Winners: Happy Camp
- Marc Márquez
This was, without doubt, his moment. By finishing second in the Grand Prix he wrapped up his seventh MotoGP World Championship title — his first since 2019 — and completed what many are calling one of the great comebacks in modern motorsport.
After years of injury, setbacks, and a switch from Honda to Ducati, this confirmation must bring relief, vindication, and a lot of pride. - Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia
He was flawless in Japan. Pole position, won the Sprint, won the GP, led every lap — despite battling mechanical worries (“puffs of smoke” mentioned) late in the race.
Bagnaia seems to have turned a corner, especially after the test in Misano which apparently made a big difference. - Joan Mir & Honda
Mir made his first podium since 2021, riding for Honda. For Honda especially, a home podium at Motegi is big morale.
Mir will leave Japan encouraged: it shows there’s potential in the bike under certain conditions, and he’s getting closer to returning to form. - Marco Bezzecchi
Fourth at Motegi, beating many big names, and building consistency. He’s not quite podium-regular, but performances like this show he’s in the hunt.
Disappointments: Tough Weekends
- Alex Márquez
He was second in the standings coming in, with hopes to pressure his brother Marc. But sixth place in Japan won’t do much to narrow the gap. It was one of those weekends where he couldn’t match the pace or consistency at the front. - Riders with injuries or mechanical issues
Though not everyone was in that situation, we saw smoke concerns on Bagnaia’s bike (which he managed), but likely others might not have been so lucky. Mechanical fragility always makes for a disappointing or nerve-wracking weekend. - Those outside top results but with expectations
– Riders like Fabio Quartararo, Johann Zarco, and others who are used to either fighting at the front or at least regularly inside the top 5/10 probably leave unhappy. In Japan, Quartararo finished 8th, Zarco 9th, which is solid but likely below hopes.
– Reigning champion Jorge Martín again struggled: bad qualifying meant he was far back and had an uphill battle. A frustrating weekend.
Bigger Picture & What It Means
- Marc’s title win with five rounds to spare changes the dynamics of the rest of the season: less pressure on him, more opportunities for others to fight for “best of the rest.”
- Bagnaia’s resurgence could make him a strong contender moving forward. If Ducati can sort their reliability and continue the momentum, he might challenge for wins regularly.
- Honda’s podium via Mir suggests things are improving, but there’s still a gap. For other manufacturers (Aprilia, Yamaha, etc.), this race underlines how tough the Ducati-led pack still is.
Source:https://www.news.gp/en/2025-motogp-japan-whos-leaving-happy-and-whos-disappointe
