Double podium for the Ducati Lenovo Team at Sepang. Francesco Bagnaia takes his tenth win of the season at Sepang, Enea Bastianini is third

Jorge Martín is second aboard Pramac Racing Team’s Ducati machine. Alex Márquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) is fourth



New record for Ducati as it reaches a tally of eighteen wins in a single MotoGP season



Francesco Bagnaia and the Ducati Lenovo Team have taken the win in today Malaysian Gran Prix at the Sepang International Circuit. Enea Bastianini has completed the podium in third place. The race was contested over a 19-lap distance following a three-way crash at turn two in the opening lap, which led to a red flag situation.

At the restart, Bagnaia entered a spectacular battle with Martín for the lead that lasted until lap four, when the former was able to pull away on the rival. Pecco then managed his margin up the chequered flag, becoming the sixth rider in the history of the premier class to win ten races in a single season, courtesy of what was his 50th career MotoGP podium. Bagnaia also sets the new record for the overall number of wins since the introduction of the sprint race – eighteen.

Bastianini managed to make up one position at the start but struggled to get past Morbidelli in the opening stages of the race. Enea eventually managed to do so on lap six as he moved up one more place following Marc Marquez’s crash to cross the line a lonely third.

As the nineteenth Grand Prix of the season draws to a close, Bagnaia is second in the championship standings with a 24-point gap to Martín. Bastianini is fourth, one point away from Marc Márquez.

The final event of the 2024 MotoGP season will take place on November 15-17 at Montmeló’s ‘Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya’, the venue chosen for the final round after the tragic events that have been affecting the Valencian community since the start of the week.

Francesco Bagnaia (#1 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st
“Our pace today was really competitive, as it often happened on Sunday this year. Jorge (Martín) did all he could to stay in front of me in the early stages, but I was feeling very comfortable aboard the bike and was able to be a lot more aggressive. The only problem is that our pace was stronger than our rivals and that surely didn’t play in our favour. We need to understand why we can’t perform as good in the sprint races: this is an area we need to work on for the future, but right now we must focus on the final event of the season and try to do our best. This is our tenth Sunday win of the season and, which proves how excellent of a job we’ve done this year.”

Enea Bastianini (#23 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 3rd
“It was a challenging race, even more than yesterday given the higher temperatures, and I kept struggling on corner entry. We tried to make a step forward in the warmup, but we didn’t manage to do so. When things go this way, it’s important to bring the bike home and on one hand, things played out in our favour as we could finish on the podium. Now the last event awaits us, and I’d like to dedicate this podium to the Valencian community that needs all our support in these extremely difficult times.”

Luigi Dall’Igna – Ducati Corse General Manager
“Obviously our thoughts go first to the Valencian Community, who’s enduring a very dramatic moment. They need all the support, and I hope the situation will improve as soon as possible. Speaking of the race, it was fantastic. The battle between Pecco and Jorge in the opening laps was outstanding and a very clean one. Both riders rode perfectly, and I must congratulate them on their performance as they delivered some incredible excitement. It was nice to see Enea also on the podium, despite the issues he had with the front-end. He did an excellent job in scoring the best possible result and we’ll try to put him in the right conditions to do well in the final race of the season.”On Sunday, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) headed out to keep his World Championship hopes alive with a win at the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia, and he did just that. It was a sensational ride from the #1, who put the hammer down after a breathtaking battle with Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) in the opening laps that will go down in history as one of the best duels the sport has ever seen. From there it was a cat and mouse to the finish, with Bagnaia finding enough to keep Martin at bay and reduce the gap to 24 points by the flag. And remember, the maximum score per weekend is now 37...

Behind them, Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) was able to grab the final spot on the podium in a crucial day for ‘The Beast’, who moved a step closer as he continues his fight for third position in the Championship against the very same Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) who crashed out from third after getting a box office seat for the duel at the front.

Once the lights went out, it was a good launch from Bagnaia but he was near side-by-side with Martin on the charge into Turn 1. However, a crash at Turn 2 involving Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) would bring out the red flag and reset the tense showdown once again before a lap was complete. Miller was taken for checks and deemed fit, Quartararo and Binder walked away, but the South African pulled in before the restart.

After that pique of adrenaline, the lights went out again, with Bagnaia making an incredible launch on take two, catapulting into the lead on the run to Turn 1. Martin was forced to slot into second, with Marc Marquez battling into the podium places on Lap 1. As soon as was possible at the head of the field though, it was GLOVES OFF. Martin made his first move on the opening lap, with Bagnaia instantly responding as the title fight kicked into another gear. Game on.

