MotoGP's title fight arrives in Japan this weekend with the gap at the top smaller than a single weekend's haul. Jorge Martín leads Marc Márquez by just 12 points going into the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi (2-4 October), the 16th round of the season and the start of the Asian leg of the calendar.
According to the current standings, Martín has 306 points on his Aprilia, Márquez 294 on the factory Ducati, Aprilia team-mate Marco Bezzecchi 264 and KTM's Pedro Acosta 234. With a 12-lap Sprint on Saturday and a 24-lap Grand Prix on Sunday, 37 points are on offer in Japan. Márquez needs to outscore Martín by 13 to take the lead outright; a 12-point swing would leave them level, with countback deciding who is ahead.
Aprilia's momentum after Spielberg
The Austrian Grand Prix changed the picture. Martín won the Sprint at the Red Bull Ring and finished second on Sunday, while Márquez had a frustrating weekend and came home only fifth in the main race, as Motorsport.com reported. The defending champion, who had arrived level on points after Misano, left Austria 12 behind.
Aprilia bikes filled three of the top four places in Spielberg. Bezzecchi was third, and home hero Ai Ogura twice finished fourth for the satellite Trackhouse squad. That strength is the reason Italian outlet GPOne framed Motegi as Ducati chasing Aprilia, a reversal of the order that shaped recent seasons.
Martín is heading east with confidence, though he admits he is not fully fit. "I'm not at my 100%, but I'm feeling much better than I felt in Misano," the 2024 champion has admitted. Ahead of the trip he added: "The Asian tour is starting, and we're arriving at a good moment. We're working very well as a team, and we need to continue on this path, maintaining consistency and staying focused on our goals."
Motegi's mixed memories
Motegi has been kind and cruel to the leader. Martín won the Japanese GP in 2023, but in 2025 he crashed at Turn 1 in the Sprint and broke his collarbone. The circuit rewards hard braking and strong traction out of slow corners, which, according to Quotidiano Sport, is a demanding mix for every bike on the grid.
Bezzecchi, 42 points back, sounds relaxed. "Motegi is a track I really like and where we did quite well last year," the Italian said. "Our goal is to have a good weekend and continue the work we've been doing."
Acosta the wildcard
Then there is Acosta. After 15 premier-class podiums without a win, the Spaniard finally broke through in Austria by passing Martín on lap nine and winning by 1.017 seconds. The official MotoGP preview points out that he came into that race on a run of five straight top-five finishes, the last three of them podiums. At 72 points behind he is a long shot for the title, but a free-scoring Acosta could take points off both leaders.
Ducati also has a Motegi benchmark to aim for. Francesco Bagnaia won both the Sprint and the Grand Prix there in 2025, even though he is only ninth in this year's standings.
Seven rounds remain including Japan, with 259 points still available. The Sprint starts at 15:00 local time on Saturday, and the Grand Prix at 14:00 on Sunday.