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MotoGP Rider and Team Manager reflections on Motegi Japanese GP

Marc Marquez completed a perfect Motegi weekend to close within two points of Jorge Martin, Aprilia celebrated its first premier-class Japanese GP podium with two riders on the rostrum, and Enea Bastianini rediscovered his speed with a stunning late charge. The riders, teams and Michelin reflect on a fascinating Japanese Grand Prix.

Trev by Trev
October 4, 2026
in MotoGP, Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing

MotoGP 2026

Round 16 – Motegi – Quotes

Marc Marquez left Japan having transformed the MotoGP championship picture once again.


Victory in both the Sprint and Grand Prix delivered a maximum 37-point weekend, with Marquez’s sixth Grand Prix victory of 2026 reducing Jorge Martin’s championship advantage to just two points.

It was Marquez’s 79th MotoGP Grand Prix victory and made him the first rider to win four premier-class Grands Prix at Motegi, adding Sunday’s Ducati success to his Honda victories in 2016, 2018 and 2019. He also became only the second rider to win at Motegi with two different manufacturers, following Valentino Rossi.

Martin’s second place was his 40th MotoGP Grand Prix podium, drawing him level with Barry Sheene, while the two-point margin between Martin and Marquez is the smallest championship gap between the leading two riders after 16 Grands Prix in a season.

Aprilia also celebrated a landmark Sunday. Martin’s second was the manufacturer’s first premier-class podium at Motegi, and Marco Bezzecchi’s third made it an historic double podium, while Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura put another two Aprilias inside the top six.

Jorge Martin Marc Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi on the Japanese MotoGP podium at Motegi
Japanese MotoGP podium: winner Marc Marquez flanked by championship leader Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi.

Ducati’s victory was the marque’s fifth consecutive MotoGP Grand Prix success at Motegi and its tenth at the Japanese circuit, drawing level with Honda’s record. It was also Ducati’s 100th MotoGP victory during Luigi Dall’Igna’s tenure as Ducati Corse General Manager.

The Constructors’ Championship could hardly be tighter. Ducati and Aprilia both leave Motegi on 469 points, with Ducati ahead thanks to eight Grand Prix victories to Aprilia’s seven.

Much of Sunday’s discussion, however, centred on tyres. After the extraordinary demands placed on the Soft rear during Saturday’s Sprint, Michelin withdrew that option and recommended its reinforced-casing Hard rear. Every rider ultimately chose the Hard for Sunday’s 24-lap Grand Prix.

MotoGP riders including Pedro Acosta Enea Bastianini Ai Ogura Raul Fernandez Francesco Bagnaia Diogo Moreira and Fabio Di Giannantonio racing at Motegi
Michelin’s reinforced-casing Hard rear was ultimately chosen by the entire MotoGP grid after the extreme tyre demands seen during Saturday’s Sprint.

MotoGP Rider Quotes

Marc Marquez – 1st

Ducati Lenovo Team

“I’m really happy with the 37 points we were able to score this weekend, because that was the goal. It was a difficult race, especially in the opening laps behind Jorge (Martín). Then, once in the lead, I simply managed my pace and pushed a little harder when he got closer. It’s never easy, but the feeling from the Sprint onwards was very good, and today I was able to be consistent and precise.

“Now let’s see how things will be in Indonesia but, generally speaking, since Aragón – Austria aside – I am feeling really well with the bike. I’m happy with Gigi’s 100 wins and to have given my little contribution. I’m taking great advantage of everything he’s built with Ducati over the years.”

Marc Marquez celebrates victory with the Japanese MotoGP winner trophy at Motegi
Marquez’s sixth Grand Prix win of 2026 was his 79th in MotoGP and made him the first rider to win four premier-class Grands Prix at Motegi.

Jorge Martin – 2nd

Aprilia Racing

“I’m very happy because we’ve done a great job. I rode very well and kept a very strong pace right to the end. I tried to push right up to the final lap, but Márquez had something extra.

