Overview

• Marquez clinched his seventh premier‑class crown (nine world titles overall) with second place in Japan, extending his lead over Alex Marquez to 201 points with five rounds left.
• Bagnaia completed a statement weekend for Ducati with pole in a Motegi qualifying record of 1:42.911, a dominant sprint victory, and the Grand Prix win despite late smoke from his Ducati.
• Joan Mir took third for Honda to secure his first podium since 2021, while Pedro Acosta slipped back after an off‑track excursion and Alex Marquez finished sixth.
• Jorge Martin missed the race with a broken collarbone from the sprint and local rider Ai Ogura withdrew injured after the warm‑up, altering the competitive picture on Sunday.
• Max Verstappen won NLS9 on his GT3 debut in an Emil Frey Ferrari 296 GT3 with Chris Lulham after qualifying third, as Christian Krognes’ official NLS lap record of 7:49.578 remains the benchmark despite unverified reports of a quicker Verstappen test lap that have prompted questions over BoP and tyre differences.