06:40
Mir still third. How ironic that Mir could return to the podium for Honda on the day Marquez wins the championship, two years on from his last HRC rostrum days before he quit the team?
Marc Marquez, Ducati Corse, 2025 Japanese MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
LIVE
Live reaction as Marc Marquez is crowned 2025 MotoGP world champion
Lap-by-lap coverage of the 2025 MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix from Motegi.
The 17th round of the 2025 MotoGP World Championship concludes on Sunday with the 24-lap Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi.
Marc Marquez begins Sunday's race facing his first match point in the 2025 title chase, following a second-place finish in Saturday's sprint as sole championship rival Alex Marquez failed to score in 10th.
This has given the factory Ducati rider - who will start from third - a favourable set of permutations to secure his seventh MotoGP world title on Sunday.
Marc Marquez will win the championship today if:
- He is first or second regardless of where Alex Marquez finishes
- He is third and Alex Marquez is no higher than second
- He is fourth, fifth or sixth and Alex Marquez is no higher than third
- He is seventh, eighth or ninth and Alex Marquez is no higher than fourth
- He is 10th or 11th and Alex Marquez is no higher than fifth
- He is 12th and Alex Marquez is no higher than sixth
- He is 13th and Alex Marquez is no higher than seventh
- He is 14th and Alex Marquez is no higher than eighth
- He is 15th and Alex Marquez is no higher than ninth
- He scores nothing and Alex Marquez is no higher than 10th
Alex Marquez starts from eighth, while Pecco Bagnaia will be looking to grab his first grand prix win of the season since Austin from pole position following a first sprint triumph of the campaign on Saturday.
Aprilia's Jorge Martin will not start due to a shoulder injury from a crash on Saturday, while home hero Ai Ogura has withdrawn due to ongoing pain in his hand from an incident at the San Marino Grand Prix.
28 Sep 2025
06:39
Lap 22/24
Bagnaia begins lap 22 and his bike is still smoking. He is now 2.3s ahead of Marquez.
06:39
Ducati is in discussions with technical control right now. The gap for Bagnaia is down to 2.7s.
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06:38
Crash - Takaaki Nakagami
HRC wildcard Nakagami has gone down at Turn 10.
06:37
Lap 21/24
Just four laps to go. Will Bagnaia's Ducati hold out?
06:37
High drama for @37_pedroacosta, but he successfully rejoins! 😱😅#JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/8m3D1gtVeR
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 28, 2025
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06:36
Lap 20/24
Bagnaia is now 3.2s clear of Marquez as that Ducati is smoking big style.
How long before he could face a black and orange flag?
06:36
The smoke is back!
06:35
Acosta has rejoined at the back of the field after that moment.
No smoke from Bagnaia's bike now.
Mir has a track limits warning.
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06:35
Acosta has flown off track at Turn 1. He's dropped out of the top 10, while Alex Marquez is now sixth.
06:34
Lap 19/24
Bagnaia begins lap 19 3.6s clear of Marquez, while Mir is 1.6s behind in a comfortable third.
06:33
Alex Marquez is closing on Acosta for sixth, not that it's going to make a difference in the title picture at this stage.
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06:33
Lap 18/24
Lap 18 and the gap at the front is stable.
Mir is running so well, faster than Marquez ahead of him.
06:32
Track limits warning has been given to Marquez, while Mir is only 1.3s behind.
06:32
Morbidelli has eased ahead of Acosta now.
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06:31
Mir now being given the 'mapping 3' message on lap 17.
06:31
Lap 17/24
No change at the front.
06:31
A pretty alarming sight 💨 @PeccoBagnaia might have an issue there, but he's not losing ground! ⚠️#JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/8AgqsWRyxf
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 28, 2025
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06:29
Lap 16/24
Bagnaia still leads despite whatever that issue is, with the gap 3.9s from Marquez.
Mir has about 1.7s over Bezzecchi in the battle for third.
06:29
Bezzecchi takes fourth from Acosta at Turn 11.
06:28
Bagnaia's lead is still four seconds, so whatever it is is not slowing him down.
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06:28
Lap 15/24
Bagnaia's leaad is 3.9s over Marquez at the start of lap 15.
But there is smoke coming off the back of Bagnaia's bike!
06:27
Mir takes third from Acosta at Turn 6! Acosta is massively struggling now.
06:26
From P3 to potential title glory 👀@marcmarquez93 is ready 🙌#ComebackLoading ⌛ | #JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/Glbi8fJSMX
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 28, 2025
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06:26
Lap 14/24
11 laps to go here at Motegi. Marquez again slightly faster than Bagnaia but the gap remains about 3.7s.