“I feel privileged to be leading the championship while battling Marc. I think it’s incredible, considering where I was a year ago. I’m very happy. Aprilia and I are doing a great job together, and I feel good on the bike. We have everything we need to fight right to the end.”

Marc Marquez ahead of Jorge Martin during the Japanese MotoGP at Motegi
Martin leaves Japan still holding the championship lead, but Marquez has closed to within just two points.

Marco Bezzecchi – 3rd

Aprilia Racing

“I gave it everything in today’s race and came away with the best possible result. It was a really hard-earned podium, as Bastianini was very quick, especially towards the end. It was tough to keep him behind, but I enjoyed it and I’m happy with the result.

“I really wanted to make up for what happened yesterday. Since the injury, I’ve had to build up day by day at almost every weekend, while Jorge and Marc have been a little faster. Now I have to close that gap and take my chances when they come.”

Marco Bezzecchi narrowly finishes ahead of Enea Bastianini at Motegi
Bezzecchi held off a remarkable late charge from Bastianini to retain third by only 0.078 seconds.

Enea Bastianini – 4th

Red Bull KTM Tech3

“I’m very happy! I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, to be able to ride like that. In Warm-Up it was a bit strange because we tried this hard rear tyre as well as the medium. The hard worked from the first lap so the choice was clear for the race.

“It was a complicated start as I lost a bit of time overtaking Pedro [Acosta], who wasn’t so fast in that moment. I saw Marc [Marquez], Jorge [Martin] and Marco [Bezzecchi] break clear. But from the middle of the race, I tried to push a bit more each lap.

“At the end I was faster than them but couldn’t pass. Anyway, I had an incredible feeling and saw the chance of a podium, which was a surprise. We found our speed again after working a lot from Spielberg, where Pedro [Acosta] was much faster than us. Now we’re back at the front, so let’s try and keep this going.”

Enea Bastianini chases Marco Bezzecchi during the closing laps at Motegi
Bastianini set four successive fastest laps late in the race and arrived on Bezzecchi’s rear wheel in the fight for the final podium position.

Raul Fernandez – 5th

SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team

“As I explained during the weekend I’m really happy. It’s the first time I really felt comfortable on a stop and go track and I felt super competitive – did a very strong race.

“We had to manage the fuel from lap four and again, it was very tricky to be at 100% in the race because we had high consumption of fuel. But we managed it well and I’m really happy with the race. The hard rear tire was a really good choice, the performance was very good.

“I didn’t really expect that but, in the last part of the race, we’re all doing the best lap times, so I think it was the best choice Michelin brought to us. When you have Pedro (Acosta) and Ai behind, it’s difficult because they’re riding very well. Yet, I really enjoyed the fight with both them. I kept my mind focused, didn’t think too much about them and just tried to improve my lap time in the last part of the race.”

Raul Fernandez leads Ai Ogura and Pedro Acosta in the Japanese MotoGP at Motegi
Raul Fernandez eventually prevailed in an entertaining three-rider fight with team-mate Ai Ogura and Pedro Acosta for fifth.

Ai Ogura – 6th

SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team

“It was awesome, especially today, to see a lot more people around Motegi than in the past. Including me, all the Japanese riders in Moto2 and Moto3 had so much fun riding in front of all these Japanese fans – it was a nice experience.

“In the race, I was looking for a better position today – I had a good first lap and I thought I could go with the guys in the front but their pace was something unbelievable. Raul was riding really good at the end, especially in the last four, five laps and it was a nice battle.

“I thought I could have a chance to make my move but he was riding really good, didn’t make any mistakes so there was no way I could attack him. Anyway, it was a nice battle and I had fun.

“During the weekend, we were lacking a bit of stability in the hard braking areas. I think that was the main issue and today towards the end I was struggling to get good acceleration. I enjoyed the race, but it was definitely not the position we aimed to be. I’m happy and unhappy at the same time, it’s a bit of a mixed feeling. But it is what it is – onto the next one.”

Raul Fernandez Ai Ogura and Pedro Acosta racing together from the rear at Motegi
Ogura spent much of his home Grand Prix embroiled in the scrap with Fernandez and Acosta before finishing sixth.

