Marc Marquez dominates tricky Malaysian Grand Prix, claiming 80th MotoGP victory
With Jorge Martín pulling out of the Malaysian Grand Prix after picking up injuries in Australia, Marc Marquez has a relatively smooth path to the championship title. The seven-time MotoGP world champion returned to the Sepang International Circuit in good spirits and extended his gap over Martin to 19 points after a successful Sprint race.
The Grand Prix was difficult for the riders, with the blistering heat forcing the grid to manage their tyres much earlier than ideal. Track conditions played a large part in the race on Sunday, but one rider stood out from the rest of the pack.
Here's everything that unfolded at Sepang.
Sprint Report
Pedro Acosta usurped the victory from Ducati's hands during a surprising Sprint race around Sepang. The Spaniard managed to secure his second Sprint victory of the season at the Malaysian Grand Prix, after qualifying in third place.
The KTM rider qualified behind the Marquez brothers, with Alex at the helm, hoping to take the fight to the Constructors' Championship leaders. He did in fact do so, putting up a brilliant fight in a rain-soaked Sprint.
Alex Marquez had a great start to the Sprint and should have had the win in the bag, but rain came into play. The Gresini rider began to struggle with the grip on his front tyres and crashed out of the race. Marc Marquez shot up to second place to extend his gap at the top of the Riders' Standings, while Marco Bezzecchi rounded off the podium.
Race Report
It was a good start from the pole-sitter Alex Marquez, but an even better one for his brother, Marc, who shot past the Gresini rider around Turn 1. The duo briefly swapped places, but Alex ran wide at Turn 4 and reassumed second place. Ai Ogura found himself in third place after a scrappy opening lap fighting with Pedro Acosta.
The grid was close in pace during the opening stages of the race, with the circuit reaching temperatures of up to 54°C, initially providing brilliant grip. Bezzecchi looked to be a strong contender for a place on the podium, setting his sights on Acosta in third place on Lap 3.
Acosta started to pick up the pace around Lap 4, briefly overtaking Alex Marquez for second place before running wide and slotting back into third. The Gresini rider put up a great defence throughout the lap, outbraking the KTM rider and shutting down any passes.
This track is treacherous for riders, but a great spectacle for fans. Around Lap 6, the tyres started to degrade in the boiling heat and on the old tarmac. Fabio Di Giannantonio fell from sixth to ninth and started to struggle with the grip in the humidity, just like Enea Bastianini, who lost his brilliant early race pace.
At the front of the pack, Marc Marquez set the fastest lap of the race and looked comfortable in the conditions. The Ducati rider started to build a gap to the rest of the pack, with Alex falling a second behind on Lap 8.
Acosta was finally able to pull off the overtake on Alex Marquez around the inside of Turn 9 on Lap 10, putting him under pressure from Bezzecchi, who briefly overtook the Gresini rider on the final corner. Alex Marquez managed to pull one back on Bezzecchi, but Acosta flew off into the distance.
With seven laps to go during the Grand Prix, the riders started to pick up the pace after a lull. However, a handful of riders were struggling with grip and managing their tyres during the heat, including Diogo Moreira, who ran wide and picked up a ton of debris.
Marc Marquez was still leading with ease on Lap 14, almost 2.5s ahead of Acosta, and a further 3.2s ahead of Alex Marquez. Two laps later, the order was still the same as Marc Marquez flew around Sepang comfortably.
Ogura and Bezzecchi reignited their battle for a position on the podium in the closing stages of the race, scrapping it out around Turn 9 on Lap 17. Ogura was looking for a way around Bezzecchi for fourth place, but the Aprilia rider was as stubborn as ever, hoping to hold on to these crucial points in the championship.
Heading into Lap 18, the riders made contact after Ogura attempted to squeeze around the inside of Turn 1. He finally pulled off the overtake a corner later, claiming fourth place and a handful of points for Trackhouse as their only rider on track.
Marc Marquez dominated the Malaysian Grand Prix from start to finish, winning with a margin of 4.5s over Acosta. The seven-time MotoGP champion has extended his lead in the Riders' Standings to 44 points over Jorge Martin, and is incredibly likely to end this year with another championship. Acosta secured the second-place slot on the podium after snatching the position from Alex Marquez, who settled for third place after a brilliant defensive race.
Ogura scored a P4 finish while a last-minute swap saw Bastianini scoop P5 after Bezzecchi ran wide on the final lap, putting a damper on an already solemn race. Luca Marini found himself in seventh place ahead of Di Giannantonio, while Brad Binder slotted in ninth place ahead of Franco Morbidelli, who rounded off the top ten.
This result leaves Aprilia in a tough spot with very little left to fight against Ducati in the Constructors' Championship, having failed to take the battle to the championship-leading team. For Marc Marquez, the chance of winning the title early is in bloom, as the Spaniard picked up his 80th victory in the premier class.
Don't forget to tune in for the next race at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar on Sunday, November 8th at 16:00 BST!
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