Bagnaia and Martin continued to lock horns, trading places and trading blows in the opening stages of a spectacular Malaysian GP. The tension was high as the lead continued to swap hands at every opportunity, with just inches separating them on the circuit. Paint was exchanged between the title rivals in the opening stages including one near bash on the straight, and with Marc Marquez watching on from behind in third place.

It was a true spectacle, with the two title contenders absolutely going at it... and still able to somehow pull a gap on those behind. By Lap 5 though, Bagnaia had made it stick and a small mistake from Martin saw a sliver of breathing space become the fastest lap from the #1 as he got the hammer down. Now it became a battle of a different kind.

Some more drama then hit near the front, and "What will Marc Marquez do?" got an earlier answer than the eight-time World Champion intended as he slid out, rejoining down the order. That left Bastianini in third as he'd pulled away from the group on the chase but not homed in on the front battle. Behind, Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) was fending off Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) for P4, and Quartararo wasn't far off them either.

And then. Ater it could have seemed a foregone conclusion at the front, the gap suddenly started to come down. From over two seconds it disappeared in a tenth here and a tenth there, with Bagnaia either struggling or teasing. Just as it got below 1.5s, however, the #89 made a crucial mistake at Turn 9 – dropping a further eight-tenths behind. The possibility had proven strong but Martin didn't falter with the temptation as much as Bagnaia may have been hoping, forced to settle for second but seemingly content to do so as his points advantage remains sizeable.

At the front, Bagnaia didn't falter either, crossing the line to win by 3.141s on a critical day in the 2024 MotoGP™ World Championship. The Italian’s victory sees #TheRematch to roll on after defeating Martin in Malaysia, and after the duo served up a true, true all-time great duel.

Bastianini made one error to halt what seemed like it could be a possible charge, wide at the final corner, but kept it on the road thereafter to take that third place. Behind, Alex Marquez claimed fourth, with the #73 continuing to defend from Acosta in the closing stages of the Grand Prix. 1.469s separated the duo at the line as Quartararo heroically finished inside the top six after a stunning ride from the Frenchman on the restart, taking his and Yamaha's best GP result of the season so far. The #20 placed ahead of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ teammate Alex Rins as the #42 grabbed eighth.

The final spots on the top 10 spots were taken by Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) as Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LRC) bagged 11th. Marc Marquez charged to P12 after rejoining, ending a strong recovery ride with points as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Morbidelli, and Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team) scored the final point on Sunday.

After Bagnaia was able to keep his title hopes in reach this weekend, it leaves everything to be decided at the finale! Make sure you keep up to date on motogp.com to find out the latest news regarding the final round of the season. We can guarantee two things: it will be a show like nothing else on earth... and it will be a show with purpose as we continue #RacingForValencia.VIÑALES FINISHES SEVENTH, ESPARGARÓ THIRTEENTH

The long MotoGP race in Sepang was initially red-flagged due to a multi-rider crash on turn 2, followed by a second start with the race reduced to 19 laps instead of the originally planned 20.

Maverick Viñales had a convincing start from the twelfth spot on the grid and was in the battle for the top seven by the end of the first few laps. Throughout the race, the Spanish rider maintained a solid and consistent pace which allowed him to stay competitive all the way to the end, where he finished seventh.

For Aleix Espargaró, the long race proved to be more complex. Starting from the rear, his chances of a comeback were limited from the early stages of the race, and the Spanish rider finished thirteenth.

vinales:

We took a step forward in terms of pace. After the sprint race, we worked to figure out where we had gone wrong. We knew that the problem was with braking and we made a few changes to the set-up which worked well because I was able to battle in the race.

espargaro:


The race was difficult. Our weekend actually got complicated already in qualifying, where we were unable to earn a better starting position. Starting from so far back makes it difficult to come back. The heat had a negative impact on the bike’s performance and that is certainly something we need to improve for the future.

rivola:


Qualifying and the start are two crucial stages of the weekend so, not having done well in these two things, it was hard to expect a race close to the podium. Maverick’s race was still positive, especially when he found himself with some open track ahead. It was more difficult for Aleix who was unable to set his pace battling with the other riders. We will close out the season in Spain and our thoughts go to all the families in Valencia who have been hit by this tragedy.Strong results for Vietti and Rueda at intense Malaysian MotoGP™
MotoGP 2024 - Round 19 of 20, Sepang International Circuit – Race

Brad Binder and Jack Miller were victims of a second corner accident at a hot Malaysian Grand Prix at the long Sepang International Circuit. Both the South African and Australian could not make the restarted nineteenth round of the season but the KTM GP Academy provided highlights with a double dose of silverware. Jose Antonio Rueda rode to 3rd in Moto3™ and Celestino Vietti won for the third time this year in Moto2™.



