Francesco Bagnaia Wins MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix Sprint

Francesco Bagnaia won the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix sprint after rookie Pedro Acosta crashed out with four laps remaining, allowing Bagnaia to close the gap to championship leader Jorge Martin to just 15 points. Acosta had briefly taken the lead after overtaking Bagnaia but lost control near turn seven. Bagnaia finished only 0.181 seconds ahead of his teammate Enea Bastianini, who had a fierce battle with Marc Marquez, finishing third. Martin, who started 11th, managed to secure fourth place but saw his lead in the standings diminish. The race was marked by several crashes and investigations, with Takaaki Nakagami and Brad Binder among those who retired from the sprint. Bagnaia expressed happiness over the victory, acknowledging the challenging weather conditions during the race.