Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez may have crashed from the lead of the Misano Sprint, but the Ducati star could now win the 2025 MotoGP title next time out at the Japanese Grand Prix.
MotoGP will go to Motegi on September 26-28 for the 2025 Japanese GP, in what will be the 17th of the 22 rounds scheduled this year. It will also now be possible for Marquez to match his fierce rival, Valentino Rossi, as a seven-time MotoGP champion in the Tochigi Prefecture.
Gresini rider Alex Marquez had the chance to delay his elder brother’s likely coronation until the Indonesian Grand Prix once Marc Marquez crashed in the lead of the Misano Sprint. But Alex had to win the Sprint at the San Marino Grand Prix, and glory went to Marco Bezzecchi.
Bezzecchi won the Misano Sprint by a full second over the younger Marquez brother, as the Aprilia rider took advantage of Marc’s crash on Lap 6 of 13 to regain the lead before holding off Alex until the chequered flag. The result leaves Marc boasting a 187-point lead over Alex.
Alex Marquez is already focusing on Marco Bezzecchi, as Marc Marquez can win the 2025 MotoGP title in Japan
Had Marc’s lead over Alex been 186 points after the Sprint at Misano, the Ducati rider would have had to wait until the Indonesian GP for his first chance to seal the title. But that chance will be in Japan, so Alex is now switching his focus to staying ahead of Bezzecchi for second.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Marc Marquez from net worth to girlfriend
Bezzecchi’s Misano Sprint victory moved the Aprilia rider to 197 points for the 2025 MotoGP season so far, while Alex Marquez sits second in the standings with 280 ahead of Ducati star Francesco Bagnaia in third on 228. KTM’s Pedro Acosta is fifth in the rankings on 170 points.
Alex told DAZN, via quotes by Motorsport.com: “I knew that if I won, Marc wouldn’t have a match point in Japan. I tried, which is what was important, until the penultimate lap.
“[Bezzecchi] made some small mistakes [and] he wasn’t riding completely comfortably. But on the last lap, I took it easy because I saw that it wasn’t possible.
“Marc can be champion at Motegi, so tomorrow it’s time to do a good job. It’s also important not to lose too many points to Bezzecchi for the runner-up spot, since we scored a lot of them at Montmelo.”
Alex Marquez denied Marc Marquez a chance to make history by winning the title at Misano
Alex Marquez won the Catalan Grand Prix in Barcelona last Sunday to ensure Marc Marquez could not potentially win the 2025 riders’ title at the San Marino GP this week. Had his first match point come at Misano, Marc would have also had a chance to make MotoGP history.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Alex Marquez from net worth to career stats
Winning the riders’ title at Misano would have seen Marquez surpass Rossi for the record of securing a MotoGP title at the earliest stage of a season. Rossi won the 2002 title after 12 of that year’s 16 races (75%), but the Japanese GP is the 17th of this term’s 22 rounds (77.2%).
But it is almost inevitable that Marc Marquez will eventually win the 2025 title, with his 467 points almost an unattainable target for Alex Marquez to match. Alex would need Marc not to score a point in the San Marino GP and across the following 4.3 rounds just to draw level.
So, Alex Marquez has moved his focus over to staying ahead of Bezzecchi in the fight for P2 in the 2025 standings, with the Gresini rider in second and Aprilia rider in fourth place now 83 points apart after the Misano Sprint. Bagnaia in P3 trails Alex by 52 and Bezzecchi by 31.
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