This weekend, MotoGP returns to the Twin Ring Motegi for the Japanese Grand Prix, one of many season’s most anticipated stops. Situated in Tochigi Prefecture, Motegi has hosted many dramatic races and title-deciding moments since its introduction to the MotoGP calendar in 1999.
With a technical monitor format, tight corners, heavy braking zones, and the ever-present menace of moist climate, this race typically units the true all-rounders from the remainder. Marc Márquez can seal the Championship if he beats his brother Alex by simply three factors.
Throughout its 25-year historical past on the MotoGP calendar, the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi has delivered numerous highlights. From championship-deciding rides to head-to-head battles within the rain. Motegi has witnessed a number of the most iconic races in fashionable MotoGP historical past. Listed here are 5 of the best.
High 5 Japanese Grand Prix Races at Motegi
5. 2004 – Makoto Tamada Beats Valentino Rossi To Win Dwelling Grand Prix
One of the emotional moments in Motegi Historical past got here in 2004, when native hero Makoto Tamada delivered a shocking efficiency to take dwelling the win in entrance of the Japanese followers. Using the Camel Honda, the race started dramatically, with a first-lap crash eliminating Max Biaggi and several other others, instantly shaking up the order. Valentino Rossi seized the lead within the early laps, setting the tempo and searching just like the favorite, however the dwelling followers had one thing particular to cheer. By lap six, Tamada made his transfer on Rossi, and as soon as he hit the entrance, he by no means actually seemed in peril of relinquishing first place.
Because the laps ticked down, Tamada displayed complete management, driving with composure and confidence regardless of the strain of the event. Troy Bayliss later crashed out whereas chasing arduous, eradicating one other challenger from rivalry and additional clearing the way in which for Tamada’s second of glory. When he crossed the road to take victory, the gang erupted in celebration, and Tamada grew to become the primary Japanese MotoGP rider to win at Motegi.
His triumph in 2004 stays one of many standout tales in Japanese Grand Prix historical past, a testomony to the deep ardour Japan has for the game and the delight it takes in seeing one in every of its personal succeed on dwelling soil. Including to the nationwide delight, fellow Japanese rider Shinya Nakano joined him on the rostrum in third place, making a day that continues to be etched within the reminiscence of Japanese motorsport followers. It wasn’t one of many all-time basic duels, however it was deeply significant: a home-grown expertise conquering the Honda-owned circuit in entrance of his dwelling supporters.
4. 2007 – Stoner Seals The Championship In A Chaotic Moist Race
The 2007 version of the Japanese Grand Prix was one of the dramatic of the last decade, culminating in Casey Stoner changing into world champion. Going into the race, Stoner knew that he wanted to complete forward of Valentino Rossi to safe the title, and he wasted no time in displaying his intent. On the very first lap, he overtook Rossi, making it clear that he wasn’t going to take a seat again and wait. The race began in moist circumstances, and Chaos shortly unfolded. Anthony West briefly stole the highlight by taking the lead within the second lap, however a bounce begin compelled him right into a ride-through penalty, handing Stoner the benefit.
With the monitor starting to dry, the race grew to become a flag-to-flag contest with a number of bike adjustments. Rossi was nonetheless pushing arduous, setting the quickest lap on lap eight and overtaking Stoner for second place with 13 laps remaining, whereas Marco Melandri was surging into the lead. The race continued to twist and switch: Dani Pedrosa overtook Stoner with 11 laps to go, and when Melandri got here in for a tyre change, Rossi inherited the lead. Stoner made the decision to make the tyre change with ten laps to go, however Rossi delayed his cease till lap 14, a call that price him a shot on the world title. On the identical lap, Pedrosa crashed out, additionally ready too lengthy to vary bikes.
The race unravelled additional for Rossi within the closing levels. With eight laps to go, he was compelled into the pits with a front-end downside and ran off the monitor on the next lap, all however ending his hopes for victory and the world championship. Loris Capirossi capitalised to take the win, Randy de Puniet got here in second, and Toni Elías accomplished the rostrum in third. Stoner, in the meantime, introduced dwelling sixth place, which was sufficient to assert the 2007 world championship. At simply 21 years outdated, he grew to become the second youngest premier class champion. Stoner’s efficiency within the moist at Motegi confirmed the maturity and composure that outlined his breakthrough 12 months.
3. 2008 – Return Of The Physician As MotoGP Champion
The 2008 Japanese Grand Prix was one other historic chapter at Motegi, as Valentino Rossi clinched his sixth Premier class title and his eighth world championship total. Ranging from the second row, Rossi bought away cleanly, however Dani Pedrosa instantly minimize throughout him, forcing the Italian to bide his time within the opening corners. The primary lap drama continued as Kousuke Akiyoshi’s race was over earlier than the primary couple of corners. Rossi stored his composure and started working by the pack. By lap two, he had overtaken his Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo. On the next lap, he slipped previous Nicky Hayden to maneuver into third place, the precise place he wanted to safe the world championship.
