Marc Marquez overturned Jorge Martin’s early advantage at Motegi and once again showed the pace keeping him at the centre of the title fight. Martin had taken pole for the second time across the weekend, then launched better than his rival and led through the opening corner.

The two Spaniards quickly moved clear of Marco Bezzecchi, but Marquez began to find a small advantage in speed. He made the key move at Turn 9 and held the lead from that point onward. Martin acknowledged making a few minor mistakes and said he had believed victory was within reach, yet called Marquez “unbeatable” on the day. He also explained that he kept pushing to the finish in an attempt to close the gap and force an error, but the task proved extremely difficult.

A significant step for Aprilia

Motegi delivered Aprilia’s first podium at the circuit. Martin stressed the importance of that achievement because the manufacturer had previously struggled there, and he also said Aprilia set a track record. That was Martin’s assessment of the weekend’s progress with the RS-GP26; on the race track, however, Marquez still held the decisive advantage once he moved ahead.

Martin said Aprilia had reduced the deficit through the left-hand corners, while Marquez was especially competitive in the opening sector. Although the win escaped him, the Aprilia rider remains at the head of the championship and described it as “a privilege” to still be fighting Marquez for the title. Next weekend’s Indonesian Grand Prix is expected to favour the RS-GP26 more than the Ducati Desmosedici GP26, which could produce a different balance in the next stage of the battle.