Marc Marquez wins sprint in Japan
Marquez claimed his seventh sprint success; Diogo Moreira earns a historic first sprint podium for Brazil.
Marc Marquez took victory in the sprint race for the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, registering his seventh sprint win of the season.
Jorge Martin originally crossed the line in second place but was demoted one position after being penalised for going off the track limits, dropping him to third. Enea Bastianini received the same one-place penalty and fell from third to fourth.
Diogo Moreira was promoted to second, claiming his first-ever sprint podium in the premier class and marking the first MotoGP sprint podium for a Brazilian rider.
Race incident and penalties
The sprint was overshadowed by a first-lap incident in which Álex Márquez went off and took out Pedro Acosta and Fabio Di Giannantonio. Álex received a double long-lap penalty for the main race as a result of his action.
In the championship standings after the sprint, Jorge Martin remains the leader with 313 points, while Marc Marquez closed the gap to seven points.
The main race at Motegi is scheduled for Sunday, October 4, 2026 at 07:00 local time.
Photo: Overtake.GP | MotoGP @Overtake_GP (X)
