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1h ago

Bagnaia Sets Motegi Lap Record for Pole, Then Wins Sprint as Marquez Nears Title

With a 191‑point lead over Alex Marquez, he will clinch the 2025 crown by leaving Motegi with at least 185 points in hand.

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In Japan auf Titelkurs: Marc Márquez
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Overview

  • Francesco Bagnaia converted pole into a start‑to‑finish sprint victory by 1.8 seconds over Marc Marquez, with Pedro Acosta third and Joan Mir fourth.
  • Bagnaia’s pole came with a new Motegi lap record of 1:42.911 after Q2 drama that included a throttle issue for Acosta, who still secured P4 on the grid.
  • Marc Marquez recovered from an FP2 crash to finish second in the sprint and expand his championship lead to 191 after Alex Marquez ended 10th without points.
  • Title picture: Alex Marquez must outscore his brother by seven points on Sunday to extend the fight; finishing directly behind Alex would still crown the leader.
  • Stewards will review Jorge Martin for a turn‑one clash that took out team‑mate Marco Bezzecchi in the sprint, while Manuel González claimed Moto2 pole in 1:47.925.