At age 23, Spaniard Marc Marquez has captured his third FIM MotoGP World Championship in four years, and fifth overall for his career, having achieved the championship in Motegi, Japan in the Motul Grand Prix of Japan.
The Repsol Honda rider capped off the title in style with a race win and a little help from the Movistar Yamaha teammates Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, neither of whom was able to stop Marquez from clinching it.
Marquez entered the weekend up 248-196 over Rossi and 248-182 over Lorenzo with four races remaining this season, including Japan.
Marquez got around Lorenzo, who’d recovered from a high-side in practice and a brief hospital trip to get checked and cleared on Saturday, down the inside of Turn 9 relatively early on at the Twin Ring Motegi road course.
Meanwhile the day went from bad to worse for Yamaha, with Rossi crashing out a bit later at Turn 10. Although he limped back to the pits, his race was over.
#VR46 has CRASHED out of 2nd place!
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 16, 2016
Disaster for Rossi! #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/JJms54UM8j
Lorenzo held steady in second behind Marquez from there, before another crash of his own, at Turn 9.
UNBELIEVABLE! #JL99 is down and OUT of the #JapaneseGP! pic.twitter.com/LWSBWoYmFt
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 16, 2016
Marquez was left clear to run from there en route to his fifth victory of the campaign, and enough to clinch the title. Andrea Dovizioso and Maverick Vinales completed the podium.
#GiveMe5@marcmarquez93 WINS the #JapaneseGP and becomes a 5️⃣time World Champion!🏁
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 16, 2016
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 #MotoGP #MM93 pic.twitter.com/U2ce9deI5a
#GiveMe5 @marcmarquez93 ✋🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆#JapaneseGP https://t.co/JmWmg30eps
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 16, 2016
Congrats to. @MarcMarquez93 & @HRC_MotoGP team on 2016 @MotoGP World Champion! #GiveMe5 pic.twitter.com/R9n2DuKz2B
— HPD-North American Motorsport (@HondaRacing_HPD) October 16, 2016