Defending champion Francesco Bagnaia heaped the pressure on Jorge Martin – the leader in the overall MotoGP standings – by completing a sprint-race double at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Italian Ducati rider Bagnaia, 27, overhauled Pramac Racing’s Martin last season to claim his second consecutive title.
And he cut the 26-year-old Spaniard’s lead to 10 points with four races of the season remaining, after following up Saturday’s win in the sprint race with victory in Sunday’s grand prix.
Bagnaia overtook pole-sitter Pedro Acosta on the opening lap and maintained the lead throughout, finishing 1.189 seconds ahead of Martin in second place, as Gresini Racing’s Marc Marquez was third.
“We have to move on to the next one with the same ambition, the same strategy and try to continue like this,” said Bagnaia, as he looked ahead to the Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island in two weeks’ time.
Bagnaia’s win on Motegi’s Twin Ring circuit was his eighth of the season – his best ever tally – while Martin will have been relieved not to lose more points in his title challenge, moving up from 11th on the grid after crashing in qualifying.
Italy’s Enea Bastianini finished fourth and stayed third in the overall standings, two points ahead of Spain’s six-time champion Marquez.
Spanish rookie Acosta failed to pick up any points, sliding off after 21 laps after also crashing out of the sprint race.