Pedro Acosta – 7th

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing


“Tough one…and it feels like we haven’t had a tough one in a while! It looks like we didn’t match the bike with the tires. I don’t know why we struggled but I had difficulty stopping the bike and then also in the drive area, otherwise the bike was normal and good.

“Anyway. P7 is not a disaster. It was not our day…but I am happy to see another KTM bringing home a P4 and we can have some data to check.”

Pedro Acosta racing ahead of Diogo Moreira and Alex Marquez at Motegi
Acosta had shown podium potential earlier in the weekend but struggled to stop and drive the KTM on Sunday and eventually finished seventh.

Pecco Bagnaia – 8th

Ducati Lenovo Team

“It was a tough race. We made the most of some crashes ahead of us, but generally speaking I knew that we couldn’t have gone faster than this.

“I tried to be as consistent as possible and during the race I tried several things to understand if I could make the difference riding-wise in any way. I couldn’t get the bike to decelerate on corner entry and then, on corner exit, I found myself in the wrong place.

“Often enough I need to hit the brakes ‘stoppie style’, but it’s not something I can do for the whole race because the bike becomes very nervous. The team has really done an excellent job, but we simply couldn’t have done any better this weekend.”

Francesco Bagnaia riding the factory Ducati during the Japanese MotoGP at Motegi
Bagnaia salvaged eighth after another difficult weekend, finishing more than 20 seconds behind his winning team-mate.

Fermin Aldeguer – 9th

BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP

“I felt good today, maybe even better than yesterday. From fifth place onwards, we were lapping at pretty much the same pace, which is definitely a positive.

“Riding like that helps put the mistakes we made over the weekend behind us. We gained several positions and were fast. Physically, I’ve improved day by day, so we’re heading to Indonesia hoping to keep progressing and have a good weekend. I have great memories from there last year…”

Luca Marini – 10th

Honda HRC Castrol

“Our weekend did not start in the best way so ending with a tenth place allows us to head to Mandalika with at least a bit of a smile. It was not an amazing race, but when we think about how the weekend started, it shows that the team are working well to recover our situation.

“More points on the board as we look to a circuit, Mandalika, I enjoy a lot and a track where the bike has worked at well in the past. Certainly, the highlight of the weekend was the beautiful colours we had on the bike today, it was very special to wear them.”

Brad Binder – 11th

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

“Much better than yesterday. The physio did a great job on me and I felt more human! We did the warm-up on the hard tire and straight out of the pits I thought ‘this thing is not bad…’. It was pretty good.

“The race was quite OK. We toned everything down to preserve the tire but, in the end, I think we could have done more distance on it. The best I could do today was 11th.

“Not a great Japan, and we were expecting better but I think I ruined it a bit when I threw myself down the road in Q1. It made the rest of the weekend more challenging. Onto the next one.”

Brad Binder races with Fermin Aldeguer and Fabio Quartararo during the Japanese MotoGP
Binder worked his way to the edge of the top ten and finished just 0.176 seconds behind Luca Marini.

Fabio Quartararo – 12th

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP

“It was difficult because from lap 7 onwards I had a fuel issue. So, it was not the best. I could have gone much faster, but I had to take a lot of care with the throttle.

“I am happy with my riding, though, and that’s the most important thing. P12 was more or less where I expected to be in this race. I think I maybe could have been in front of Brad [Binder] and Luca [Marini], but sometimes these things are part of racing.”

Fermin Aldeguer Fabio Quartararo and Johann Zarco racing at Motegi
Quartararo had to manage fuel consumption from lap seven and eventually brought the leading Yamaha home in 12th.

Somkiat Chantra – 13th

Honda HRC Castrol

“I am so happy with how this whole weekend has gone. When I compared it to my feeling from last year, the difference is so much and to already match my best result in MotoGP after one weekend with the Honda HRC Castrol team shows how well we were working together.

“Already when I arrived already on Friday the setup of the bike was so good and today I started better than Saturday and it was the first time like I felt I could fight on the bike, I was pushing until the end to catch Fabio but I just missed it.

