Bagnaia Secures Sprint Victory in Motegi as Marquez Eyes Title

Motegi, Japan — Francesco Bagnaia dominated the Tissot Sprint at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan on Saturday, securing first place and solidifying his return to form. The Ducati Lenovo Team rider finished 1.8 seconds ahead of his teammate, Marc Marquez, who took second place and improved his chances of clinching the 2025 MotoGP World Championship.

Bagnaia, the double MotoGP World Champion, earned the holeshot from pole position while Joan Mir, riding for Honda HRC Castrol, maintained second place in the early laps. However, the race quickly turned chaotic when Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin from Aprilia Racing crashed at Turn 1, with Martin sustaining a broken collarbone that will keep him out of Sunday’s Grand Prix.

By the end of the first lap, Bagnaia had a 0.6-second lead over Marquez, with Alex Marquez in ninth place, the only rider who could stop his brother from winning the title. Pedro Acosta from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing moved into third position by lap three, overtaking Mir.

Throughout the race, Bagnaia extended his lead, reaching 1.6 seconds as he set a commanding pace. Marc Marquez attempted aggressive maneuvers against Mir, finally making a successful pass into third place with four laps remaining. Just a lap later, he surged past Acosta for second place.

As Bagnaia approached the final lap with a substantial 2.4-second lead, Marquez and Acosta battled for second. Bagnaia crossed the finish line first, marking his first gold medal of the season. Acosta barely held off Mir, finishing third by just 0.6 seconds.

With this result, a second-place finish on Sunday will officially secure the championship for Marc Marquez. His brother Alex must outperform him to keep the title race alive going into the next round in Indonesia.