With Sunday race action from the Mobility Resort Motegi now in the record books, here’s you chance to read all the team race reports from this historic day in MotoGP racing.
Ducati Lenovo
Marc Márquez is the 2025 World Champion with the Ducati Lenovo Team. #MoreThanANumber, for a season beyond records, numbers and wins. In the Grand Prix of Japan, a day filled with emotions to celebrate a Champion who was able – thanks to Ducati and its Desmosedici GP – to bounce back and return to the highest of levels. An unprecedented comeback in the modern era of motorcycle racing.
Thanks to the second-place finish scored today at the Mobility Resort Motegi, Marc clinches his seventh MotoGP title, the first with Borgo Panigale’s red machine. Behind the win, on one side, lies an invaluable human value, while on the other, a series of impressive numbers. A total domination in the 17 Grand Prix undertaken so far: 11 race victories, 14 Sprint wins, 31 overall podium finishes, 8 pole positions and 18 fastest laps of the race (across Sprint and Sunday races) for a total of 541 points scored out of the 629 available.
Marc’s title is the third Riders’ World Championship for the Ducati Lenovo Team in the last four seasons, the fourth-consecutive and fifth all-time for a Ducati rider in MotoGP (2007 by Stoner, in 2022 and 2023 by Bagnaia and in 2024 by Martín).
The race at Motegi saw Francesco Bagnaia taking the win from pole position. Marc Márquez was second at the flag, for another incredible one-two by the Ducati Lenovo Team after the one claimed yesterday in the Sprint, to complete a memorable day for Ducati.
Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 2025 MotoGP World Champion
“It’s hard to find the words to describe the emotions I’m feeling right now. After the challenges and the injuries of 2020, I continued to fight and I can now say I’m at peace with myself. This has been the biggest challenge for me: since I joined MotoGP, I was straight away very competitive and won a lot, before going from glory to years of hardships marked by injuries, crashes and results that were surely not exciting. I never gave up and stayed focused on myself, following my instincts and making important – yet not simple – decisions. This is why this world title is the best way to close the circle. Obviously, to make it back to the top I had to embrace the most competitive project and ride the best bike designed by the most winning manufacturer in recent years – Ducati. This surely helped a lot. There’s the work of so many people behind the curtain – too many to be named one by one – whom I thank with my heart. It was without a doubt the perfect decision.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team)
“This has been the first weekend in which I felt myself again out on track, and we really put together and excellent performance. After what has been a challenging season so far, it was hard to imagine that we would have squared the circle, but better late than never! I went back to enjoying riding the bike since the Misano test and I had fun today. This is wonderful, but also a pity that it happened only now, but we can only look forward and try to continue this way until the end of the season. I never stopped believing in myself and the team. I’m very proud of it, especially on a day like today. Obviously I’d like to congratulate Marc for his incredible season and I hope we’ll able to give all Ducatisti some more excitement in this last leg of the season.”
Claudio Domenicali (Ducati CEO)
“The story continues, and what a story we’re writing! We’re World Champions for the fourth year in a row, showing that when talent, competence and dedication meet, the line between possible and extraordinary disappears. It may look easy on the track, especially when results come with continuity, but behind every success there’s relentless teamwork: months of designing and simulations, hours dedicated to data analysis, engine changes calibrated to the tiniest of details, race strategies planned out with precision. All of this remains invisible to the eyes of those watching, but it is behind the curtain that we build our victories. It is there that every little detail makes the difference and becomes the decisive element that enables the champion to perform at his very best out on track. With Marc, this process has been natural: he immediately found the perfect sync with the Desmosedici GP. From the opening race, he confirmed what we were expecting of him, and in many cases, he even exceeded our expectations, showing how an extraordinary talent like him and the meticulous work by a passionate and competent team like ours can mutually strengthen each other. My thank you goes to all women and men in Ducati Corse: once again we did it, and we did it together. It’s a clockwork that only works perfectly if each part gives their very best, and today it is working flawlessly with Gigi Dall’Igna coordinating and inspiring every move. A special thank you goes to Lenovo, our partners and suppliers, for their contribution in making these achievements possible. Last year I promised all Ducatisti that we wouldn’t have settled, that we would have continued to work towards more wins… and today we showed that our passion and our commitment are not just words, but tangible results that put us always one step ahead.”
Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager)
“With today’s result, we crowned a season whose human significance goes beyond numbers. We’re celebrating the talent and the motivation of a Champion capable of returning to the highest of levels aboard the Desmosedici GP. Before embracing the Ducati project in its entirety, Marc was among the strongest of rivals. The value of this win goes hand in hand with a message connected to effort and the true passion for motorcycling and recognises the skills of a work group who in the last six seasons rewrote part of MotoGP history. A thank you goes to all riders, to the people who work at the track and at Borgo Panigale, as well as to our partners who support and share the value of this project. A special thanks to Pecco, who this weekend was back fighting for the positions he deserves to be in. His riding and human skills are a staple for everyone. Let’s enjoy this moment and this streak of positive results, without forgetting to think about the future and the constant search for speed and performance.”
Luca Rossi (President of Intelligent Devices Group, Lenovo)
“Congratulations to World Champion Marc Márquez and the entire team on this outstanding victory, crowning an unforgettable season. Moments like this are why we partnered with Ducati Corse. They show how passion, innovation and performance can inspire millions around the world. At Lenovo, we believe technology is at its best when it helps people and teams achieve extraordinary things, and this MotoGP season has been a perfect example of that. We’re proud to be a part of the Ducati Lenovo Team as champions, and we’re even more excited about what we can achieve together in the future.”
Honda HRC Castrol
For the first time since the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix, the factory Honda HRC team stepped onto the premier class podium as Joan Mir’s years of hard work and focus were rewarded with third place on Sunday in Motegi. Luca Marini suffered his first DNF of the year.
A fantastic day in Motegi saw Joan Mir and Honda HRC Castrol deliver on the ever-growing potential they have shown not just this season, but since the 2020 MotoGP World Champion joined the factory team in 2023. As in the Sprint, Mir fought for every position and quickly overcame an early mistake to close down Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta. The trio would give no quarter as they battled until the middle of the race, Mir getting the better of Acosta and easily holding off a late run from Marco Bezzecchi.
Cheers erupted inside the Honda HRC Castrol garage as Joan Mir returned the factory team to the podium, his first as a rider since the Algarve Grand Prix in 2021. With a multitude of Honda Motor and HRC management and staff in attendance for Honda’s home race, the podium could not have come at a better time. The result is another welcome boost for both the #36 and the entirety of Honda HRC, a tangible reward for the efforts put in. This is the first Japanese GP podium of Mir’s Grand Prix career.
Luca Marini’s Japanese GP would unfortunately follow a very different trajectory as a technical issue ruled him out after just a few laps when he returned to the pits. Honda HRC engineers will confirm the issue ahead of the Indonesian Grand Prix next week. The DNF brings Marini’s perfect race start to point-scoring finishes ratio to an end. He remains positive and focused on returning to where the Honda RC213V has shown it can be in the coming races.
The MotoGP World Championship now travels directly to Lombok, Indonesia for the Indonesia Grand Prix at the Mandalika Circuit.
Honda HRC would like to extend their most enthusiastic congratulations to Marc Marquez on winning the 2025 MotoGP World Championship. The result cements an incredible return from a multi-year injury ordeal, highlighting his truly unique mentality and approach to racing.
Joan Mir
Third – Debut Honda Podium
“What a weekend! A perfect one, honestly. I was so close to the pole position yesterday, I was so close to the podium yesterday but missed both – today I had to take the chance to get the podium! I knew it would be hard because the long race you have to control everything perfectly. I was attacking under brakes a lot to save the tyres and then in the second half of the race I was able to open a gap and manage, even closing down Marc in front. Just fantastic, super happy for myself and for Honda. After what we have been through, to get this first podium especially here in Japan, it is really special. It has been a long time for myself and Honda to have a moment like this and sometimes you struggle a bit with motivation but this confirms that everything we do is worth it and I am really excited to go to Lombok now – we need to continue this moment.”
Luca Marini
DNF
“From the start I could feel something was not working correctly with the bike. The situation did not improve so I had to return to the garage and unfortunately finish the race. It’s a shame because I think that we could have been up there at the front fighting. It’s a great day for Honda, Joan was able to show the potential of the bike and it’s a big boost for everyone who is involved in this project. With this result for him and this result for me, the best thing we can do is go straight to Mandalika and get back to work immediately. I am really looking forward to the rest of the year and continuing what we have shown.”
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Pedro Acosta, encouraged by his third Sprint podium medal of the season on Saturday but also curious to know if the medium tire compound would help or hinder his rally for more silverware, started with fierce intent and was into 2nd place in the opening exchanges. Brad Binder and Enea Bastiani had to be proactive in the first laps to make strides into points scoring positions. BB33 reached 13th and the Italian gave chase while Maverick Viñales was further back and trying to make inroads.