“Thank you to everyone who helped me this weekend, I really appreciate the faith that Honda HRC put in me, and I am so happy to give them this result.”

Maverick Viñales – 14th

Red Bull KTM Tech3

“I’m happy because I found better feelings with the bike in every session this weekend. Honestly speaking, I expected to struggle much more today. I wasn’t worried about the shoulder but more the forearm. Here it gets really tired with all the heavy braking.

“But I found some good speed in the middle of the race even if I couldn’t push at my absolute maximum at the very end. Still, I need to push more in the correct place but I feel like I understand the bike much more now.

“All weekend was positive. Of course, I want to be fighting at the front, but there is a process I need to follow. It takes time to understand this bike and I feel we’re now in a good way. I’m really enthusiastic to get to Mandalika and keep improving.”

Maverick Vinales riding the Red Bull KTM Tech3 machine during the Japanese MotoGP
Viñales completed his first Grand Prix since July in 14th and was encouraged by improving feeling throughout his comeback weekend.

Franco Morbidelli – 15th

Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team

“The day started in a complicated way because we had to make a three-days schedule work in twenty minutes to change everything with the tyres to use and arriving to the race with things okay.

“In some ways, we did it and Sunday was quite good. The feeling in the race was not the one I was expecting, but then it improved from the second half of the race and I could do fast laps.

“Now we focus right away on Mandalika race, which is very important for us as one of the home race GP for the Team.”

Alex Rins – 16th

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP

“It wasn’t a very eventful race for us. We always give it our best at every track. Today it was a bit of a question mark, riding with the hard rear tyre. In Warm Up it was not bad, and in the Race it gave more performance than the medium – which was a bit surprising.

“We completed the race, trying to save tyre. On the last lap, I could overtake [Fabio] Di Giannantonio and Toprak [Razgatlıoğlu] to take P16, which was the best we could do today.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu – 17th

Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP

“I had the same problem again with the tyres and with stopping the bike. In the first six laps I was struggling a lot, but then I found a better rhythm and started to do 1:44s. The pace was much better, but it was still difficult because I was always riding close to the limit and pushing hard to stop the bike.

“I can see that Fabio is able to stop the bike more easily because he has much more experience with the Yamaha. I‘m still learning how to use the front and rear tyres together under braking, and this is an area where I need to improve. When I can stop the bike properly at the right point, I know I can make a big step in lap time.

“The positive thing is that I was improving lap by lap during the race, so I‘m learning more every time I ride.

“Today was better than yesterday, but I still need to find a way to ride the bike more comfortably and with more confidence. We are not fighting for the positions we want, but the important thing for me is to understand what I can improve.

“I really enjoyed the track this weekend. It was my first time riding here, and before this I had only experienced Motegi on the video game, so it was great finally to ride a MotoGP bike here. I enjoyed learning the circuit, even if the race itself was difficult.”

Fabio Di Giannantonio – 18th

Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team

“I am not in a great shape, I was expecting to be better after tonight. But this morning I struggled to be naturally at ease on the bike, especially on the right side, where I got hit yesterday. The pain is still there both in the ribs and in the hip.

“I was struggling even to do the classical moves, so the race was tough. Now, we must recover as fast as we can, it won’t be easy with this strict Overseas schedule.

“But we’ll do the maximum to be closer to the top shape in Mandalika, which is a very important race for the team. We will do our best in front of the Indonesian fans, it’s a kind of home race for the Team.”

Jack Miller – 19th

Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP

“I started the race reasonably well, but immediately I was struggling with the tyre pressure and locking the front a lot. The bike became quite difficult to ride, and I was losing time because I couldn‘t brake the way I wanted.

“The frustrating thing is that this morning, with the same front tyre from the Sprint and the new hard rear, I could run 1:44s all day and did my best lap at the end in 1:44.1. In the race, I couldn‘t get close to that pace and was stuck around the 1:45s.

“The biggest thing we need to improve is the consistency between the sessions and the race. We need to understand how to manage the tyre better, especially when starting from so far back and riding in traffic, because the pressure builds up very quickly.

