06:11
Bezzecchi launches his Aprilia on Morbidelli at Turn 7 and gets fifth. That's an important move because he does have podium pace here.
Marc Marquez, Ducati Corse, 2025 Japanese MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
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Aprilia's Jorge Martin will not start due to a shoulder injury from a crash on Saturday, while home hero Ai Ogura has withdrawn due to ongoing pain in his hand from an incident at the San Marino Grand Prix.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
06:11
Lap 6/24
Bagnaia extends his lead to 1.7s at the start of lap six over Acosta, while Marquez is being closed more by Mir.
06:10
Lap 5/24
We're on lap five now. Bagnaia's lead is up to 1.5s over Acosta, who still has Marquez behind him and Mir closing.
The fight for the race win already looks done.
06:08
Marini has now pitted.
06:08
Lap 4/24
Three laps down. Bagnaia's lead is 1.3s from Acosta and Marquez.
06:08
Marini has had an issue somewhere as he has dropped to last.
06:07
It's Bagnaia from Acosta, Marquez, Mir, Morbidelli, Bezzecchi, A.Marquez, Fernandez, Quartararo and Zarco.
06:06
Lap 3/24
Onto lap three, Bagnaia leads by 1.2s from Acosta, who is holding Marquez at bay.
06:06
Bagnaia is gone. He's a second clear already.
06:05
Alex Marquez has capitalised on this as he moves up to seventh. Quartararo down to ninth.
06:05
Mir has gotten P4 from Quartararo at Turn 3. Morbidelli forces his way through on the Yamaha at Turn 5.
06:04
Lap 2/24
Bagnaia leads Acosta across the line, as Marquez looks to get into second.
06:04
Alex Marquez is eighth at the moment. That would not be enough to stop Marc winning the title.
06:03
Acosta has a look at Bagnaia into Turn 5 but the Ducati still leads.
06:03
2025 Japanese MotoGP, Motegi - Start (Lap 1/24)
The 2025 Japanese MotoGP is GO!
Bagnaia leaps into the lead from Acosta and Marquez, who didn't get the best launch. Mir is being hounded by Quartararo.
06:00
Warm-up lap
The warm-up lap is underway.
05:58
Tyre choice
Michelin has confirmed that all riders are on the medium front, medium rear.
05:57
The three-minute board has been given.
05:56
Ducati's Davide Tardozzi has cited Pedro Acosta and Marco Bezzecchi as the strongest rivals to his riders today.
Bezzecchi was especially fast on Friday on the medium rear, but has to come from eighth and is in some discomfort following his tangle with team-mate Jorge Martin yesterday.
05:51
Just 10 minutes to go and it has just gotten a bit darker at Motegi. There is a rain threat in the forecast, though it's not a certainty it will impact the grand prix.
05:50
From P3 to potential title glory 👀@marcmarquez93 is ready 🙌#ComebackLoading ⌛ | #JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/Glbi8fJSMX
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 28, 2025
05:48
Marquez has returned to the grid and has gone straight to the national anthem zone. What must be going through his head right now, after everything that has happened since the last time he was in this position in 2019?
05:46
Just 15 minutes to go.
05:45
Looking away from the title battle for a moment, Pecco Bagnaia's resurgence could see him take just his second grand prix win of the season today.
The changes to his bike made at the Misano test have continued to work for the double world champion.
05:44
Alex Marquez faces a big task to try and delay his older brother's coronation, coming from eighth on the grid having struggled with front-end feeling all weekend.