Binder does not start the Grand Prix at Sepang with a hurt left shoulder after being part of a multi-rider collision through the second corner
Miller is unharmed after tangling in the same incident and initially needing on-track attention. The Aussie also could not make the restart
Fourth podium of the year in Moto3 for Jose Antonio Rueda with the KTM RC4 and fourth trophy of the season as well for Celestino Vietti thanks to his superb Moto2™ victory


The Malaysian Grand Prix got underway with stifling heat, cloudy skies and the promise of a draining 20-lap distance ahead. Brad Binder and Jack Miller had aimed to stretch a reasonably positive weekend so far into the critical moment of the meeting: the pair had qualified in 10th and 7th respectively and had scored 7th and 8th in the Saturday Sprint.

Contact through the exit of Turn 1 and into Turn 2 and the most chaotic moment of the race collected both Binder and Miller as contact ensued, and multiple riders were affected. Binder came back to the pitbox but felt discomfort with his left shoulder. Miller went to the medical center and was given the all-clear but did not reform on the grid.

Binder is 6th in the MotoGP table: three points behind Pedro Acosta. Miller is 14th while KTM is the second best Constructor in the standings. The date and location of the twentieth and final Grand Prix of the season will be announced in due course.

“Luckily nobody injured today. It was very bad to see. Brad tried to make the second start but the pain in shoulder meant it was not safe to start. He’ll have a check tomorrow and Jack had a check in the medical center but was then back in the box and was OK. We were unlucky today but then fortunate in another way and we have one more chance to make some results now this season.”Top five blast-back by Acosta in Sepang for Malaysian MotoGP™
MotoGP 2024 - Round 19 of 20, Sepang International Circuit – Race

The Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit was another stage for Red Bull GASGAS Tech3’s Pedro Acosta to produce a riveting performance as the 20-year-old Spaniard raced to 5th place in sweltering and sapping conditions. Teammate Augusto Fernandez rode well to progress from a P21 grid slot to take 10th in a race of physical, mental and tire attrition. Daniel Holgado is still in play for 2nd position in the 2024 Moto3™ world championship despite an early race fall.

Acosta starts from 13th and powers his way into the top five, probing for more points and positions to ride to P5 in the world championship standings
Fernandez capitalizes on his strong feeling at Sepang and decent race pace to make progress from the rear of the grid to grab six points
Moto3™ points for Jacob Roulstone in 12th as Daniel Holgado crashes out on the second lap but still has a chance of a FIM World Championship medal in 2024


For the second weekend in succession the heat was on for MotoGP. The Malaysian Grand Prix brought an end to a triple header that involved trips to Australia, Thailand and the demanding Sepang International Circuit.

Acosta had moved into the top ten by the first pass of the checkered flag after the race had to be restarted due to a Turn 2 pile-up. Fernandez was also proactive with his overtaking. The race then became a pacing exercise to stretch tire potential and energy reserves all the way through the 20-lap pursuit. Pedro fought with Alex Marquez for 4th and passed the flag only a second from his countryman for 11 hard won points. The result was his seventh top five classification of the season. Fernandez was strong and defiant, and his 10th place represented his best standing of 2024.

The outcomes of the Malaysian Grand Prix mean that Acosta is 5th in the Riders championship standings while Fernandez is 20th. The cancelled Valencian round will be replaced by another venue for the final fixture of 2024 to be confirmed in the coming days.


Pedro Acosta, 5th: “A strong race but not enough. I lost time overtaking other riders at the beginning and if I was a bit more on the pace then I could have been closer to 4th. The front tire temperature was high and it was tough to manage. I did not want to put the race in the bin for nothing. Happy enough. It was important to finish the race.”

Augusto Fernandez, 10th: “Happy with the top ten and especially with the pace in the race. I had to really manage the tires but I felt great and could overtake and push forwards. I tried to grab that 9th place but, anyway, I’m satisfied with the best race of the season, also in terms of feeling. Better late than never! Now I cannot wait until the last race.”