“Even after the crash, the last few laps were actually the best the bike had felt all race, when the tyres had settled down again.

“The positive is that we learned a lot about the hard rear today. We had been unsure about it because historically it hasn‘t always been the best option, but this morning it worked really well and gave us strong pace. That is useful information for the next races, and hopefully we can make the most of the same casing in Mandalika.

“The last couple of races have been challenging for us, but we‘ll keep working and stay positive. We know there are areas where we need to make a big step, particularly in the way we use and load the tyres, and that‘s what we‘ll focus on.”

Johann Zarco – 20th

Castrol Honda LCR

“It’s a pity. I had some fun during the race and had some good fights. I was able to try to overtake and felt strong.

“Unfortunately, I had to serve the double Long Lap penalty, and afterwards I had lost some grip, which made it difficult to overtake. I made a small mistake; I had done my maximum to stay there, but then I crashed.

“It’s part of racing, I guess. I’ll take the positives, and now we head to Mandalika!”

Alex Marquez – DNF

BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP

“It was a weekend full of mistakes and one that needs to be forgotten quickly. I made two mistakes again today, one of them unforgivable in the warm-up and then another one in the race.

“I’m angry with myself, but fortunately we’ll be back on track again in just a few days. We were fast today, not quite fast enough to fight for the podium, but without the penalty we probably would have stayed inside the top five.”

Enea Bastianini races ahead of Alex Marquez during the Japanese MotoGP at Motegi
Alex Marquez ran with the leading group early but two Long Lap penalties and a later crash completed a weekend he described as one to forget.

Diogo Moreira – DNF

Pro Honda LCR


“I didn’t expect the crash. I was feeling good and trying to manage everything, as we could have been fighting for a top-eight finish, but then I lost the front and crashed.

“This is part of racing, and in any case, we’ve had a very positive weekend. Now it’s time to head to Mandalika, a circuit that I really like. Let’s see!”

Team Management

Luigi Dall’Igna

Ducati Corse General Manager

“The goal for the weekend was to take the win and we managed to do so. Having said that, anything can happen in motorcycle racing, so you can never be fully relaxed, especially when tyre choice is so difficult.

“We split the workload between our riders during warm-up and managed to understand what the right direction was, even though in some way it was already clear.

“Marc was simply extraordinary and in these last races he’s doing everything right, so congratulations to him and the whole team. Pecco also did a good job, despite the issues he’s experiencing.”

Marc Marquez celebrates with the Ducati Lenovo Team after winning the Japanese MotoGP at Motegi
Ducati celebrated victory number 100 of the Luigi Dall’Igna era after Marquez completed the Motegi Sprint and Grand Prix double.

Massimo Rivola

Aprilia Racing CEO

“An intense weekend in which Aprilia set more records, including Jorge’s pole lap and our first-ever double podium in a race in Japan.

“Jorge was second on track in both the Grand Prix and the sprint, although an imaginative reading of the regulations cost him a place in the short race.

“Marco was also very consistent and fast, but unfortunately lost out in the sprint to a pace on the medium that was strangely much slower than in the second free practice session.

“There was clearly a safety issue in the sprint. Aprilia pushed harder than others to bring it to light, pressing for action to be taken. Those changes then meant every team ran the hard rear, and I think that gave us a wonderful race, run in complete safety. Now we need to keep that focus and keep giving our best.”

Aki Ajo

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager

“Enea’s performance yesterday, today and at the end of the race was amazing but it was a tough day today.

“Our expectations were much higher with Pedro because we’d seen his speed early in the weekend and after the bad luck of the Sprint we were hoping for the podium but unfortunately we couldn’t make it and now we need to analyze why.

“In any case we have all four riders in the points. We showed we have the potential. We just need to put all the things together for Indonesia.”

Davide Brivio

SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team Principal

“This has been an exciting weekend for the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team because we have Ai Ogura, Japanese, local rider at his home race. I’m so happy to see that there has been a record attendance. We also felt a lot of pressure to make some good results and please all the fans that came here to Motegi.

