MotoGP delivers again.

Yes, it was another brilliant afternoon of viewing as, just when it looked like Spain’s Marc Maquez was going to stretch out his massive advantage  at the top of the championship standings, last lap drama turned everything on its head.

Italian Ducati star Andrea Dovizioso won the rain-saturated Japanese MotoGP at Motegi after an epic battle with Honda man Marquez, which – like in Austria – went down to the final corner.

Dovizioso has now cut Marquez’s title lead to just 11 points as the riders head to the Australian GP at Phillip Island next weekend.

Australian Jack Miller missed the event after breaking his right tibia in a trials incident on September 29 and was replaced by HRC test rider Hiroshi Aoyama.

Tech 3’s Jonas Folger has returned to Germany to undergo tests for a suspected recurrence of the Epstein Barr virus and was replaced by Kohta Nozane, who injured his hand on Saturday.

Fellow Yamaha test rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga was competing as a wild-card.

Defending champion Marquez says the championship is now wide open.

“I don’t know who will win this championship but it is amazing to fight like we did today in rain conditions,” said Marquez.

“For me, second place is OK because we are in front of the championship but I took a lot of risks and we knew before this race that it will be difficult because here, Ducati and also Dovizioso are very fast here every year.

“We tried and in wet conditions I felt good, but today in the race with a lot of water, it was a little bit more difficult. I pushed, I took a lot of risks in a few laps but I saw that Dovi also was able to be very fast,” he added.

“Then I made a mistake in turn 8 and I already start to feel that my bike was shaking because of the slipstream of Dovi. He overtook me in turn 11 because he was stronger on the brake point. I was very far and anyway I said I will try at the last corner and see how it is, and it was a bit like the same situation in Austria. But second place was great, I’m happy because we are in a good way.”

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Photo courtesy MotoGP

JAPANESE MOTOGP RESULT:

1. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (GP17) 47m 14.236s
2. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) 47m 14.485s
3. Danilo Petrucci ITA Octo Pramac (GP17) 47m 24.793s
4. Andrea Iannone ITA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 47m 33.081s
5. Alex Rins ESP Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)* 47m 37.218s
6. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Ducati Team (GP17) 47m 38.700s
7. Aleix Espargaro ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 47m 42.246s
8. Johann Zarco FRA Monster Yamaha Tech3 (YZR-M1)* 47m 43.711s
9. Maverick Viñales ESP Movistar Yamaha (YZR-M1) 47m 50.811s
10. Loris Baz FRA Reale Avintia (GP15) 48m 2.742s
11. Pol Espargaro ESP Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) 48m 10.593s
12. Katsuyuki Nakasuga JPN Yamaha Factory (YZR-M1) 48m 14.417s
13. Sam Lowes GBR Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP)* 48m 15.216s
14. Hector Barbera ESP Reale Avintia (GP16) 48m 17.354s
15. Tito Rabat ESP EG 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 48m 17.750s
16. Scott Redding GBR Octo Pramac (GP16) 48m 18.398s
17. Bradley Smith GBR Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) 48m 20.507s
18. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN EG 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 48m 27.486s

Alvaro Bautista ESP Pull&Bear Aspar (GP16) DNF

Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) DNF

Karel Abraham CZE Pull&Bear Aspar (GP15) DNF

Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) DNF

Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha (YZR-M1) DNF

Kohta Nozane JPN Monster Yamaha Tech3 (YZR-M1) DNF

* Rookie

STANDINGS:

1. = Marc Marquez SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) 244 points
2. = Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (GP17) 233 points (-11)
3. = Maverick Viñales SPA Movistar Yamaha (YZR-M1) 203 points (-41)
4. = Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) 170 points (-74)
5. = Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha (YZR-M1) 168 points (-76)
6. = Johann Zarco FRA Monster Yamaha Tech3 (YZR-M1)* 125 points (-119)
7. = Jorge Lorenzo SPA Ducati Team (GP17) 116 points (-128)
8. = Danilo Petrucci ITA Octo Pramac (GP17) 111 points (-133)
9. = Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) 92 points (-152)
10. = Jonas Folger GER Monster Yamaha Tech3 (YZR-M1)* 84 points (-160)
11. = Alvaro Bautista SPA Pull&Bear Aspar (GP16) 70 points (-174)
12. ^2 Aleix Espargaro SPA Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 62 points (-182)
13. ˅1 Jack Miller AUS EG 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 56 points (-188)
14. ˅1 Scott Redding GBR Octo Pramac (GP16) 56 points (-188)
15. ^1 Andrea Iannone ITA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 50 points (-194)
16. ˅1 Loris Baz FRA Reale Avintia (GP15) 45 points (-199)
17. = Pol Espargaro SPA Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) 42 points (-202)
18. ^2 Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)* 38 points (-206)
19. = Tito Rabat SPA EG 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 29 points (-215)
20. ˅2 Karel Abraham CZE Pull&Bear Aspar (GP15) 28 points (-216)
21. = Hector Barbera SPA Reale Avintia (GP16) 25 points (-219)
22. = Michele Pirro ITA Ducati Team (GP17) 18 points (-226)
23. = Bradley Smith GBR Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) 14 points (-230)
24. = Mika Kallio FIN Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) 11 points (-233)
25. = Sam Lowes GBR Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP)* 5 points (-239)
26. na Katsuyuki Nakasuga JPN Yamaha Factory (YZR-M1) 4 points (-240)
27. ˅1 Sylvain Guintoli FRA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 1 points (-243)

Key:

^X Rider has improved X championship positions. = Rider has the same championship position as previous race. ˅ X Rider has dropped X championship positions.