Honda rider Marc Marquez secured
his third MotoGP championship in four years by winning the Japanese Grand Prix after
his nearest rivals Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo both crashed out. The 23
year old Spaniard had only an outside chance to seal the title but his win at
Motegi gave him an unassailable 77 point lead over Italian Rossi, who started
on pole but slid into the gravel early.
Already the youngest rider to win a
MotoGP race and the title in his maiden season in 2013, Marquez triumph in Japan
made him the youngest to seal three championships. He finished nearly three
seconds ahead of Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso, with Suzuki’s Maverick Vinales
third.
With Rossi, the seven-time premier class champion, quickly
out of contention, Lorenzo needed to finish fourth or better keeping his title
defence alive. The Spaniard, who suffered a terrifying crash in practice on
Saturday but returned to the track to qualify third on the grid, battled to
keep within touch of Marquez.
But Lorenzo came under pressure from a hard-charging
Dovizioso and his race ended in the gravel with five laps to go after a front
end skid. Marc Marquez from Honda team is the champion now with 273 points
followed by Valentino Rossi from Yamaha team with 196 points. Third place is
hold by Jorge Lorenzo from Yamaha team with 182 points. The championship, now a
victory procession for Marquez, heads to Phillip Island, Australia next
week.
