MotoGP championship leader Marc Marquez has a favourable outlook for clinching his seventh premier-class championship in the next round of the 2025 season, the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi.
Marquez has never before won the MotoGP title earlier than with three rounds to spare, but Motegi will grant him the chance to be champion with five more rounds left to run.
To do so, he will need to avoid being outscored by his brother Alex Marquez - the only other rider in mathematical title contention, following Pecco Bagnaia's elimination in the Misano sprint - by three points.
This is because he is currently 182 points ahead, and needs to lead by 185 or more coming out of Motegi.
Even finishing tied on points at the end of the season would guarantee the elder Marquez the title. Only grand prix results count for the tie-breaker in case of a points tie, and Marquez's 11 grand prix wins this year already cannot be matched.
Marquez cannot be champion in the Motegi sprint. However, the sprint will naturally influence what he will need to get out of the main race on Sunday to ensure his coronation.
The only pair of results that guarantees Marquez the title regardless of what his brother does is a win in the sprint and a win in the grand prix.
The Marquez brothers trading wins between the two races would postpone the coronation to the following round at Mandalika, though of course it would be a total formality at that point.
MotoGP points system
Sprint points: 12-9-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
GP points: 25-20-16-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