The entrance of the race was simply as full of life, with Pedrosa and Casey Stoner duelling for the lead within the opening laps. On lap 4, the pair went wheel-to-wheel, and by lap 5, Stoner had taken management of the race. Rossi, displaying his trademark willpower and determined to win the championship with a win, then pounced on Pedrosa to take second place, establishing a repeat of his 2007 duel with Stoner in Japan. For the following stretch, the pair exchanged punches, however Rossi’s sheer class shone by. With 11 laps remaining, he made his transfer on Stoner, overtaking with authority and by no means trying again.
From that time on, it was classic Rossi, managed, assured and environment friendly. The Italian stretched a visual hole within the closing eight laps, whereas Chris Vermeulen peeled into the pits with seven laps remaining as circumstances examined bikes and riders alike. Rossi, nevertheless, seemed untouchable. By the chequered flag, he not solely received the race but in addition secured the 2008 MotoGP world title, reclaiming his crown after two years with no championship. This was Rossi at his best possible: calculated within the early levels, decisive in the important thing moments, and dominant when it mattered most. Stoner got here in second in a reverse of the earlier 12 months, and Pedrosa accomplished the rostrum.
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2. A Rain-Soaked Thriller Between Márquez & Dovizioso
The 2017 Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi was one of many defining races of the fashionable period, remembered for its relentless rain and the breathtaking duel between Marc Márquez and Andrea Dovizioso. The race started in sodden circumstances, with riders dealing with poor visibility and standing water, however the depth solely elevated because the laps progressed. Johann Zarco had secured pole place, however it was clear early on that the true struggle can be between Márquez and Dovizioso, the 2 males on the coronary heart of that 12 months’s championship battle.
From the opening levels, the tempo was fierce, with Márquez pushing arduous on the entrance and Dovizioso decided to maintain him in sight. The pair traded quickest lap occasions all through, whereas Danilo Petrucci briefly led the race within the early going, showcasing the energy of the Ducati bikes within the moist circumstances. Because the laps ticked away, nevertheless, the competition narrowed between the 2 riders battling it out for the championship, as the strain grew with each nook. Márquez threw all the things into braking and nook entries, attacking together with his trademark aggression, however Dovizioso matched him with precision and tranquility.
With simply three laps remaining, Márquez lunged for the lead, just for Dovizioso to right away strike again, refusing to concede. The decisive second got here within the closing sector of the final lap. Máquez attacked once more at flip 11, briefly edging forward, however Dovizioso responded immediately, reclaiming the lead into the ultimate corners. Márquez’s closing try noticed him run broad, permitting Dovizioso to chop again by and dramatically snatch the win, and Petrucci completed in third simply behind the epic battle between the 2 race leaders. It was a end that completely captured the depth of their rivalry and the razor-thin margins that outlined the 2017 season.
1. 2018 Márquez Clinches the Title with a Masterclass
The 2018 Japanese Grand Prix was the stage the place Marc Márquez sealed his seventh world championship, cementing his place among the many all-time greats. Ranging from sixth on the grid, Márquez confronted an uphill battle, however the Spaniard thrived below strain. Jack Miller initially took the lead, however it wasn’t lengthy till the title contenders took the highlight.
Andrea Dovizioso, Márquez’s closest rival within the title race, seemed robust from the beginning. He moved to the entrance and tried to dictate the tempo, with Jack Miller and Cal Crutchlow additionally mixing it up within the early laps. Márquez, in the meantime, confirmed endurance within the opening levels, selecting off riders one after the other till he was tucked in simply behind Dovizioso. By the midway level, it was clear that there was going to be a repeat of the earlier 12 months, and it was going to be one other showdown in Japan between Márquez and Dovizioso.
On lap 21, Márquez made his decisive transfer, overtaking Dovizioso with a daring manoeuvre that drew enormous cheers from the Japanese crowd. Dovizioso refused to surrender and stayed glued to his rival’s rear wheel, sustaining the strain. Nevertheless, with solely two laps remaining, catastrophe struck for the Ducati rider. Whereas pushing arduous to remain in contact, Dovizioso misplaced the entrance finish and crashed out, handing Márquez a transparent path to victory and the championship. The incident summed up the knife-edge nature of their rivalry; one mistake was sufficient to swing the stability.
Márquez crossed the road in first place, claiming each the win and the 2018 MotoGP title in flawless vogue. Crutchlow and Alex Rins made the highest three.
The Twin Ring Motegi circuit has constantly delivered a number of the most iconic races in MotoGP historical past. From homegrown heroes like Makoto Tamada triumphing in entrance of ecstatic Japanese followers to championship-defining duels between legends similar to Valentino Rossi, Marc Márquez, Andrea Dovizioso, and Casey Stoner, Motegi has offered drama, heartbreak, and glory in equal measure. What makes this race so particular is not only the technical problem of the monitor or the unpredictable circumstances, however the truth that it so typically performs a decisive function in shaping the world championship.
As we stay up for this weekend’s 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, the echoes of those unforgettable moments remind us that something can occur at Motegi. Historical past exhibits us that titles will be received, rivalries intensified, and heroes can emerge. If the previous is something to go by, followers can count on one other thrilling chapter to be written within the historical past of the Japanese Grand Prix.
