Marc Marquez wins Malaysian Grand Prix, moves close to retaining MotoGP championship

Marquez takes the race lead

Alex Marquez briefly regained the lead, but ran wide one turn later and gave it back to his brother. Marc Marquez then held on to win, marking his first chequered flag since 2018.

The victory leaves Marc Marquez 44 points ahead of absent title rival Jorge Martin in the championship standings. He said his approach would remain focused and that he intended to keep pushing.

Qatar offers title chance

The season moves next to the Lusail International Circuit for the Qatar Grand Prix, scheduled for next weekend. Marc Marquez could secure an eighth championship title there if he extends his lead to 74 points, with two rounds still to come. The race is set to proceed despite riders’ concerns about travelling to Qatar during the United States-Israel war on Iran.

Battle behind the winner

After losing the lead, Alex Marquez fought with Pedro Acosta. The KTM rider stayed close for several laps before passing the Gresini rider around the midpoint of the race.

Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi, an outside title contender, finished sixth. Ai Ogura of Trackhouse and Enea Bastianini of Tech3 passed him late in the race.

Bezzecchi ends weekend early

Bezzecchi struggled during the weekend and did not take part in qualifying. He ended his weekend early to continue recovering from a fracture sustained in a crash at Phillip Island, Australia, the previous week.