Nicolas Goyon, GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 Team Manager: “Finally we are quite happy with these results here in Malaysia. We improved on our qualifying and turned the GP around so I have to congratulate both riders for their efforts. After the Sprint we identified some issues and we found some room for improvement with Pedro and starting from p13 for another top five – both races in the points - is a great achievement, and he is also up to 5th in the championship. Also congratulations to Augusto. We know it has been a difficult season for him but we saw some spark in the Sprint and Sunday was a personal best this year that will give him some energy and power to close the campaign in the best way possible. Thanks to the mechanics for all their hard work in this heat. We’ll get ready for the final round.”
Another tough weekend for the Trackhouse Racing Team with no contribution to the World Championship score and performance to find ahead of the final round of the Championship. Confirmation for the venue and date of the event is to be formally announced in the next day, or so, following the forced move from Valencia Circuit, after the devastating floods which hit the reason midweek, ahead of this race.


WEEKEND SUMMARY:

The arrival in Sepang heralded a ‘back to beginning’ feeling for Trackhouse Racing, America’s only MotoGP team – the newest squad on the premier class grid, who made their track debut at the pre-season official test at the Malaysian circuit, in February. Back again, eight months on and reaching the end of the team’s first season, the aim for the weekend was to have a strong result and go to the last round of 2024 on a high with 2025 now firmly in the team’s sights.



Trackhouse regular, #25 Raul Fernandez was forced to miss the pre-season test after a heavy crash on the opening day but, knowing the layout at Sepang well, he worked on optimizing the performance of his Aprilia RS-GP24 prototype throughout the weekend. #32 Lorenzo Savadori, Aprilia MotoGP factory test rider, again travelled with the US outfit as replacement for #88 Miguel Oliveira who is still recuperating from his fall in Indonesia, which caused a multiple fracture of right wrist and although good recovery progress is being made, Miguel was not deemed fit enough to travel to Malaysia.



Opening track action on Friday morning – Free Practice 1 – was run in typically hot and humid conditions and for Raul, extreme temperature in the rear tire meant he was forced to work on set-up changes in the afternoon Practice session. Improvements came in the afternoon hour on track and his pace was building, only to be thwarted at the critical last run by yellow flags which consigned him to missing a spot in the top ten and automatic progression to Saturday’s Qualifying 2 session to decide the sharp end of the grid for the afternoon Sprint and Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix.



For Lorenzo, carrying on his duties as principal test rider meant evaluating new parts and set-up options on the #32 RS-GP - as he has been doing since he started on the Trackhouse Aprilia in Japan. He ran solid in FP1 and Practice, gaining valuable information and finding good direction for the 2025 updates.


Saturday saw much of the same pattern emerge in the morning’s opening Free Practice 2 - Raul staying in touch with the top ten and Lorenzo continuing his development role. That session done, both riders went into the first Qualifying period looking to get a top two and entry into Q2. Despite Lorenzo’s efforts to provide Raul with a tow down Sepang’s main straight-away, there was not quite enough pace in the #25 Trackhouse Aprilia, a low 1 minute 58 lap being just shy of the leaders on the session timesheet. That result saw Raul lining up in 15th spot on the 5th row of the grid for the afternoon Sprint and Lorenzo 22nd, on row 8.



Once on the grid, with high heat and humidity continuing, both Raul and Lorenzo opted for Michelin’s soft compound slick front tire and medium rear. Managing tire temperature, while finding grip, would be the first priority for the 10-lap race, especially with the prospect of heavy traffic from the start. Once the lights went out, Raul made a solid start but as the freight-train of bikes streamed over the stripe for the first time, he had slipped by two into 17th and despite holding station there for the first half of the race, he lost another two slots on lap 6, recovering to 18th with 3 to go and there he stayed until the checkers were out. Lorenzo ran a relatively lonely race, gaining a couple of places through attrition but putting miles on the ’25 development program for Aprilia.



Sunday, main race day, saw temperatures hit the highest they had been throughout the race event at over 90 Fahrenheit (34 Celsius). For all the riders, that increased the physical challenge and need for careful preparation to ensure they would make it through the 20-lap Malaysian Grand Prix. Tire management would also be a key factor in race pace towards the end and starting from the lower end of the grid would also mean the potential for traffic through the race.



