Enea Bastianini delivered a thrilling performance at the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix sprint, declaring he “pushed like never” to secure a hard-fought second place ahead of Marc Marquez. The factory Ducati rider launched from fourth on the grid, quickly moved up to second at Turn 1, but soon lost the position to Tech3’s Pedro Acosta.
The race took a dramatic turn when Acosta crashed out of the lead, setting the stage for an intense battle between Bastianini and Gresini Ducati’s Marquez in the closing laps. The duo engaged in a gripping duel, swapping positions multiple times at Turns 9, 10, and 11 during the penultimate lap.
Despite a valiant effort, Marquez ultimately had to concede defeat to Bastianini, who finished just 0.181 seconds behind race winner Francesco Bagnaia after a slow final lap for the championship leader.
“It was a nice fight today,” Bastianini told TNT Sport. “I wasn’t confident about having a great race like I did today. My pace was improving; I was good in the time attack, but my race pace was just okay.”
He reflected on the intense battle with Marquez, noting a small mistake at Turn 9 that allowed Marquez to close in. “We arrived very close together at Turn 11; he released the brake a bit—I did too. But in the end, I was in a better line, and I pushed all the last lap like never before to win this fight. Second place is good.”
Bastianini’s runner-up finish has solidified his position in third place in the championship standings, now five points ahead of Marquez. However, the Italian rider is not focusing on the title race as he looks ahead to Sunday’s grand prix.
“It’s always important to fight, but I usually don’t check the standings,” he explained. “I only focus on my objective, which is always to finish on top.”
Bastianini acknowledged the need to adjust his bike’s setup ahead of the main race, citing issues with his rear tire’s performance, particularly on the right side. “Tomorrow, we will likely race with the medium tire, so we have to analyze the data to make the necessary adjustments,” he added.
With the stage set for another exciting day at Motegi, Bastianini aims to build on his momentum and continue his pursuit of victory.
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