“I think we had a good weekend. First of all, Qualifying was a bit complicated, Raul started in eighth position and Ai had to start 11th. But then, we recovered positions in both, yesterday’s Sprint and today’s main Grand Prix race, so it was positive from this point of view.

“Especially today, we could enjoy a big battle between our two riders. We saw them quite a lot on the TV and they were battling together, at the end fifth and sixth position, which is something very important, also looking at the championship.

“Ai is back in fifth position of the Championship, Raul is getting closer, also to the other riders and we’re keeping P3 in the Team Championship. I think it’s a positive weekend.”

Raul Fernandez Ai Ogura and Pedro Acosta racing at Motegi viewed from behind
Trackhouse finished fifth and sixth with Fernandez and home hero Ogura, putting four Aprilias inside the top six.

Nicolas Goyon

Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team Manager

“I’d like to thank the whole Tech3 team for this great weekend, which has been by far the best of the season. We’ve seen a strong Enea Bastianini all through the weekend.

“To finish P4 in the Sprint and today’s race is a great result. It confirms that once Enea is able to qualify on the first three rows, the whole weekend changes and he’s able to fight at the front.

“He made another step today and amazed us by beating the race lap record four times in a row. We’ll leave the circuit with the race lap record, which is a great achievement. I’m really delighted and I hope we can carry on this momentum.

“I’d also like to say congratulations to Maverick. We know how tough it is to come back to MotoGP after some time away. Maverick’s target was to complete the whole weekend without making any mistakes and that’s what he’s done. Today the two points he scored are a reward for all his efforts over the past few weeks.

“Now he’s back again and I’m sure he’ll only get stronger in the last races of the year. Once again, congratulations to all the team. Let’s enjoy this evening before heading to Indonesia next week!”

Enea Bastianini is congratulated by KTM team members after finishing fourth at Motegi
Bastianini returned to the pits to an enthusiastic reception after setting the race lap record and missing the podium by only 0.078 seconds.

Massimo Meregalli

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director

“This was a difficult race. Fabio fought hard after losing positions in the opening laps, but he had to control the fuel consumption for most of the race. Despite that, he managed the situation as well as possible to take P12.

“Álex also kept pushing throughout the race and gained several positions, finishing in P16 despite starting from near the back of the grid.

“We now go straight to Indonesia, which gives us an immediate opportunity to crosscheck our findings of this weekend at a different type of circuit.”

Gino Borsoi

Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Team Director

“It is clear that this was another difficult weekend for both riders. The main positive from today is that Toprak was able to find a really interesting race pace, not too far from Quartararo‘s, despite Fabio starting much further ahead.

“Once again, Toprak was able to make a step forward during the race, and that is something positive we can take from today.

“The priority now is to become more competitive from the first day of the weekend, so that both riders can start further forward and we can have a more consistent race pace from the beginning.

“That is the area we need to focus on and improve as we move towards the end of the season.”

Pablo Nieto

Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Manager

“Of course, this is not the result we were aiming for at the start of the Overseas. Fabio made a strong start to the weekend and, if it hadn’t been for yesterday’s crash, he had the potential to fight for a podium. The accident changed everything and prevented him to get some points, and he was worn out in today’s race.

“Now, it’s important for him to recover physically for next week in Mandalika, which is one of our home races.

“As for Franco, it wasn’t an easy weekend for him either, after missing Q2 for a little time both Friday and Saturday. However, both in the Sprint and today, the last laps were interesting, so we must keep working to complete a good race from the start to the end.”

Piero Taramasso

Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager

“This was a particularly interesting weekend for us because we arrived at Motegi without any real data on the new asphalt. From Friday onwards, we saw that the track was evolving very quickly. Performance levels were immediately very high, with eight riders lapping below the previous record during qualifying and Jorge Martin setting a new all-time lap record.

“The Tissot Sprint pushed the rear Michelin Power Slick Soft tyres to their limits. The new surface offered a great deal of grip, the track temperature was close to 40°C and the pace was exceptional, with the 12 laps completed nine seconds faster than last year. This combination generated a huge amount of energy and very high temperatures in the rear tyres.

