Honda’s 21-year-old Marc Marquez clinched his second successive title in MotoGP after finishing second to race winner and former two-time champion Jorge Lorenzo at the Motegi round of the 18-round MotoGP season.
After a poor getaway, the Spaniard made a couple of places on the first lap itself to secure fourth place. From there on, he reaped pole sitter Dovizioso to take third behind former seven-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi's Yamaha.
What followed was a close contest between two MotoGP world champions which continued for a number of laps before Marquez made a move stick around the Italian to take second place with nine laps to go. With race leader Lorenzo nearly three seconds ahead, Marquez cruised to the chequered flag.
At the start of the race, it was Rossi who sprung to the lead from teammate Jorge Lorenzo. However, Rossi couldn’t hold on to the lead of the race and soon fell to second before settling in for third behind Marc Marquez.
Pole sitter Andrea Dovizioso had little pace in his Ducati to hold on to first place and after 24 laps of racing, he finished down in fifth place.
Andrea Iannounce finished sixth for Pramac Racing ahead of LCR Honda’s Stefan Bradl and Tech 3 Yamaha riders Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith. Alvaro Bautista completed the top 10 for Go&Fun Honda.
Marquez hence became the youngest ever rider to win consecutive titles in the premier category, eclipsing the record set by Mike 'the bike' Hailwood - who also competed and scored podiums in F1 - nearly half a century ago.
Prior to his success in MotoGP, Marquez won the 125CC category in 2010 before winning the 2012 Moto2 title for Team Catalunya.
Three rounds now remain in the MotoGP season and with an 82 point lead over Rossi in the points standings, it is now mathematically impossible for any rider to overhaul Marquez's current points total as 25 points is the maximum points available for a rider at a race.
MOTO2: LUTHI HOLDS OFF LATE CHARGE FROM VINALES TO TAKE MOTEGI WIN
Interwetten Sitag rider Thomas Luthi recorded his first Moto2 victory since 2012 after holding off Maverick Vinales in the closing stages of the race at Motegi.
Having taken the lead of the race on the first lap, Luthi established a decent lead at the front of the field which proved crucial in ensuring that he took his first podium finish since season opening Qatar Moto2 Grand Prix.
Vinales did all he could, but eventually finished 1.2 seconds behind Luthi to take second. It was Spaniard’s seventh podium finish of the season - a more than impressive record for the rookie rider.
Esteve Rabat was unchallenged in third as he extended his lead at the top of standings to 38 points from teammate and Moto2 championship rival Mika Kallio.
Kallio, in turn, finished fifth in the middle of a three way battle with Caterham’s Johann Zarco and Julian Simon(Italtrans Racing).
MOTO3: ALEX MARQUEZ TAKES MOTEGI WIN AS BIG BROTHER IS CROWNED CHAMPION
Alex Marquez led a trail of six bikes in Moto3 Japanese Grand Prix to record his third win of the season and one that helps him extend his lead at the top of the riders standings to 25 points.
On the final lap of the race, Jack Miller and Danny Kent went too deep into turn 11, allowing Marquez to go through and take the race victory from Saxo Print’s Efren Vazquez who is contender for rider of the day for his charge from 14th on the grid.
Brad Binder took his second podium of the season for Mahindra while John McPhee took fourth in the other Saxo Print Honda.
Miller and Kent finished fourth and fifth respectively after the unfortunate incident on the final lap.
Results
1. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha
2. Marc Marquez Honda +1.638
3. Valentino Rossi Yamaha +2.602
4. Dani Pedrosa Honda +3.157
5. Andrea Dovizioso Ducati +14.353
6. Andrea Iannone Pramac +16.653
7. Stefan Bradl LCR Honda +19.531
8. Pol Espargaro Tech3 Yamaha +19.815
9. Bradley Smith Tech3 Yamaha +23.575
10. Alvaro Bautista Go&Fun Honda +35.687
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