Bagnaia Secures Motegi Sprint Victory as Marquez Closes in on Championship Title
motegi, Japan – Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) claimed victory in the Tissot Sprint at the Japan MotoGP, demonstrating a commanding performance and securing his first gold medal of the season. However, the day’s biggest story was Marc Marquez’s (Gresini Racing MotoGP) second-place finish, propelling him to the brink of a seventh MotoGP World Championship.
Marquez’s aggressive riding, including passes on Joan Mir and Pedro Acosta at Turn 10, saw him climb from third to second, gaining nine points on his championship rival. Should Marquez finish second in Sunday’s race,he will clinch the 2025 motogp crown,regardless of Acosta’s performance.
The Sprint saw Bagnaia steadily extend his lead, finishing 2.4 seconds ahead of Marquez. Acosta held off a challenge from Mir to secure third, with the pair separated by 0.6 seconds. Mir finished fourth, followed by Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in fifth.
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) took sixth, ahead of Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol). Raul Fernandez, Ai ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), and Alex Marquez completed the top nine, earning the final Sprint point.
the championship battle now hinges on Sunday’s race, where Alex Marquez must outperform his brother to keep his title hopes alive. A P2 finish for Marc Marquez will secure him the championship.
