Another racing weekend draws to a close, another one with a comeback performance by Marc Marquez. Also in Japan, the #93, who had a tough luck due to a delayed, lap-cancelling decision in qualifying, did a great job in bouncing back both in the sprint and in today’s full race, as he bagged another third-place finish and consolidating his chances for a top three final position. 
 
It was a Sunday to forget for Alex Marquez, who was out of contention before the end of the opening lap following a coming together with a rival. A few scratches and, above all, a long-lap penalty to perform are the negative takeaways from the 16^th event of the season.

3^rd MARC MARQUEZ (4^th in the championship standings with 311 points)
“I did a good start, but Martin and Miller had an even better one. Generally speaking, it was a good opening lap and a kind of… boring race. With the lack of overtakes, I had to stay focused and also made a mistake that could have cost me the podium. It went well, though, now it’s time to take a little rest and recharge for the next tripleheader.”
 
DNF – ALEX MARQUEZ (12^th in the championship standings with 124 points)
“I made a mistake at turn 11 that sent me off line and while trying to get back to my position I had a coming together with Mir, which led to the crash. Our bikes tangled together and I apologised to him for what happened. Now we need to recover ahead of Australia. We’ll have to perform a long-lap penalty, even though I disagree with it: seven days ago, at turn 3 another rider hit me the same way and nothing happened. This shows that rules don’t apply the same way to everybody, but it is what it is. We’ll make the most of this lesson.”