Marc Marquez has the opportunity to secure the 2025 MotoGP world championship title early in Motegi – what he needs to do to be crowned in Japan
The Japanese Grand Prix in Motegi will be Marc Marquez’s first opportunity to finally clinch the 2025 MotoGP World Championship. The Spaniard’s title seemed inevitable early in the season, but only now can he finally seal the deal mathematically.
Should the Ducati factory rider confirm the title in Japan, he would secure the crown with five race weekends remaining in the 22-race season.
To do so, he would need to finish the Japanese weekend with a 185-point lead heading into the following race in Indonesia. After his victory at the San Marino Grand Prix, he has a 182-point lead over Alex. So the big picture is simple: Marc needs to extend his lead over Alex by three points at Motegi. This also means that it is mathematically impossible for Marc to secure the title before Sunday, i.e., already with the sprint race on Saturday.
What exactly he has to do on Sunday depends on the result of the sprint. But one thing is certain: he will have the chance to seal the deal in the Grand Prix.
If Marc doesn’t score any points on Saturday and Alex wins, his lead would shrink to 170 points. But with 25 points up for grabs in the Grand Prix, the 185-point mark – and with it the title – remains possible. If Marc wins the sprint and Alex finishes second, the older of the two Marquez brothers will go into Sunday with exactly the lead he needs at the end – 185 points. Then he would only have to finish ahead of Alex in the Grand Prix. If both were to retire, Marc would be world champion on equal points, as he has more wins.
If the result on Saturday is reversed, the lead before the Grand Prix would be 179 points. In this case, Alex could keep the title fight open if he finishes at least second behind Marc on Sunday. Then the gap would be 184 points.
If Marc seals the title in Japan, it would have special significance. After all, he has already won three of his six MotoGP titles at Motegi – with Japanese manufacturer Honda. In 2024, the Spaniard switched to Ducati from Italy, laying the foundation for his dominance this year.
But Marquez himself says that the location of the title win does not matter to him. “I have great respect for Honda,” he said after his victory at Ducati’s home track in Misano last Sunday. “It doesn’t matter whether we celebrate in Japan or Indonesia. Winning in Japan is nothing special.“
He also explained that he was still surprised at how early the title opportunity had come and warned against becoming careless: ”It’s incredible. It still seems unreal, but I don’t want to lose my concentration.”
“I just want to maintain the same level. It’s true that it seems to be only a matter of time before we achieve our main goal, but I want to keep pushing and finish the season as well as possible,” emphasized the championship leader, warning against underestimating his brother and his current form.
“I know we have to try to secure the title as soon as possible, but I also know that Alex is super fast and fighting for second place in the championship.”
