Motegi, Japan — Defending MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez claimed victory at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, narrowing Jorge Martin’s championship lead to just two points with six rounds remaining in the season.

Starting from second on the grid behind pole-sitter Martin, Marquez overtook his fellow Spaniard midway through the race and maintained the lead to secure his sixth grand prix win of the year. The Ducati rider also won Saturday’s sprint race, completing a successful weekend that allowed him to close the gap in the overall standings after losing ground at the previous round in Austria.

Marquez described the weekend’s maximum points haul as “very important,” acknowledging the challenge of racing closely behind Martin before taking the lead. “The race was tough, especially when I was behind Jorge, but I knew that if I was able to lead, the pace was good,” he commented. “Jorge tried to attack but then I just increased the pace and it was enough to do the last two laps more relaxed.”

Martin, riding for Aprilia and leading the championship before this event, said although he had a “good package to fight for the rest of the season,” Marquez was the stronger competitor on the day. “I think today to win was really difficult. It was one of the days when I rode almost perfectly, I was really smooth, really confident, and even then I couldn't win,” Martin said after finishing second.

Italian rider Marco Bezzecchi, also on an Aprilia, finished third but fell further behind in the title contention. Bezzecchi battled hard in the closing stages to hold off teammate Enea Bastianini, who ended the race in fourth place.

Notable performances included Japan’s Ai Ogura, who was aiming to become the first Japanese winner at Motegi since 2004 and finished sixth, and Pedro Acosta, Spain’s recent first-time MotoGP winner in Austria, who crossed the line seventh. Brazilian rider Diogo Moreira, who had initially secured second place in the sprint before a penalty dropped him to third, crashed out of the main race.

The race unfolded on a day that saw temperatures drop and clouds gather shortly before the start, although the anticipated rain did not materialize. Prior to the race, Marquez introduced a new warm-up routine involving press-ups on the tarmac, which he credited with helping him maintain focus.

Following Sunday’s results, Martin retains the overall championship lead with 333 points, closely pursued by Marquez’s 331 points. Bezzecchi remains third with 284 points. With six events remaining, the championship battle is poised to continue intensifying as the contenders prepare for the next round.