The winners and losers from MotoGP’s Malaysian Grand Prix
The MotoGP paddock headed to Sepang for the Malaysian Grand Prix with the championship battle entering its final stages, and Marc Márquez arrived looking to take another significant step towards the title.
After finishing second behind Pedro Acosta in Saturday's Sprint, Márquez delivered when it mattered on Sunday, claiming his seventh Grand Prix victory of the season. With Jorge Martín out with injury, the Spaniard extended his championship lead to 44 points.
Plenty of other talking points emerged over the weekend, with some riders enjoying impressive results while others left Malaysia with plenty to think about. Here are our winners and losers from the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Winner: Marc Márquez
It was another weekend to remember for Marc Márquez, who moved one step closer to securing the MotoGP World Championship with victory at Sepang.
Starting from second on the grid, Márquez made an excellent start to take the lead from his brother Álex at the opening corner. While Álex briefly fought back, the elder Márquez regained control after his brother ran wide.
The Ducati rider then managed the race superbly, maintaining a comfortable advantage over the chasing pack before crossing the line more than four seconds ahead of Acosta.
Having finished second in Saturday's Sprint, Márquez collected another 32 points across the weekend and now sits on 399 championship points.
With Martín unable to compete following his wrist injury, Márquez now holds a 44-point advantage over his nearest rival. The championship is firmly in his hands, and he could potentially wrap up the title as early as next weekend in Qatar.
Winner: Pedro Acosta
Pedro Acosta continued to demonstrate why he is regarded as one of the brightest talents in MotoGP, producing another impressive weekend for KTM. The Spaniard took victory in Saturday's Sprint, holding off Márquez to secure another important result for the Austrian manufacturer.
Although he could not repeat that success in Sunday's Grand Prix, Acosta produced a strong performance to finish second, just over four seconds behind Márquez.
He also managed to get the better of Álex Márquez during the race, moving into second place and securing a valuable podium finish.
With a sprint victory and a Grand Prix second place, Acosta leaves Malaysia with an excellent points haul. His performances continue to underline his growing importance to KTM as the team looks towards the next generation of MotoGP regulations.
Winner: Álex Márquez
It was a weekend of redemption for Álex Márquez, who recovered from a disappointing Sprint to secure a podium finish in Sunday's Grand Prix.
The Gresini rider started from pole and looked to have a strong opportunity to challenge for victory. However, a crash while leading Saturday's Sprint left him with work to do heading into the main event.
Márquez made another strong start on Sunday but was unable to keep his brother behind him, eventually settling into the battle for the remaining podium positions.
He eventually crossed the line in third, finishing just under six seconds behind the race winner and securing another valuable result for Gresini.
While he may have been hoping for more after securing pole position, a podium finish was a positive way to end the weekend.
Loser: Francesco Bagnaia
Another difficult weekend for Francesco Bagnaia leaves plenty of questions surrounding the Ducati rider's form.
After qualifying down in tenth position, Bagnaia managed to recover to sixth in Saturday's Sprint, offering some encouragement ahead of Sunday's race.
However, the Italian was unable to make similar progress in the Grand Prix, finishing down in 13th place and collecting just three championship points.
It was a particularly disappointing result given the pace shown by Márquez on the other side of the Ducati garage. While his teammate celebrated another victory, Bagnaia was once again struggling to find the performance needed to challenge towards the front.
With the season approaching its conclusion, Bagnaia will be hoping to find some consistency before the final rounds.
Loser: Honda
It was another weekend to forget for Honda, with the Japanese manufacturer struggling to make an impression at Sepang.
Luca Marini was the only Honda rider to reach the chequered flag, finishing seventh on his return from illness.
Joan Mir retired from the race after struggling with physical fatigue, while Johann Zarco suffered a technical problem that ended his hopes of securing a strong result. Rookie Diogo Moreira also crashed out after making progress towards the top ten.
The weekend was particularly frustrating for LCR, with neither Zarco nor Moreira classified at the finish.
With the 2027 technical regulations approaching, Honda still has plenty of work to do if it is to close the gap to the leading manufacturers.
Loser: Marco Bezzecchi
Marco Bezzecchi arrived in Malaysia looking to keep his championship hopes alive, but the Italian leaves Sepang having lost further ground to Márquez.
The Aprilia rider enjoyed a competitive Sprint on Saturday, finishing third behind Acosta and Márquez. However, Sunday's Grand Prix proved more difficult.
Bezzecchi was unable to challenge for the podium and eventually finished sixth, losing positions to both Ai Ogura and Enea Bastianini in the closing stages.
While sixth place still provided valuable points, it was a missed opportunity for Bezzecchi to put pressure on the championship leader.
He now sits 67 points behind Márquez with just three rounds remaining, leaving him with a difficult task if he is to remain in mathematical contention for the title.
What's next?
The MotoGP World Championship heads to Qatar next weekend for the Lusail Grand Prix, with Márquez potentially having the opportunity to secure the title with two rounds still remaining.
After another dominant performance in Malaysia, the Ducati rider will arrive in Qatar knowing that the championship is firmly within his grasp.
Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
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