MARQUEZ ARRIVES AT MOTEGI 12 POINTS OFF THE TITLE LEAD

Marc Marquez returns to Motegi facing a very different championship picture from the one he enjoyed there a year ago. In 2025, he arrived with a 182-point advantage over his brother Alex and left with a 201-point lead, having clinched his ninth world title with five rounds still to run. This time, the Ducati rider is 12 points behind championship leader Jorge Martin.

“Last year wasn’t normal to arrive in Motegi with that big advantage,” Marquez said on Thursday. “This year is a normal championship.” He added that he was pleased to be back in contention and would “try to do our best.”

His route to the current fight has been anything but straightforward. Ducati struggled against Aprilia early in the season, while follow-up surgery on a shoulder injured at Mandalika disrupted Marquez’s campaign. After Mugello, he was 102 points behind then-leader Marco Bezzecchi. A run of five grand prix victories in seven rounds carried him into the lead by Misano, but he has since slipped behind Martin again.

Marquez has had to manage difficult weekends at Assen and Silverstone, then lost further ground in Austria. Ducati’s performance on the stiffer rear tyre and braking problems affected him in both races. Motegi also places heavy demands on braking, but Marquez said the team had traced the Austrian issue in its data. “They found the problem. We will try to fix it, because it’s another very important race, but I’m confident,” he said.

Ducati has traditionally been strong at Motegi, yet this weekend brings unknowns: the circuit has been fully resurfaced, and riders will have the same reinforced rear tyre used at the Red Bull Ring. Marquez also expects stiff competition from outside the Ducati camp. He pointed to Pedro Acosta and all four Aprilia riders, singling out Ai Ogura after his strong return in Austria.

“We will try to do our best,” Marquez said. “The most important is that we are always there in the front row, fighting for the podiums.” He added that the field appears more evenly matched than in previous seasons, so Ducati must establish its true level at the circuit.

The next round is Mandalika, where the reinforced rear tyre will be compulsory. Ducati riders struggled there last year, and Marquez finished sixth in the Sprint before being injured on the opening lap of the grand prix. But he rejected the idea that this makes Motegi an especially important points opportunity. “Race by race, day by day,” he said, noting that weather and his own condition in Indonesia remain unknown. For now, his immediate aim is to reach Q2 on Friday: “Saturday will be another day.”