Twice MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia won the Japanese Grand Prix in Motegi on Sunday after winning the sprint race as well on Saturday.  The double cut his gap to rival Jorge Martin at the top of the world championship down to ten points with four races of the season remaining. 

The Ducati rider who qualified in second after dominating practice kept Martin at bay for 20 laps to clinch an eighth win of the season for the first time in his career.

Bagnaia overtook rookie Pedro Acosta in the opening lap and maintained the lead throughout, finishing 1.189 seconds ahead of Martin in second place, as Gresini Racing’s Marc Marquez was third.

Francesco Bagnaia. Photo: Autosport

Italy’s Enea Bastianini finished fourth and stayed third in the overall standings, two points ahead of Spain’s six-time champion Marquez. Spanish rookie Acosta failed to pick up any points, sliding off after 21 laps after also crashing out of the sprint race.

After the race, Bagnaia told the media they would move ahead with the same ambition and strategy to the Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island in two weeks. “I feel super happy. We managed to gain 11 points during this weekend," said Bagnaia, whose win was the 900th by an Italian in MotoGP history.

Home hero Takaaki Nakagami of LCR Honda, racing in his final Japanese Grand Prix as a full-time MotoGP rider, finished 13th with South Africa’s Brad Binder finishing in sixth.

OFM Sport/Ilse Smalberger dg