MotoGP Grand Prix of Japan 2019 Results: Marc Marquez Dominates for Honda

Honda's Marc Marquez shows no signs of slowing down in the final weeks of the 2019 MotoGP season, coasting to victory at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.

Marquez was crowned as the world champion last time out in Thailand but was at his brilliant best again at the Motegi circuit. After starting on pole, the Spaniard was imperious, holding off the impressive Fabio Quartararo in second, while Andrea Dovizioso finished third for Ducati after a fascinating scrap with Maverick Vinales.

The win was Marquez's fourth in a row and 10th of the 2019 season. If he finishes on top in the remaining three races of the campaign, the Honda star will match his record haul of 13 race wins in a single season from 2014.

Victory also saw Honda reach a landmark in overall in Constructors Championship successes:

After qualifying in pole position, Marquez was expected to come under some early pressure at Motegi given the way the start is set up. However, the world champion was able to negotiate the initial stages comfortably:

After establishing first position, Marquez opened up a significant lead at the front, with the chasing pack unable to match his blistering early pace. With just a couple of laps on the board, it was already clear the rest of the riders were in a fight for second spot.

Quartararo emerged as the best of the rest on the day, with the Frenchman taking another big step forward in what's been an encouraging debut campaign for him.

The Petronas Yamaha rider found himself isolated out on track, as he built a gap to the remaining riders and even started to close down Marquez's advantage at one stage:

However, as the Box Repsol account noted, the leader appeared to have another couple of gears to go through when he came under even the smallest amount of pressure:

Quartararo finished second by 0.870 seconds. However, his sixth podium of the season saw him ensure he would end 2019 as the Rookie of the Year:

Those looking for action late on got some in the fight for the final step on the rostrum, as Dovizioso and Vinales went wheel-to-wheel. The former was able to get the better of the Yamaha man, completing an impressive fightback from seventh spot on the grid. The Italian was made to work hard for his third-placed finish:

Although there was little action at the front of the race on Sunday, it's clear there's still a competitive edge to the riding as the season edges towards a close.

Marquez's target will be repeating the feat of his dominant 2014 campaign. Given the confidence and freedom with which he is racing, you would be brave to back against the Honda star finishing the season with consecutive successes.