Revealed: Marc Marquez was 0.036s from losing his Japan MotoGP podium

Marc Marquez finished third in the 2024 MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix but was just 0.036 seconds away from losing that podium to Enea Bastianini.

Marquez recovered from ninth on the grid in the sprint to finish third, and did so again on Sunday in the 24-lap grand prix.

The Gresini rider fended off Ducati’s Bastianini in the second half of the race and kept him just out of striking distance to the chequered flag.

The gap between the pair at the finish was 0.536s, but Marquez was actually just 0.036s away from having to give the position to Bastianini.

Marquez just exceeded track limits at Turn 4 on the final lap while heading Bastianini in their battle for third (see below).

On final laps, if a rider exceeds track limits by running onto green painted areas they are ordered to drop a position if they have not been able to show a clear disadvantage for going off track.

This applies when a place is being closely contested.

But the guidelines for this also stipulate that the drop of a position will only happen if the rider who has exceeded track limits is 0.5s or under ahead of the competitor behind them.

In this case, Marquez was 0.536s clear of Bastianini at the chequered flag and was therefore deemed not to have gained a significant advantage over Bastianini.

A brief explanation from the stewards panel activity report said: “For riders closely contesting for a position, if a track limit infraction is made on the last lap (that the stewards determine has affected a race result, whether there is a change of position of not), the rider concerned must show a clear disadvantage.

“The guideline for ‘closely contesting’ is that the riders are separated by 0.500s or less at the time of the incident and at the finish line.”

Brad Binder was also investigated for the same infringement against Marco Bezzecchi, having run beyond track limits at Turn 4 on the last lap.

But because he was 0.869s clear of Bezzecchi, the KTM rider kept sixth position as this was not deemed a ‘closely contested’ moment.

Marquez came from ninth on the grid after his provisional pole lap in qualifying was cancelled for exceeding track limits.

Marquez felt aggrieved after the session because the notification of this penalty came after the chequered flag, leaving him without any time to try for a legal time.

This was later explained by race director Mike Webb as being the result of a system glitch that meant the automatic registration of the cancelled lap was not possible and notification was delayed as a result.