In the event, both riders got away smoothly at lights out - Raul from 16th place and Lorenzo from 22nd position on the grid - and were fortunate not to get caught up in a multi-bike accident at turn 2 which brought out the red flags to stop the race. A short break allowed for a re-set in the team pit garage and then, after the quick start procedure to get the race, now reduced to 19 laps, underway from the original starting positions. Raul ran though virtually all the race in the mid-pack, maintaining 13th but unable to make any further progress and ultimately, losing 3 spots to finish 16th. Lorenzo ran alone for the most part and graduated to 18th at the checkered flag.

Overall, a frustrating weekend for the Trackhouse Racing Team with no World Championship points to show for the efforts of the riders and their crews. After three long-haul races in Australia, Thailand and this weekend’s Malaysian round, the American team heads to Europe for the final chapter of its rookie season in the MotoGP World Championship season – the date and venue due to be formally announced in the coming days after the Championship organizers were forced to move the event from Valencia circuit following the unprecedented floods that devastated the Spanish region in the middle of last week.

In the meantime, the thoughts of all at Trackhouse are with the people of Valencia who have been affected by this natural disaster.After a fright at the beginning the original Grand Prix of Malaysia Race, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP fans were relieved they could enjoy a good show from Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins during the 19-lap restart. The Sepang International Circuit is not easy to negotiate in 34°C, but the teammates persevered and took sixth and eighth place respectively.

A dramatic original start to the Race, saw Quartararo involved in a nasty race incident with Brad Binder and Jack Miller in the second corner, causing a red flag. Quartararo, though limping a little, was able to walk away from the accident and return to the box in time for the Race restart. The race length was reduced by one lap to 19 laps in total. At 15:20 local time, pit lane opened for a quick restart procedure.

Quartararo resorted to his second bike to take his original eighth place on the grid, with Miller's spot in seventh place staying empty. The number-20 rider slotted into seventh place, safely negotiating the opening corners this time around. But he struggled to stay with the three riders ahead of him fighting for fourth. Pedro Acosta overtook him at the end of lap 3, but with Franco Morbidelli and Marc Marquez crashing on lap 7, El Diablo was soon up to sixth. It became a rather lonely ride for the Frenchman. He rode to the finish line holding sixth place, taking the chequered flag 16.245s behind the race winner.

Rins originally had a superb start before the red flag. He made sure to stay focused for the 19-lap restart. He commenced from the ninth slot on the grid again, but this time his launch wasn't as good, and he was in eighth position after the opening corners. Though Acosta was charging and briefly overtook him, the Yamaha man responded and reclaimed eighth. However, at the end of lap 2, Acosta passed him again, and two laps later also Maverick Viñales slipped through. But with two other rivals crashing on lap 7, the number-42 rider moved back up to eighth. At half race distance, on lap 10, Rins again challenged Viñales but was unsuccessful and then gradually lost time. With a substantial gap to the rider in front and behind him, he pushed on to take eighth place at the finish line, 20.611s from first.

Today's results see Quartararo hold 13th place in the overall standings with 108 points. Rins moves up to joint-18th position with 31 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP move up to 8th place in the team championship with 139 points, and Yamaha hold on to 4th position in the constructor's championship with 119 points.

The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team will be back in action for the season finale, which could potentially be held in Barcelona from 15-17 November, to be confirmed by Dorna in due course.

Maio:


Let's start by stating the obvious: Fabio was extremely unlucky to get caught up in that nasty race incident, but he was extremely lucky to walk away from it. It was a big relief to see him back on his feet again so quickly and to hear that nobody got seriously injured. A restart after a big accident is always difficult for the riders, but it's part of racing. Other challenges in this race were the high temperatures as well as tyre degradation towards the later stages. Fabio and Álex did well to deal with all of this and ride at the limit whilst preserving their tyres. This sixth and eighth place are solid results, so we wrap up the second triple-header in a positive way. We now fly back to Europe. A week off is well deserved for the riders and the team. We will use it to recharge ahead of the season finale.

Quatrafino:

I have no idea what happened during the opening lap accident. I had a big touch with Brad Binder or Jack Miller. Then I was flying, and after that I don't really remember what happened. We were all on the ground, but I don't think it was a mistake. On a slow corner and change of direction, it's really easy to touch. Those things can happen. For the restart, I had to take my second bike, and we didn't have any more tyres, so I started with tyres from yesterday from qualifying that I didn't really like. Unfortunately, I couldn't catch the riders ahead of me. But I think this was a really positive race weekend for us, overall. We have done a great qualifying, great Sprint, and great Race. I think we are heading in the right direction, and hopefully we can make a step at the last round.Marini makes the points in Malaysia

A restarted race in Sepang saw Luca Marini battle through the intense heat and recover to 15th, closing the championship gap to his teammate, Joan Mir, who fell early in the race.

