MotoGP Round 20 | Alex Marquez clinches Sepang victory. The #73 reigned supreme in Malaysia, Acosta impressed with P2 and a late bike issue for the #63 handed Mir a place on the Sunday podium. Report: Ed Stratmann/MotoGP

Friday Practice and Saturday Qualifying
MotoGP

How about that for a MotoGP Practice outing? Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing #37) delivered the goods on Friday to set the pace with a 1:57.559 as the #37 beat Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR #5) by 0.019s, while Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP #43) rounded out the top three in an unpredictable session. Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP #73) squeezed into Q2 despite a second crash of the day, but our last three Grand Prix winners – Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team #63), Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP #54) and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team #25) – would face Q1. Oh, and so did Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing).

Casting his Indonesia and Australia woes to one side, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) did it the hard way to grab pole at the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia, coming through Q1 to the top of the pile. Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) missed out on pole by 0.016s, whilst Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team #21) made it a Ducati front-row lockout just one week on from the factory’s 98-race front-row streak coming to an end. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing #72), meanwhile, failed to make it out of Q1 and started P14.

Moto2

With the sun coming out for Moto2™ Practice, it was Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP #18) who ended Friday on top. Moving up to P1 with less than five minutes to go, ‘Manugas’ was hoping it would be the start of a strong weekend, where he aimed to extend his Championship lead after it’d been whittled down in recent rounds by Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team #10); the Brazilian joined his title rival in Q2 directly, finishing in P10, with Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team #96) and Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2 #75) completing the top three.

Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team #27) started the Moto2 Malaysian GP from pole position after setting a late, scintillating new lap record to head the field by over half a second. The rookie’s sublime 2:02.858 was by far the best lap of a mouthwatering Q2 that saw the tension between title contenders Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) and Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) ramp up as they diced on track.

Moto3

World Champion Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo #99) headed into the weekend as the rider to beat in Moto3 after the #99 topped a delayed Practice on Friday afternoon. Rueda’s 2:11.152 was top but only 0.035s quicker than his rookie teammate and second-fastest rider Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo #83), with him enjoying a perfect start to the Malaysian GP.

Rocketing to a second pole of 2025, David Almansa (Leopard Racing #22) left it until his final flying lap to deliver the goods at Sepang on Saturday. Still chasing his first podium, he’d have Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia #72) right next to him for the first time in over a year, whilst Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) lined up third.

Saturday
Tissot Sprint

There was simply no stopping Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) on Saturday at the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia. The reigning double World Champion was untouchable as he converted pole position into a commanding Tissot Sprint victory, finishing 2.2 seconds clear of Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP). The result sealed second place in the championship for the #73, securing a historic Marquez brothers 1-2 overall. It was also a day of celebration for the BK8 Gresini Racing team, as Fermin Aldeguer claimed Rookie of the Year honours for 2025 thanks to a strong P3 finish – even though a post-race tyre pressure penalty later cost him the podium spot on paper.

From pole, Bagnaia nailed his launch to lead into Turn 1. As ever, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) rocketed off the line to grab an early third, while Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) fought back from a sluggish getaway to end the opening lap in fourth after a fierce scrap with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP #20). Further back, Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol #36) and Aldeguer provided early fireworks, the 2020 World Champion eventually taking fourth by the end of Lap 1. But at the front, Bagnaia was already stretching clear. By Lap 3, his lead was a second over Marquez and growing rapidly as he lapped half a second faster than the chasing trio.

Mir’s hopes of a podium ended abruptly with a crash at Turn 9, promoting Aldeguer to fourth and into podium contention. The rookie showed blistering pace, reeling in Acosta by more than half a second a lap. With three laps remaining, Aldeguer made a clean pass at Turn 9 to grab third and secure his Rookie of the Year title. Honda’s afternoon took another hit when Luca Marini crashed at Turn 14 after contact with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Tech3 #44).

Up front, Bagnaia remained flawless to take a lights-to-flag win ahead of Marquez, with Aldeguer crossing the line in third before his penalty promoted Acosta to the final podium spot. Morbidelli finished a solid P5 behind Quartararo, rounding out a strong top five at Sepang.

“I’m happy, the team is deserving of these results because I think I’m in trouble, but they are in trouble too to understand the situation. It’s not clear, it’s not easy – one week ago we were struggling, yesterday I was struggling a bit, and today I was competitive,” Bagnaia insisted.

Tissot Sprint Race Results

  1. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo
  2. Alex Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati (+2.259s)
  3. Pedro Acosta Red Bull KTM (+5.155s)
  4. Franco Morbidelli Pertamina VR46 Ducati (+6.541s)
  5. Fabio Quartararo Monster Yamaha (+8.468s)

Sunday
MotoGP

After sealing second place in the MotoGP World Championship on Saturday, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) capped off a stellar weekend with a commanding victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix. The Spaniard produced a flawless ride to beat Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) by 2.6 seconds, while a late issue for Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) handed Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) a welcome P3 at Sepang.

Just like in the Sprint, Bagnaia launched perfectly to grab the holeshot, with Acosta slotting into second. But Marquez wasted no time – first dispatching Acosta at Turn 4, then overtaking Bagnaia a lap later with a decisive inside move. For the first time all weekend, the #63 Ducati wasn’t leading.

Read our other MotoGP reports here…

Acosta and Bagnaia exchanged blows in a thrilling early duel, their battle allowing Marquez to stretch his lead to nearly a second. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) ran fourth, closely followed by Mir, while Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) trailed just behind.

On Lap 10, Mir finally found a way past Quartararo to move into P4, setting his sights on the podium battle 2.7s up the road. Tyre management was becoming critical as the race entered its second half. Drama struck on Lap 12 when Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP #88) both crashed out. Up front, Marquez continued to pull clear, half a second per lap faster than his rivals. Acosta finally made a move stick on Bagnaia at Turn 11, while the Italian began to struggle on his medium front tyre.

Marquez was relentless, clocking a 2:00.546 on Lap 14 to extend his advantage beyond two seconds. Mir’s charge continued in fourth, while Morbidelli’s late pace hinted he wasn’t done yet either. The closing laps brought heartbreak for Ducati. Fermin Aldeguer crashed at the final corner, and moments later, Bagnaia suffered a technical issue, slowing dramatically and eventually retiring – a cruel end to an otherwise strong weekend.

Marquez cruised home 2.8s ahead of Acosta to claim his first win outside Spain. Acosta delivered another outstanding podium for KTM, finishing comfortably ahead of Mir, who secured Honda HRC Castrol’s second Sunday podium of the season. Morbidelli showed strong late-race pace to finish P4, while Quartararo completed the top five after a close Turn 15 battle with the VR46 rider.

“We started suffering a lot with two crashes on Friday, and later on the feeling was not really perfect, but today the strategy was clever,” Marquez explained.

“The strategy was the winning one, I was really clever at the point to make the move [on Bagnaia] and to be aggressive in that moment of the race, because I knew it was tricky. I lost one race here two years ago [by] waiting too much, so I just tried to go for it. It’s a really important win for us to celebrate second [in the championship].”

MotoGP Race Results

  1. Alex Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati
  2. Pedro Acosta Red Bull KTM (+2.676s)
  3. Joan Mir Honda HRC Castrol (+8.048s
  4. Franco Morbidelli Pertamina VR46 Ducati (+8.580s)
  5. Fabio Quartararo Monster Yamaha (+11.556s)

Check out the full MotoGP race results here…

MotoGP Championship Points

  1. Marc Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati – 545
  2. Alex Marquez Ducati Lenovo – 413
  3. Marco Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing – 291
  4. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo – 286
  5. Pedro Acosta Red Bull KTM – 260

Moto2

A dramatic Moto2™ Malaysian Grand Prix ended with victory for Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), who mastered the restarted race at Sepang to take his third win of the season. The Brit hit the front on Lap 3 of the restart and never looked back, finishing ahead of David Alonso (CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team #80) and Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing #7). The result also reshaped the title fight as Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) crashed out from a top-five position, allowing Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) to claim fifth and move nine points clear in the standings.

The original race began with a perfect launch from Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team), but chaos unfolded when Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team #16) crashed at Turn 5, bringing out the red flag. Roberts walked away unhurt, but the race was shortened to an 11-lap sprint.

Holgado repeated his lightning start in the restart, with Dixon locked in an intense early fight with Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2). By Turn 14, the #96 had powered through to second, and a lap later at Turn 4, Dixon dived past Holgado to take control. From there, the Brit set a relentless pace, stretching his lead as Gonzalez and Baltus fought hard behind.

Further back, Moreira was climbing the order after contact with Izan Guevara (BLUCRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 #28) while battling for ninth. With four laps to go, he had moved to sixth and was closing fast on Arenas. But disaster struck for Gonzalez with three laps remaining – the Spaniard crashed at Turn 15, surrendering his championship lead and giving Moreira a clear path to fifth.