Acosta could not maintain his pace for the full 24-lap duration and a ‘moment’ while braking for Turn 1 put him off track and into the gravel. The Spaniard drifted down the race order and made it across the finish line in 17th. Bastianini forced his way up to 11th and was followed by Binder in 12th as the pair passed the checkered flag together. Viñales just missed out on Grand Prix points.
The Lombok island setting of the Mandalika Street Circuit will activate the Indonesian Grand Prix next weekend and another back-to-back fixture for 2025 MotoGP.
Enea Bastianini, 11th and 14th in the championship standings: “In general we can be happier than what we were yesterday, and we improved a bit the setup of the bike.From ten laps to go I improved my pace and I gave something more. This is a strange world. Sometimes, at some tracks, nothing works like what you want.I think we need to understand why and try to be competitive in every track. I hope to see us like 3-4 races in the past: competitive. I want to be back in the top five like a few races ago.”
Brad Binder, 12th and 11th in the championship standings: “A difficult weekend. I had a really good start but we had a lot of chatter from the beginning which made it difficult to ride the bike. The wheelspin when we were upright also finished the tire. Very tricky because I cannot take advantage of drive and corner entry is tough. If we can get to a circuit where we can lessen the chatter then we can do something; hopefully in Indonesia.”
Maverick Viñales, 16th and 16th in the championship standings: “A hard race for sure. Very tough but it was good to keep going. At a certain point I had quite a lot of pain but then I relaxed a little bit and it went away and I could push again in the last five-six laps. I think we made a good training for Mandalika and for the rest of the season but what I feel is that there is now a lot of work to do again on the bike becausewe are not pushing the tyres in the correct way.”
Pedro Acosta, 17th and 6th in the championship standings: “I knew it would be a tough race with the tire but I did not expect it to be that tough! I tried to pass for the lead in Turns 3 and 5 but couldn’t and then when I saw the rhythm I thought ‘OK, do your race and save the tyre’. I wasn’t pushing, which is hard for me! It is what it is. Now it is the moment to check the data with the team and check for some solutions. I was braking OK but didn’t have anything in Turn 1 at that moment, which was also strange. We’ll check and we’ll work.”
Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Aside from the Sprint podium finish it has been a disappointing weekend for us. Our performance is not at the level that we want and not as expected. We knew from 2024 that we could have a tirewear challenge here in Motegi but even in the race today with the harder option it was worse than we anticipated. It was tough to accept, especially when we were in a position at the start of the race to be on the podium. We need to deeply analyze why things happened this way for these grip conditions and for this track. In any case we have to look positively to Indonesia because five-six races ago we were making progress. We will reset and go again at Mandalika and focus again on the podium there.”
Monster Energy Yamaha
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team was determined to show the local fans their fighting spirit in the Grand Prix of Japan Race. Fabio Quartararo managed the gap to chasing rivals again and rode to an 8th-place result. Álex Rins gained positions in the early stages but gradually lost ground and ended the 24-lap contest in P18.
Quartararo had a good start from P5 and completed the first lap in fourth place. However, the Frenchmen fell back to ninth due to a lack of grip, and soon a gap started to form to the riders ahead. A charging Johann Zarco was trying to get close enough to Quartararo to overtake, but the Yamaha rider managed the gap well. With Pedro Acosta running wide on lap 19, El Diablo moved up to eighth and held the position to the finish line, crossing it 21.160s from first.
Rins also started well from P17 and this time safely negotiated Turn 1 of the Motegi Circuit. He started to make strides and climbed as high as P14 on lap 3. He held the position until lap 7 when Enea Bastianini and Jack Miller snuck through. The Spaniard stayed closely behind Miller until Takaaki Nakagami overtook him on lap 16. The number-42 rider wanted to fight, but fell back to 19th place instead. As the race progressed, Nakagami crashed, Jack Miller retired from the race, and Rins was overtaken by Acosta. It resulted in the Yamaha man ending the race in 18th position, 34.792s from first.
After today’s results, Quartararo is 8th place in the overall standings with 149 points, and Rins holds 19th position with 45 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are 6th in the team championship with 194 points, and Yamaha remain in 5th position in the constructor championship with 180 points.
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team extend their congratulations to Marc Marquez and Ducati Lenovo for securing the World Championship Title.
MotoGP will be back in action next week time for the Grand Prix of Indonesia, held at the Mandalika Circuit from 3-5 October.
Massimo Meregalli
Team Director, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
“We already expected that it was going to be a tough race, but we did all we could to make the most of the level of our package at this moment. Fabio had a good start but then lost some ground because of the low grip levels at this track, which always affect us more than the others. He managed the pressure from Zarco all the race through and secured P8. Álex also had a promising start and climbed several positions, which allowed him to battle midpack in the early stages. But seven laps in, he started to lose some ground. Overall, it was certainly not an easy weekend, and the results are not where we want to be, but we did make an improvement compared to last year, and we will continue to work hard to better our competitiveness in the upcoming round in Indonesia next weekend.”
