MotoGP heads to Mobility Resort Motegi for the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend as the 2026 season enters its decisive final stretch.
The trip to Japan begins a run of five Grands Prix in six weeks, with the MotoGP title fight finely poised and championships potentially on the line in the junior classes.
Fans can catch all the action from the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix live on SPOTV NOW.
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Marquez returns to scene of 2025 title triumph
Marc Marquez left Motegi as a seven-time MotoGP world champion last year, but returns in a very different position this weekend.
The Spaniard clinched the 2025 title with second place behind Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia, completing his remarkable return to the top of the championship.
This time, Marquez is the hunter, arriving in Japan 12 points behind championship leader Jorge Martin with seven rounds remaining.
Ducati duo looking to repeat rare Motegi feat
Marquez and Bagnaia also combined to give Ducati a rare double one-two at Motegi last season.
Bagnaia won both the Sprint and Grand Prix ahead of Marquez, making Ducati the first team to finish first and second in both races on the same weekend since the Sprint format was introduced in 2023.
Only Trackhouse have matched the feat since, with Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura occupying the top two positions in both races at Assen earlier this year.
Familiar Honda faces return at Motegi
Takaaki Nakagami will make another MotoGP appearance on home soil after being handed a wildcard ride by Honda.
The Japanese rider stepped away from full-time racing at the end of 2024 but has remained with Honda as a development rider and already returned to the grid as Joan Mir’s replacement in Austria this season.
Mir will also miss the Japanese Grand Prix, with Somkiat Chantra taking his place on the factory Honda. It brings the Thai rider back to a circuit where he enjoyed one of the biggest moments of his career, having won the Moto2 race at Motegi in 2023.
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Spirited Away connection for Japanese anthem
Japanese singer Ayaka Hirahara will perform the national anthem before Sunday’s MotoGP race.
The 42-year-old has enjoyed a career spanning more than two decades, but anime fans may also recognise her connection to one of Japan’s most famous films.
Hirahara has performed a vocal version of “The Name of Life”, a piece associated with Studio Ghibli’s Academy Award-winning Spirited Away.
Quiles gets first chance to seal Moto3 title
Maximo Quiles could become the first world champion crowned at Motegi this weekend.
The Spaniard heads to Japan with a commanding 131-point lead in the Moto3 standings after claiming his ninth victory of the season in Austria.
With 150 points remaining after the Japanese Grand Prix, Quiles needs to outscore closest title rival Alvaro Carpe by at least 19 points to secure the title with six rounds to spare.
