Marc Marquez, final practice crash, 2025 Japanese MotoGP

2025 Japanese MotoGP, Motegi: Sprint + reaction as it happened

Live updates from Saturday’s qualifying and Sprint race at 2025 Japanese MotoGP at Motegi, where Marc Marquez has his first chance to win this year’s world championship.

The Ducati Lenovo rider returns to Japan, scene of past title glory with Honda, holding a 182-point lead over younger brother Alex.

While Marc Marquez can’t be crowned champion in today's Sprint, he will wrap up his first MotoGP title since 2019 if he holds an advantage of at least 185 points over Alex on Sunday afternoon.

Marc or Gresini Ducati’s Alex are now the only riders still in world championship contention, with Francesco Bagnaia slipping 275 points behind his team-mate.

The Italian – winner of last year’s Japanese Grand Prix - now has a fight on his hands to hold third place, with Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi just eight points adrift after a brilliant 1-2 (Sprint-GP) weekend in Misano.

Bezzecchi rebounded from a pair of Friday morning falls to lead day one at Motegi from KTM's 2024 pole qualifier Pedro Acosta and Marc Marquez.

Bagnaia was back on form and cautiously optimistic about the ‘solutions’ found at the Misano test, but Alex Marquez could only manage 15th and will be taking part in Qualifying 1.

Saturday’s schedule:
10:10am (local) - MotoGP FP2
10.50am (local) - MotoGP Qualifying
3pm (local) - MotoGP Sprint

Lewis Duncan

27 Sep 2025

11:58

That's all from us for today.

Thank you for your company and do join us again on Sunday at 6am BST for live coverage of the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, where Marc Marquez could be crowned a seven-time MotoGP world champion.

11:57

Jorge Martin crash a "serious misjudgement"

Neither Aprilia rider spoke to the media on Saturday at Motegi following their tangle at Turn 1.

CEO Massimo Rivola branded it a "serious misjudgement" on the world champion's part, though was sorry to see him injured again.

Aprilia MotoGP boss rues Jorge Martin’s “serious misjudgement” in Motegi smash

Aprilia duo collide in Japanese MotoGP sprint
© Gold and Goose

11:01

Joan Mir looking for some Marc Marquez payback

Joan Mir is enjoying one of his best weekends ever as a Honda MotoGP rider, though was denied a sprint podium at Motegi by an aggressive block pass from Marc Marquez.

However, he is very much looking to exact some payback on Sunday.

Joan Mir: “Hopefully I can make a block pass on Marc tomorrow!” after Motegi Sprint duel

Marc Marquez, Joan Mir, 2025 Japanese MotoGP Sprint

10:57

Pedro Acosta taks changes to his KTM for Motegi sprint

Pedro Acosta's pole hopes were thwarted by a technical issue in Q2, which led to a "new change" being made to his KTM.

Japan MotoGP qualifying issue led to “new change” for Pedro Acosta in sprint

Pedro Acosta, KTM Factory Racing, 2025 Japanese MotoGP
© Gold and Goose

10:46

Jorge Martin injury update

Aprilia has confirmed that Jorge Martin will return to Spain tomorrow to have surgery in Barcelona on Monday to fix the fracture in his shoulder.

10:29

What went wrong for Alex Marquez?

Alex Marquez is the only rider able to stop Marc Marquez from winning the 2025 MotoGP title, but that looks like it will be even harder now in the Japanese Grand Prix after a tough sprint for the Gresini runner.

He explains what went wrong for him today ⬇️

Alex Marquez’s Japan MotoGP sprint non-score because “we are in delay”

Alex Marquez, Gresini Ducati, 2025 Japanese MotoGP
© Gold and Goose

10:13

2025 title pressure got to Marc Marquez on Saturday

Marc Marquez admits the pressure of the 2025 title chase got to him on Saturday in the sprint, despite his ride to second.

Marc Marquez feels title “weight” in Motegi Sprint, overtaking Mir “most difficult”

09:36

Pecco Bagnaia is back!

Pecco Bagnaia's sprint win on Saturday at the Japanese Grand Prix continues this steep upward trend for the Ducati rider following a positive Misano test.

And he believes his 2025 season could have been "completely different" had these changes been found earlier.

Pecco Bagnaia predicts “completely different” MotoGP season with Motegi changes

Pecco Bagnaia, Ducati Corse, 2025 Japanese MotoGP
© Gold and Goose