“After analysing all the data, we decided to withdraw the rear Soft for the Grand Prix and recommend the Hard with its reinforced casing. The outcome was very positive, with the entire field ultimately choosing the rear Hard.

“The riders were able to maintain a very high pace throughout the 24 laps, and Enea Bastianini even set a new race lap record on lap 23. It is an excellent illustration of our ability to quickly analyse a new situation and, working together with the teams, provide the most appropriate solution.”

Marc Marquez leans the Ducati through a corner during the Japanese MotoGP at Motegi
The entire field ultimately selected Michelin’s Hard rear for Sunday’s race, with strong pace maintained deep into the 24-lap contest.

Motegi MotoGP Race Results

Pos Rider Bike Time/Gap
1 M. Marquez Duc 41m31.467
2 J. Martin Apr +1.363
3 M. Bezzecchi Apr +2.252
4 E. Bastianini KTM +2.330
5 R. Fernandez Apr +14.815
6 A. Ogura Apr +15.210
7 P. Acosta KTM +16.928
8 F. Bagnaia Duc +20.333
9 F. Aldeguer Duc +23.545
10 L. Marini Hon +25.677
11 B. Binder KTM +25.853
12 F. Quartararo Yam +30.867
13 S. Chantra Hon +31.333
14 M. Viñales KTM +33.995
15 F. Morbidelli Duc +34.590
16 A. Rins Yam +39.228
17 T. Razgatlioglu Yam +39.562
18 F. Di Giannantonio Duc +50.816
19 J. Miller Yam +1m11.127
20 J. Zarco Hon 2 laps
Not Classified
DNF A. Marquez Duc 6 laps
DNF D. Moreira Hon 16 laps

2026 MotoGP Championship Standings

Pos Rider Points
1 J. Martin 333
2 M. Marquez 331
3 M. Bezzecchi 284
4 P. Acosta 243
5 A. Ogura 237
6 F. Di Giannantonio 230
7 R. Fernandez 216
8 F. Bagnaia 164
9 A. Marquez 158
10 F. Aldeguer 122
11 E. Bastianini 116
12 L. Marini 104
13 B. Binder 99
14 D. Moreira 74
15 F. Quartararo 66
16 F. Morbidelli 57
17 J. Zarco 48
18 J. Mir 33
19 J. Miller 28
20 A. Rins 24
21 T. Razgatlioglu 18
22 M. Viñales 12
23 I. Lecuona 9
24 A. Fernandez 6
25 P. Espargaro 5
26 S. Chantra 3
27 T. Nakagami 3
28 C. Crutchlow 0
29 J. Folger 0
30 L. Savadori 0
31 M. Pirro 0

2026 MotoGP Calendar

Rnd
Date
Event
Circuit
1
01 Mar
Thai
Chang International Circuit
2
22 Mar
Brazil*
Autodromo Internacional Ayrton Senna
3
29 Mar
US
Circuit of the Americas
4
26 Apr
Spain**
Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto
5
10 May
France
Le Mans
6
17 May
Catalonia
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
7
31 May
Italy
Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello
8
07 Jun
Hungary
Balaton Park Circuit
9
21 Jun
Czech
Automotodrom Brno
10
28 Jun
Netherlands
TT Circuit Assen
11
12 Jul
Germany
Sachsenring
12
09 Aug
GB
Silverstone Circuit
13
30 Aug
Aragon
MotorLand Aragon
14
13 Sep
San Marino
Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
15
20 Sep
Austria
Red Bull Ring-Spielberg
16
04 Oct
Japan
Mobility Resort Motegi
17
11 Oct
Indonesia
Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit
18
25 Oct
Australia
Phillip Island
19
01 Nov
Malaysia
Petronas Sepang International Circuit
20
08 Nov
Qatar
Lusail International Circuit
21
22 Nov
Portugal
Autodromo Internacional do Algarve
22
29 Nov
Valencia
Circuit Ricardo Tormo

 

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