At the flag, Dixon took his seventh career Moto2™ win, with Alonso claiming a fourth podium of the year and Baltus third, keeping both riders mathematically in title contention. Holgado finished fourth, reinforcing his Rookie of the Year credentials, while Moreira’s fifth was enough to hand him the championship lead heading into the final two rounds.

Moto2 Race Results

  1. Jake Dixon Elf Marc VDS Racing
  2. David Alonso CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team (+2.035s)
  3. Barry Baltus Fantic Racing (+2.745s)
  4. Daniel Holgado CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team (+4.358s)
  5. Diogo Moreira Italtrans Racing Team (+5.672s)

Moto2 Championship Points

  1. Diogo Moreira Italtrans Racing Team – 256
  2. Manuel Gonzalez Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP – 247
  3. Barry Baltus Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO – 221
  4. Jake Dixon Elf Marc VDS Racing – 215
  5. Aron Canet Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO – 213

Moto3

The Moto3™ Malaysian Grand Prix was delayed following a serious incident on the sighting lap involving Noah Dettwiler (CIP Green Power #55) and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Both riders were airlifted to hospital in Kuala Lumpur, prompting the start to be postponed until the medical helicopter returned.

Rueda was later confirmed to be awake and alert, suffering several contusions and a suspected hand fracture. Dettwiler’s team released a statement confirming the Swiss rider had sustained serious injuries requiring multiple surgeries, adding: “He is in good hands, and we kindly ask you to respect his privacy. We will not be sharing further details at this time. Noah is a true fighter, and the entire CIP Green Power team is right behind him. We will keep you updated as soon as possible.”

When racing finally got underway, Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) claimed a stunning first career victory, leading from start to finish in the shortened 10-lap contest. Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI #36) and Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing #31) completed the podium in a thrilling scrap behind the dominant Japanese rider.

 

From the start, Furusato seized the holeshot, with polesitter David Almansa (Leopard Racing) and Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team #28) in close pursuit. Almansa briefly reclaimed the lead on Lap 3, but Furusato quickly struck back, establishing a one-second cushion by mid-race distance.

Behind him, Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), Quiles and Fernandez traded positions in a fierce battle for the remaining podium spots. Fernandez carved through the pack to second, while Pini’s later fall at Turn 15 ended his hopes of a rostrum finish. Almansa also ran wide at the final corner on Lap 8, slipping down to sixth.

As Furusato pulled clear, Piqueras capitalised on a late mistake from Fernandez at Turn 9 to secure second place. The Honda rider crossed the line 1.2 seconds behind Furusato, with Fernandez completing the rostrum. Almansa recovered to fourth, making it three Hondas in the top four, while Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI #6) finished fifth ahead of Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo).

Moto3 Race Results

  1. Taiyo Furusato Honda Team Asia
  2. Angel Piqueras FRINSA -MT Helmets – MSI (+2.259s)
  3. Adrian Fernandez Leopard Racing (+2.625s)
  4. David Almansa Leopard Racing (+4.167s)
  5. Ryusei Yamanaka FRINSA -MT Helmets – MSI (+4.338s)

Moto3 Championship Points

  1. Jose Antonio Rueda Red Bull KTM Ajo – 365
  2. Angel Piqueras FRINSA – MT Helmets – 251
  3. Maximo Quiles CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team – 237
  4. David Munoz Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP – 197
  5. Joel Kelso LEVELUP – MTA – 183

How Did the Aussies Do?

Caught in some early chaos, Jack Miller dropped to 15th on the opening lap of the Sprint. After battling through the early laps, he settled into a groove and finished 14th. Miller then backed this up with a solid 14th in the main dance as well aboard his Prima Pramac Yamaha on a weekend where he dealt with grip issues throughout.

Senna Agius (#81) endured a disappointing weekend at the office, for he was forced to retire on lap six with engine failure after starting 23rd. It was a tough blow following his brilliant win at the Australian Grand Prix, but he’ll have a chance to bounce back in two weeks.

Following a 10th-place qualifying result, Kelso (#66) could manage only 12th in the race after admitting he had to run a tyre that didn’t favour him for the 10-lap sprint. The Malaysian GP weekend didn’t go to plan at all for Jacob Roulstone (#12). After a practice crash, checks revealed a left-hand fracture, which is a cruel blow for the talented youngster.

 

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