Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) delivered a commanding victory in the PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit, Sepang while a late mechanical issue cruelly denied Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) a podium finish.
The younger Marquez brother, fresh off sealing second place in the 2025 MotoGP World Championship the day before, produced a masterclass performance to win by 2.6 seconds over rookie sensation Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). Meanwhile, Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) capitalized on Bagnaia’s late retirement to claim an emotional third place — marking his second Sunday podium of the season.
As the lights went out, Bagnaia surged off the line to take the holeshot, replicating his strong Sprint start. Acosta slotted into second, but Alex Marquez quickly made his intentions clear — overtaking Acosta at Turn 4 and, one lap later, executing a clean move on Bagnaia to take the lead.
From there, the #73 never looked back. The Gresini rider controlled the tempo up front as Bagnaia and Acosta engaged in a fierce battle for second. Their duel — filled with daring exchanges at Turns 4, 5, and 9 — allowed Marquez to steadily open up a gap of nearly one second.
Behind them, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Joan Mir fought closely for fourth, followed by Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in fifth and Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing) struggling to find rhythm further back.
By Lap 10, Mir broke free from Quartararo to chase the front group, trimming the gap to 2.7 seconds. However, tyre wear began to shape the race’s second half — particularly for Bagnaia, whose medium front compound appeared to fade.
The attrition rate rose as Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha) both crashed out within moments of each other. At the front, Marquez’s pace was relentless, clocking a stunning 2:00.546 on Lap 14 — a full second quicker than Bagnaia and half a second faster than Acosta.
Then came the decisive twist. Acosta struck at Turn 11, diving past Bagnaia to take second as Marquez’s lead ballooned to over two seconds.
With four laps to go, Bagnaia’s hopes of a podium crumbled. The Ducati rider suddenly encountered a mechanical issue, visibly glancing down at the rear of his machine before pulling off the racing line. His DNF handed third place to Mir — a silver lining for Honda after their Sprint disappointment on Saturday.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Gresini garage, Fermin Aldeguer also crashed out in the final sector, ending a frustrating weekend for the young Spaniard.
As the final lap began, Marquez led comfortably by nearly three seconds over Acosta, with Mir safely in third. No mistakes followed — and when the chequered flag waved, Alex Marquez sealed a dominant win, marking his first-ever Grand Prix victory outside Spain.
Acosta once again proved his maturity with a brilliant P2 finish, continuing his rapid MotoGP rise, while Mir’s podium capped a strong weekend for Honda HRC Castrol.
Morbidelli surged late to claim P4, ahead of Quartararo in P5, while Fabio Di Giannantonio (P6) and Enea Bastianini (P7) delivered solid rides through the pack.
Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), and Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) completed the top 10, finishing just ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) — who now moves back to third in the overall standings following Bagnaia’s non-finish.
The remaining points went to Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR), Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha), Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha), and Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR).
Credit Photo : MotoGP
