Spanish sensation Marc Marquez, just 21 years old, retained his MotoGP championship by finishing runner-up at the Japanese Grand Prix.

"Two years in MotoGP, two titles. It's incredible," Marquez told reporters. "I couldn't have imagined it. Maybe to people it looked easy because I am always smiling and always happy, but also I feel pressure."

Fellow Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo won at Motegi as he had last year, finishing in 42min 21.259sec to back up his victory at Aragon two weeks ago with Marquez behind him on his Honda and Italy's Valentino Rossi third for Yamaha.

Marquez's second place meant he can no longer be caught by Rossi or Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa with three races remaining this season.

Marquez won 10 straight races this season from the curtain-raiser in Qatar before the streak ended in the Czech Republic in August, but he quickly returned to the top of the podium two weeks later at the British GP.

The Japanese race took place in cloudy conditions but escaped rain, despite fears an approaching typhoon could cause disruption similar to last weekend's Japanese Formula One race, which ended prematurely after a horror crash involving France's Jules Bianchi on a rain-sodden Suzuka circuit.