【FULL RACE】 MotoGP™ - Japan Grand Prix 2023 | MotoGP 日本グランプリ | Jorge Martin declared winner in rain-affected and drama in Motegi

MotoGP - Japan Grand Prix 2023: It proved to be a dramatic - and very wet - Japanese Grand Prix in Motegi with the race eventually having to be red-flagged 13 laps in. In dramatic fashion, a restart was subsequently attempted, but when heavy rain returned already on the warm-up lap, race direction decided to call it a day with the full championship points awarded. As such, it ended up being a good result for Jorge Martin. Jorge Martin reduced his championship disadvantage to just three points by winning a red-flagged Japanese Grand Prix in Motegi. The initial race was stopped due to heavy rain 13 laps in with Martin leading ahead of championship rival Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez. A restart was attempted, but when heavy rain returned already on the warm-up lap, race direction decided to call it a day with full championship points awarded. Drizzle was already coming down as the riders lined up on the grid, but the race started on slicks. However, the white flags were waved instantly when the lights went out and the vast majority of the field headed into the pits for a bike swap at the end of the opening lap. Exiting the pit lane first, Aleix Espargaro was the de facto race leader early on, but the Aprilia rider was under pressure from Marquez. Martin and Bagnaia were the riders on the move, though, and sliced through the field. Martin, in particular, despite an off-track excursion, made his rivals look like sitting ducks at this stage and hit the front on Lap 6. Seeing Martin escape into the distance, Bagnaia swiftly made his way past Espargaro to hunt the Pramac Ducati down. He gradually edged in, but once within a second, Bagnaia struggled to get any closer. Instead, Bagnaia was coming under pressure from Marquez who got better as the conditions got worse. The Honda was all over the Ducati's rear when the heavy rain eventually brought out the red flag on Lap 13. A restart was attempted around 20 minutes later, but when the heavens opened again already on the warm-up lap, race direction brought a stop to it with the Lap 12 standings declared as the official results. Marco Bezzecchi was fourth, his championship ambitions now likely over at a 54-points disadvantage. Espargaro concluded the race in fifth, while Jack Miller, usually a force in wet or mixed conditions, rounded out the top six. The dramatic race produced some surprising names in the top 10 with Augusto Fernandez, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Raul Fernandez having excellent rides today. #MotoGP #JapaneseGP #WSFM