After a year of struggles on the GP25 Ducati, Francesco Bagnaia finally secured his first MotoGP Sprint win of the season at Motegi.
The Turin-born rider dominated the competition to take a commanding victory, with teammate Marc Marquez completing a factory Ducati 1–2.
Bagnaia, who started on pole, took the holeshot into Turn 1 as both factory Aprilia riders Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin, collided early on.
KTM’s Acosta circled around the outside of Marquez into Turn 3, continuing the momentum into Lap 2 by lunging on Honda’s Mir into Turn 5.
Both riders were unable to match Bagnaia’s pace in the early stages as the Italian stretched a 0.5s lead, a rare sight throughout the 2025 season.
Championship leader Marquez remained in fourth after a failed attempt to overtake Mir at Turn 5, showing little aggression despite having a chance to clinch the title during Sunday’s Grand Prix.
He tried again on Lap 5, but ran into the corner too hot, allowing Mir to regain third place with relative ease.
His inability to lead any session this weekend further highlighted Marquez’s uncharacteristic struggles, a stark contrast to his typical dominance.
The Spaniard finally went through at the hairpin as he divebombed his fellow countryman, claiming third place.
Tech3 KTM rider Enea Bastianini retired on Lap 7 due to a technical issue, becoming the third rider to retire from the race.
Bagnaia’s advantage over Acosta at the front extended to 2.5 seconds, but Marquez’s late-race pace shone as he overtook Acosta to secure a factory Ducati 1-2.
Bagnaia shone as he beat Marquez on merit for the first time since his teammate joined the Bologna-based outfit.
He crossed the line 1.8 seconds ahead, although the gap was as high as 2.8 seconds at one point, with the Spaniard finishing a rare second this time.
Acosta’s third-place finish marks another podium appearance for KTM, with his early overtake ensuring he secured his spot on the podium.
Mir posted an impressive fourth for Honda, closely followed by VR46 Ducati’s Franco Morbidelli.
Fabio Quartararo was the sole Yamaha rider to claim points, fending off Luca Marini at the end of the race.
Trackhouse Aprilia claimed eighth and ninth place, respectively, despite the factory’s nightmare at the race start.
Gresini suffered as both Alex Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer claimed 10th and 11th on the GP24.
Brad Binder claimed 12th for KTM ahead of VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio and Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami.
Miguel Oliveira finished 15th for Pramac Yamaha after team-mate Jack Miller crashed out, defeating Maverick Vinales, Somkiat Chantra and Alex Rins.
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