Bagnaia Wins Motegi Sprint, Sets Lap Record

Francesco Bagnaia converted pole into a lights-to-flag sprint victory at Motegi, pulling away by 1.842s after setting a new Motegi qualifying lap record of 1:42.911. Bagnaia’s resurgence followed recent setup changes, including 2024-spec forks and a new swingarm, and he had topped morning practice earlier in the day. Marc Marquez recovered from early trouble to finish second in the sprint and moved within reach of the championship; he now needs a top-two finish on Sunday to clinch the title. Alex Marquez scored no sprint points, increasing Marc’s buffer in the standings. The sprint was marred by a big Turn 1 crash that took out Jorge Martin, Marco Bezzecchi and others, and stewards are investigating the incident.