Race day at the Malaysian Grand Prix was a hot affair, hardly a cloud in the sky to block the intense sun which made for an even more demanding 20-lap contest. Action would be halted almost immediately as a multiple rider crash in the opening corners brought out the red flag. Fortunately all involved avoided serious injury.

Running through the quick restart procedure, Luca Marini launched his Repsol Honda Team RC213V off the line for a second time – again gaining positions from the rivals around him. A consistent race followed for the #10 who managed his tyres well and was able to pass the likes of Nakagami and Raul Fernandez as he worked his way up the field into the points. The final laps of the race saw Marini defending against Marc Marquez and Franco Morbidelli, crossing the line in 15th and adding another point to his 2024 tally. But, Marini is hungry for more to be able to properly show his and his team’s efforts from throughout the year.

Joan Mir had made a lightning-fast start to the initially running of the Malaysian GP before the red flag and tried his hardest to emulate it on the second attempt. Able to match the pace of his teammate early on, Mir would ultimately fall victim to a crash at Turn 9. Unharmed, it leaves a disappointed taste in the mouth of the #36 who will once again pick himself up and prepare for the next race.

Now the MotoGP paddock will have a week to rest and recover after the most intense period of the season. One final race awaits for the Repsol Honda Team in what has been a complicated 2024 World Championship season before testing begins almost immediately after.

Luca Marini
15th

“The race was a little bit hot. From the physical side I am happy with my performance. The grip was quite low with the heat so we struggled for some traction during the race. With the quick start procedure everything also got hotter which complicated some things for the second start. During the race, our tyre management was quite good and I was able to make up ground later, especially under braking. We started far back so it’s difficult to catch up. I am not happy with P15, the position doesn’t show all the work that we have done nor the race that I did today. Points are good, but we want more because everyone is working very hard inside Honda.” -- Luca Marini


Joan Mir
DNF :

“I made a really good start with the first go of the race and I was running with the top ten! Unfortunately, I made some contact with Miller, so I was quite worried, it was a relief to see the images of him in pit lane and then I went to his box after and he was typical Jack. This is the most important. During the race I wasn’t able to ride in a good way and I fell, unharmed, but our race was over. It hasn’t happened again, so we need to check and be sure. Like the last few races, I was able to overtake many of the riders but starting in the back complicates things. One more chance to do some more.”ALEX BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT AT SEPANG.

MARC CRASHES OUT OF PODIUM CONTENTION, BUT REMAINS THIRD IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Alex Marquez has finished fourth in today’s race at the Sepang International Circuit, which proves to be one of his favourite tracks on the calendar. This is one of his best results of the season after the podium scored in Sachsenring. It was an excellent performance for the #73, who had a great start on both occasions (the original encounter was red flagged on the opening lap) and showed a great pace, which allowed him to defend his position from a resurging Acosta. The 13 points bagged today are crucial for the championship standings as Alex is now 10th after overtaking Aleix Espargaró.

It would be a top five finish for Alex had it not been for the crash by his brother Marc, who tucked the front at the last turn at halfway distance. The #93 did not give up and managed to re-join the race and from last place, he made his was back to 12th position, to secure four crucial points that keep him ahead of Enea Bastianini for third place overall.

4th - ALEX MARQUEZ #73 (10th in the championship standings 155 points)
“We scored some important points this weekend while finding fresh confidence and the feeling we lacked in recent races. It wasn’t an easy race because we had to stay focused after the red flag, and I wasn’t feeling too well due to a cold, which prevented me from getting a good night sleep. I must thank the team because they were really supportive in my toughest moments, and we need to enjoy this time now that we’re back at our real level.”

12th - MARC MARQUEZ #93 (3rd in the championship standings 369 points)
“We had a very positive weekend, both yesterday and today, on a track that has always been a challenging one for me. There are those days in which you don’t really know why you crashed: I was feeling comfortable today and I knew I could have battled for third-fourth place… But it is what it is, there’s one event left, and we’ll try to finish the season the best possible way.”