“Something big is coming”: Marc Marquez prepares for MotoGP title shot in Japan

For the first time 2019, Marc Marquez heads to a MotoGP event knowing he can be crowned world champion.

Six long years littered with injuries, surgery and uncompetitive machinery have passed since his last MotoGP title.

There were moments when Marquez seriously questioned continuing his racing career, enduring a 1,000-day win drought from Misano 2021, scene of his last Honda victory, to Aragon 2024, his first for Ducati.

Retirement was “close” he admitted in the run-up to this weekend, before a last-chance move to Gresini put him on a path towards this weekend’s shot at a ninth world title.

With a huge 182-point title lead, only younger brother Alex remains in world championship contention.

But that's very much mathematical: Even if Alex delays Marc’s celebrations by losing fewer than three points to the factory Ducati Lenovo rider this weekend, Alex would still effectively need to win all of the following ten races with Marc failing to score.

In other words, the title ‘fight’ was over long ago, but Marc admits there will be extra tension in the air this weekend.

“We will try to keep the same mood. It’s true that it’s difficult, because your body knows something big is coming,” Marquez said.

“I know that it will be a tough press conference on Thursday, answering the same questions [about winning the title this weekend], but we will try to keep the same mentality and especially I want to keep the same level.”

In other words, as in so many of his six previous premier-class titles, Marc will be riding to win at Motegi, not collect points.

“That means fighting for the victory, even if the title is in the game,” he confirmed.

“It will not be easy to close it in Motegi because Alex, as we see [at the Misano test], is riding fast everywhere.”

Alex meanwhile, will be focussed on extending his 93-point advantage over Marc’s team-mate Francesco Bagnaia to secure a historic Marquez one-two in the final standings.