Winner: Francesco Bagnaia
Bagnaia’s comeback at Motegi was one of the big stories of the weekend. Just a few weeks ago, he looked lost. In Barcelona and Misano he qualified poorly, crashed out and seemed to have no confidence in his Ducati. Many wondered if his winning days were already over.

But in Japan he looked reborn. After a rumoured fight within Ducati during Misano testing, he returned different, with a working bike. Pole position, a new lap record and two dominant wins showed that the old Bagnaia had returned. The reasons may be both technical and mental. Ducati admitted his bike was using a mix of 2024 and 2025 parts, giving him a set-up closer to the bike with which he won 11 races last season. On top of that, having Casey Stoner in the garage gave him encouragement and perhaps a fresh perspective.

Loser: Jorge Martin
Martin’s season has been ruined by injuries, and Motegi was another cruel blow. He has now been sidelined four times this year, each time just as he seemed to be building speed again.

This run of bad luck is especially frustrating because Martin was starting to understand Aprilia’s bike. His pace in Hungary showed he could be competitive over race distance, and he was working on ways to improve his qualifying struggles. Now, just as the calendar reaches some of his favourite circuits in Asia-Pacific, he is forced back into surgery.

Winner: Joan Mir and Honda
Honda fans finally had reason to celebrate at Motegi, thanks to Joan Mir’s incredible podium finish. For two years, Mir had been openly critical of the RC213V, and results often backed up his frustration. Yet Honda chose to extend his contract, trusting that both rider and bike could improve.

That faith was rewarded. The bike has clearly been upgraded in recent months. Luca Marini has shown growing pace, Johann Zarco has helped steer development, and now Mir has taken the factory team back to the podium with a brilliant third place.

Loser: KTM
KTM’s season continued to be shaped by Pedro Acosta’s brilliance, and their dependence on him. In qualifying and the sprint, the young rider once again showed his talent, but in the main race tyre issues and a mistake sent him to the back.

Without Acosta, KTM looked weak. While other riders shined, the trio of Brad Binder, Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales were all outside the top 10.

This weekend underlined the problem: KTM is competitive when Acosta delivers, but if he fails, the team struggles badly.

Winner: Marc Márquez
For Marc, Motegi was not just about numbers. Yes, he matched Valentino Rossi’s title record, but the real story was about closing a painful chapter of his life.

Since his accident in Jerez in 2020, Marc has battled injury, self-doubt and the pressure of living up to his past dominance. At times he questioned if he would ever be the same rider again. Motegi gave him the answer. He might not have won the main race, but finishing second was enough to secure the title and, more importantly, prove to himself that he can still compete at the very highest level.