MotoGP: Marc Marquez Takes World Championship Title At Motegi GP
Sameer Contractor
1 min read
Oct 17, 2016, 01:37 AM
Key Highlights
- Marquez secures his fifth world championship title at Motegi GP
- Rossi and Lorenzo crashed out, making way for Marquez
- Only 3 races are left for the 2016 season with the next race in Australia
It was the perfect weekend for team Repsol Honda at the Motegi Grand Prix as Marc Marquez took a hard fought win to the pole, while also sealing his crown for the world championship title this season. The three-time MotoGP champion won his first-ever win at Honda's home track - Motegi, while both Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo that posed as the biggest rivals in his road to the championship title crashed out, thereby clearing the route for the title.
The Japanese weekend wasn't the most exciting for Yamaha after Lorenzo's major crash during the free practice session that led to the ligament tear and damaged leg, nevertheless, the Spanish rider made it back to the track qualifying third on the grid. The technical track also saw Dani Pedrosa crash over the weekend leaving him with a broken shoulder and was declared unfit to race, while Rossi registered his first pole outside Europe since 2008, but was not in the best of health suffering from a cold.
The 24 Lap Motegi GP saw Rossi suffer from a poor start, which gave Marquez the needed push as he moved to take the pole. Lorenzo too managed to pass his teammate moving into second, while Alex Espargaro moved to third for a brief period, but Rossi managed to take back the third place immediately. However, Rossi's pace was short lived as the Italian rider lost control of the front of his M1 as he moved into Turn 10 in the early stages of the race and crashed out. He did get back on the bike but retired after a few laps.
Rossi's exit from the Motegi GP really put the focus back on Marquez and Lorenzo as both riders battled for the top spot. Moreover, Rossi's crash also put Lorenzo back to second in the points table and the current world champion had to finish the race on the podium to stop Marquez from being crowned the title. But, much like his teammate, Lorenzo's run was cut short in the closing stages of the race as he crashed out in Turn 9.
With the Yamaha boys out of contention, Marquez was unshakeable from the pole position and raced to victory with a lead of almost 3 seconds, thus marking his fifth championship title and becoming the youngest rider to do so at the age of 23. Finishing second and third in the Motegi GP were Andrea Dovizioso of Ducati and Maverick Vinales of Ecstar Suzuki, while teammate Alex Espargaro finished fourth.
With three races of the season remaining, it will be interesting to see if Marquez will be able to secure his sixth win of the season. Meanwhile, the season wasn't the best for Rossi, while Lorenzo fought hard but will have to settle second in the rider standings.
The Japanese weekend wasn't the most exciting for Yamaha after Lorenzo's major crash during the free practice session that led to the ligament tear and damaged leg, nevertheless, the Spanish rider made it back to the track qualifying third on the grid. The technical track also saw Dani Pedrosa crash over the weekend leaving him with a broken shoulder and was declared unfit to race, while Rossi registered his first pole outside Europe since 2008, but was not in the best of health suffering from a cold.
Marc Marquez secures his fifth championship title in all classes
This is Marquez' third championship title in the premier class
The Motegi GP was unforgiving for both Yamaha riders
With three races of the season remaining, it will be interesting to see if Marquez will be able to secure his sixth win of the season. Meanwhile, the season wasn't the best for Rossi, while Lorenzo fought hard but will have to settle second in the rider standings.
Related News
Popular Honda Models
Latest Cars
Upcoming Cars
Trending News
Latest News
car&bike Team | Dec 14, 2025Top-Spec Tata Sierra Accomplished, Accomplished+ Prices RevealedRegardless of the powertrain combination chosen, all Tata Sierra Accomplished+ trims cost upwards of Rs 20 lakh (ex-showroom).2 mins read
car&bike Team | Dec 13, 2025Skoda Slavia Facelift Spied Testing Again Ahead Of DebutThe facelifted Slavia is expected to debut in 2026 as Skoda-VW India looks to refresh its India 2.0 range.1 min read
car&bike Team | Dec 13, 20252026 MG Hector Facelift Interior Previewed Ahead Of DebutLatest teaser video of the upcoming Hector facelift suggests minimal cosmetic changes to the interior as well as reveals a new alloy-wheel design.1 min read
Jaiveer Mehra | Dec 13, 2025Passenger Vehicle, Two-Wheeler Sales Surge In November 2025: SIAMBoth segments reported a growth in the region of 20 per cent, though year-to-date sales growth in FY2026 was notably flatter at around 3 per cent.1 min read
car&bike Team | Dec 12, 2025Nissan Entry MPV Design To Be Unveiled On December 18New MPV to be the first of three new models for India by Nissan, alongside the Tekton and a three-row SUV.1 min read
Jaiveer Mehra | Dec 12, 2025New Mini Convertible Launched At Rs 58.50 LakhDrop-top variant of the iconic Cooper hatchback available in a single Cooper S spec.1 min read
Janak Sorap | Dec 11, 2025Harley-Davidson X440 T First Ride Review: Smarter and SharperHarley-Davidson has taken the X440 and given it a more focused and engaging twist. The result is the X440 T—essentially the same platform but updated in areas that give the motorcycle more appeal and riders more thrill.5 mins read
Shams Raza Naqvi | Dec 10, 20252025 Mini Cooper Convertible Review: More Colour On Indian RoadsThe updated Mini Cooper Convertible is set to be launched in the Indian market in the next few days. We drive it around Jaisalmer for a quick review.1 min read
Bilal Firfiray | Dec 8, 2025Tata Sierra Review: India’s New Favourite?Marking its return after a few decades, the reborn Sierra has made everyone sit up and take notice. But is it worth the hype?10 mins read
Girish Karkera | Dec 4, 20252026 Honda Prelude First Drive: Domesticated Civic Type RA sporty-looking coupe built to give customers a taste of performance but not at the expense of everyday practicality.5 mins read
Seshan Vijayraghvan | Nov 29, 2025Mahindra XEV 9S First Drive Review: Big Electric SUV, Bigger ExpectationsThe XEV 9S lands at a time when the EV crowd is growing fast. It’s a big, born-electric, three-row SUV that starts under 20 lakh. It sits close to the XUV700 in size, but the brief is very different. Here’s what it’s like on the road.11 mins read