Simply put, the 2025 Japanese GP will go down as an unforgettable weekend. Delivering one of sports’ greatest comebacks, our trip to Motegi ended in style. Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) was crowned the 2025 MotoGP World Champion, shattering the history books once more after a 2184-day journey. It was a truly magical moment for the Ducati Lenovo Team, which was made even sweeter as Francesco Bagnaia returned to the top step of the podium. Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) rounded out the rostrum, completing another page of his HRC story. Now with plenty to celebrate, it’s time to get stuck into the biggest talking points from Japan!

"I feel at peace with myself"

On Sunday, Marc Marquez crossed the line in second position, and although it wasn't another victory, it was enough for the #93 to become the 2025 MotoGP World Champion. It was a record-shattering result, which will enter the history books as one of the greatest sporting comebacks of all time. Unsurprisingly, emotions were high post-GP, with Marc Marquez reflecting on the weekend, his season and his journey up to this point in his career.

Marc Marquez: "I have a super strange feeling. Of course I am happy, but the first feeling was that I feel at peace with myself. The first sentence I said on Spanish TV was that it was Marc against Marc for five years. It was Marc against injury, but especially on the mental side, it was difficult. Many people around me helped a lot; I won’t say any names as they already know who they are, but without them, it wouldn't have been possible.

"I made super difficult decisions, but I made the full circle in Japan, a place where I have won many Championships. My Ducati team was on the podium, my Honda team was on the podium, so it was the perfect day."

"He was unbeatable this season"

Francesco Bagnaia returned to the top step of the podium, finding the final piece of the puzzle at Motegi. The #63 had an incredible weekend, snatching a late pole position on Saturday morning, before dominating the Tissot Sprint and Sunday’s Japanese GP – winning by 4.196s. However, things were not straightforward for the Italian, with his bike smoking throughout the closing laps. Bagnaia was able to cross the line, marking a big step in the right direction as anticipation builds for what's next.

Bagnaia: "I never left. It’s true that my results this season have been a bit strange. What happened this weekend was something that arrived once we finally found our way. I am very happy about today, but I am also very angry about this weekend because we could have maybe done this earlier, maybe after one or two Grand Prix. But sometimes things don’t go in the direction you want.

"I just want to enjoy the moment and say a huge congratulations to Marc, who deserves this title. He was unbeatable this season, so let’s see if I can fight with him in the next five races."

"He took a weight off my shoulders"

Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) had a difficult weekend in Japan, scoring no points in Saturday’s Sprint before fighting back on Sunday with a P6 finish. It was an emotional day for the entire Marquez family, with Alex joining in the celebrations with his brother following the Grand Prix. Reflecting on Round 17, Alex Marquez discussed his emotions as he heads into Indonesia with some weight taken off his shoulders.

Alex Marquez: "I am really happy, first of all, he took a weight off my shoulders. This weekend was not easy to control, as I was the only rider who had options to win, there were many cameras and people there. And then when you don’t have a great feeling on the track, everything is making a big ball, and it gets worse and worse. But he deserves it. I never had any doubts that he would come back and would be strong. It’s true that the people at home only saw 10% of the comeback, not the 100%, and I had the honour to see the whole comeback in person."

"What a weekend"

Joan Mir rounded out an unforgettable weekend at Motegi, qualifying P2 on the grid – narrowly missing out on pole position. From there, the #36 took fourth in the Sprint, ending Sunday with a podium. It was Mir’s first podium since 2021, marking a significant moment in his career as he took his first rostrum finish with HRC in the premier class. There was a lot to reflect on following the race, with Mir describing it as a perfect weekend.

Mir: "What a weekend, a perfect one! Yesterday, I was super close to getting pole position, and then I didn’t. Then I was also fighting for the podium in the Sprint, but then I didn’t. Today I took the opportunity to get a podium. I knew it was going to be hard in the long race because we have to control the spin, as we normally drop a lot. For this, I think I did it perfectly, I tried to attack a lot on the brakes to save my tyre, and then I was able to open a gap at the end of the race."

"Greatest comeback in sporting history"

Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had a mixed weekend, starting from the second row of the grid, before finishing Saturday on the Sprint podium. Things looked positive at the beginning of Sunday, with the #37 fighting for the podium in the opening stages. However, Acosta ran wide at Turn 1, forcing a trip through the gravel and dropping outside the points on Lap 19. Looking back on the weekend, Acosta reflected on his P17 finish and the new World Champion.

Acosta: "We knew it was going to be a tough race with the tyre, but we never imagined it would be that tough. It is what it is; we knew that we have had these problems since the beginning of the season. Now it’s time to look at the data with the team and see if there is a solution in a short space of time.

"I think it’s the greatest comeback in sporting history. At the end, even I got emotional when I saw the video that the guys made for him, so I cannot imagine it for him. Congratulations to him and also the people around him, because sometimes the people around you suffer more than the person with the injury."