Fabio Quartararo
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
“This was not the best race for me. I gave my maximum at the beginning and made a great start, but our level of grip was not great and it was difficult to fight with other riders.
“I’m super happy for Marc Marquez. I’m sure he deserves this title win. Congratulations to him.”
Álex Rins
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
“I felt quite good during the first part of the race. This time, I had a proper start, I recovered some positions on the first laps, and then I was behind Aldeguer, which disturbed my rhythm a bit. As soon as I overtook him, I had a massive stoppie in corner 11, so I went wide and lost some positions. I tried to manage the drop of the tyres, but I couldn’t do more than I did. Overall, it was a better weekend than the previous one: we’re a bit closer and I could get in some overtakes.
“Congratulations to Marc Marquez on winning the title here in Motegi. He’s had a very impressive season.”
Aprilia Racing
Aprilia Racing concluded the race weekend at the Mobility Resort Motegi circuit with a strong performance by Marco Bezzecchi, who finished fourth.
Starting from ninth on the grid, Bezzecchi handled a demanding race with maturity, steadily climbing through the field and earning valuable championship points, despite not being in peak physical condition after Saturday’s sprint crash.
Jorge Martín was absent after suffering a displaced fracture of his right collarbone during the sprint. The Spanish rider has returned to Spain for surgery on Monday.
Raúl Fernández from the Trackhouse MotoGP Team also stood out, finishing seventh and scoring points as the second RS-GP25.
MARCO BEZZECCHI
“It was a good race. Unfortunately, the weekend became more challenging on Saturday. During the second time-attack, something happened that we still need to analyse, and we were unable to set a good lap time or match Friday’s performance. Starting from ninth makes everything harder, especially on a track like this. I nevertheless gave everything I had.”
MASSIMO RIVOLA
“Given Marco’s speed since Friday, expectations were even higher, but fourth place remains an excellent result, considering his starting position. However, it was a weekend tinged with regret because of what happened on Saturday. Aprilia, moreover, lined up with only two of its four bikes, so naturally, our best wishes go to Jorge and Ai for a quick recovery. It was also good to see Raúl deliver a solid performance. I would once again highlight Marco’s mindset – he never lets up from start to finish, and we will tackle the coming races with this same determination.”
Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing
The Japanese Gran Prix ends with a Top5 for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team: Franco Morbidelli crossed the line of Sunday’s race in fifth place, confirming himself as the top Independent rider at the chequered flag. Fabio Di Giannantonio had a more difficult day, and he finished the race in thirteenth place.
Starting from the second row, Morbidelli had a good start and he immediately placed himself in the leading group fight. With a solid pace, he managed to stay close to the podium positions, crossing the finish line in fifth place. With today’s result, Franco moves back up to fifth in the World Standings with 196 points.
It was a complicated Sunday for Di Giannantonio, who started from the fourth row and tried to recover positions right from the beginning. Fabio fought for spots within the Top 10, finishing the Japanese Grand Prix in thirteenth place. The #49 is currently seventh in the World Standings with 182 points.
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will be back on track next weekend for the Indonesian Grand Prix, the team’s second home race that will take place at the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit from October 3rd to 5th.
Fabio Di Giannantonio – 49
“Today the result was not what we wanted, but the good thing is that the team and I are really united and we believe in our potential. they are putting everything to try to understand the situation. We know that we are in an unpredictable situation this year: when we are in the bubble, the potential is insane and we can fight for the win. But when we’re not in it, we struggle a lot. It’s a pity, but I believe that we will make steps forward in the next races, we are fully committed to make this. Heads up, full smile on and happy about the fact we are together.”
Franco Morbidelli – 21
“Today’s race was really tough, but it was the best we could do this weekend. We had two solid races and the fifth-place finishes are very positive. I’m feeling very calm and happy with how the weekend went overall. All of this makes us very confident heading into the next race in Indonesia, which is kind of our second home race.”
Pablo Nieto – Team Manager
“I think we should be satisfied with Franco’s weekend overall and the work he did in the race. Today’s fifth place is really solid – it wasn’t easy at all. About Diggia, Friday was very positive, but we need to understand what happened on Saturday and Sunday. The goal will be to regain the feeling he had before the Japanese GP so we can be ready for next weekend’s race in Indonesia, which has almost become a ‘home’ race for us.”
