MARC MARQUEZ WINS MALAYSIAN MOTOGP AT SEPANG

Factory Ducati rider Marc Marquez won the 20-lap Malaysian MotoGP at Sepang on Sunday, 1 November 2026. He finished 4.172 seconds ahead of KTM's Pedro Acosta, with polesitter Alex Marquez third on his Gresini Ducati. The win marked Marc Marquez's seventh Grand Prix victory of 2026 and his 80th premier class triumph. Championship standings place Marc Marquez first on 399 points, 44 ahead of Jorge Martin on 355, with Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi third on 332. Figures for Marc Marquez's pre-race lead over Martin range from 10 to 19 points.

All riders used soft tyres for the 3:00pm local (7:00am UK) race in 36-degree heat amid thunderstorm warnings. Starting second, Marc Marquez led at Turn 1 ahead of his brother Alex Marquez, who ran wide at Turn 4, while Acosta reached third on Lap 1 ahead of Bezzecchi and Trackhouse's Ai Ogura. Marc Marquez led by 1.1 seconds on Lap 9 before Acosta passed Alex Marquez at Turn 9 on Lap 10. Bezzecchi ran wide on the last lap, losing fifth to Enea Bastianini. In Saturday's damp Sprint, Acosta beat Marc Marquez, Bezzecchi, and lap-leader Ogura after Alex Marquez crashed from first.

Acosta said after the race: "Alex was super-fast in the beginning and it was difficult to make a pass." Ducati called Marc Marquez the "most important rider ever", while the rider detailed "where I'm worse" after changing his riding style post-surgery. Martin withdrew from Sepang after trying to ride a week after breaking his wrist at Phillip Island. Marc Marquez can clinch the title at next weekend's Qatar Grand Prix, which Alex Marquez will miss for surgery.