MotoGP race result as Francesco Bagnaia wins Japanese Grand Prix but Marc Marquez seals title

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Francesco Bagnaia continued his Japanese Grand Prix resurgence with a controlled performance to win his second MotoGP race of the season.

However, his sudden improvement may be overshadowed by Ducati teammate Marc Marquez, who has just been crowned a champion again after six years. His heroic injury comeback is officially complete, and proves that his bold decision to leave Honda was a good one.

It’s a shame that Bagnaia, who dominated the weekend, taking pole position, the sprint win, and Grand Prix victory, couldn’t find a similar level of speed throughout the campaign. However, a test ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, and some feedback from two-time champion Casey Stoner, appears to have kick-started his season.

Marquez lauded Pedro Acosta in a Motegi battle and was impressed by what he saw in Saturday’s sprint. On Sunday, he also had to spend a lot of time behind the KTM, knowing that there was no immediate need to pass his fellow Spaniard. Holding third place was enough for the title.

To start the race, Bagnaia managed an excellent launch, while Marquez found himself diving down the inside of Honda’s Joan Mir. Further behind, Fabio Quartararo struggled a lot and plummeted down the order, losing as many as five positions.

Gradually, Bagnaia increased the gap to his rivals without any challenge, while Marquez finally made his move on Acosta for second on lap 11. By then, the gap between the Ducati riders was more than three seconds.

Further behind, Alex Marquez maintained his position in seventh and couldn’t make any inroads. Coming into the race, he had to outscore his brother by eight points to make sure the title race was extended for another weekend.

On lap 14, Mir made a move on Acosta to get up to third. Elation was visible in the Honda garage, who have waited nearly two years to see him produce a big result. Soon after, Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi passed Acosta, too.

On lap 19, the Murcian rider went through the gravel at turn one, relegating him to 19th place and ruining his weekend. With four laps to go, home favourite Takaaki Nakagami crashed out from 15th, as he was denied a point right at the end.

Just minutes later, Jack Miller was forced to pull over, as the chain on his Pramac came off and left his bike limping at the side of the track.

Smoke from Bagnaia’s exhaust gave his team some cause for concern in the closing stages, but the GP25 managed to hold off. It was an issue that appeared to get worse as the race grew on.

However, despite the gap reducing from four to two seconds over the last few laps, Bagnaia held on to win once again, and his teammate managed a comfortable second to claim a seventh MotoGP title and his ninth overall.

Mir also delivered his best result since the 2021 Algarve Grand Prix, when he was still riding for Suzuki, for whom he won a title in 2020.

READ MORE: MotoGP Sprint race results as Francesco Bagnaia wins and Marc Marquez second at Motegi

MotoGP results for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix