Motegi (Japan) (AFP)

The Spaniard Marc Marquez, already crowned World Champion MotoGP for the 2019 season, won Sunday the Japanese Grand Prix ahead of the French Fabio Quartararo who has seized the honorary title of "rookie of the year" (beginner of the 'year).

Starting in pole position, Marquez, already 6-time MotoGP World Champion at age 26, made a solo race and won his 53rd MotoGP victory, equaling the total of Mike Doohan, the legendary Australian driver who won him 5 consecutive world titles in the queen category (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998).

"I remember little duels between Doohan and Crivillé (the Spanish driver Alex Crivillé world champion in 1999), said Marquez who now has before him only Valentino Rossi (89) and Giacomo Agostini (68) in the number of victories in the queen class of the bike.

His victory also allows Honda to win the constructor title this year, the fourth consecutive and the eighth in 10 years. "I was this morning with the president of Honda and I told him today I bring you back the title," said Marquez who has done his entire career in MotoGP with the Japanese manufacturer.

"It was not easy and I pushed from the start," said Marquez, who however stressed that he had "managed well" his race.

- "Rookie of the year" -

Quartararo, who started from 3rd, came to hold on at the start of the race, or even to pass it in the first lap, but then stalled, allowing the Spaniard to regularly widen the gap to finish with almost a second in advance.

This is the 6th podium of the year, and 4th place, for Fabio Quartararo who affirmed at 20 as one of Marquez's most serious rivals.

Wearing a "rookie of the year" chasuble, the young Niçois said he no longer had a rear tire at the end of the race and had to resist the return of Dovizisio. He had made the choice to leave with a soft tire while Marquez had a medium tire, a choice that proved more judicious.

His 2nd place on Sunday allows him to pass the legendary Valentino Rossi in the provisional classification of the world championship by seizing the 6th place and getting closer to a possible final podium because it is only 13 points of the Spaniards Maverick Vinales (Yamaha) and Alex Rins (Suzuki) who share the 3rd provisional championship with three more races to contend.

"We had set a goal early in the season to score between 50 and 90 points this year and we are already well above," said the French driver who currently has 163.

"But today Marc was too strong," he said as he is still waiting to win his first MotoGP victory.

3rd place Sunday went to Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) who confirmed his 2nd place in the provisional classification of the world championship. "I have a good lead but we have to manage the last three races," he said.

The next event is the Australian Grand Prix on October 27th.

© 2019 AFP