forced to defend his position in the closing stages at Motegi.
After challenging Marquez and Martin during the opening laps, Bezzecchi came under increasing pressure from Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider Enea Bastianini.
Bastianini produced an impressive late-race charge, setting four consecutive fastest laps between laps 20 and 23 to close rapidly on his fellow Italian.
Despite the pressure, Bezzecchi held on to third place to complete the podium.
Bastianini had to settle for fourth, but it was nevertheless his best MotoGP finish of the season. The result came just one day after he secured seventh place in qualifying, also his best Saturday showing of the year.
MotoGP championship fight tightens at Motegi
Marc Marquez’s victory in the Japanese Grand Prix has significantly tightened the MotoGP championship battle.
The eight-time World Champion is now just two points behind Jorge Martin with six rounds of the 2026 season remaining.
The title fight is increasingly looking like a two-way battle between Marquez and Martin, with Bezzecchi beginning to lose touch in third. The Italian is now 49 points behind his Aprilia team-mate Martin.
There is little time for the MotoGP field to recover before the championship heads to Indonesia for the next round.
The Indonesian Grand Prix will take place at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit from October 9-11.
