Marc Marquez took a decisive step towards the MotoGP world title after winning the Malaysian Grand Prix at the “Sepang“ track. The Ducati factory rider recorded his seventh victory in a main event of the season and now has a mathematical chance to decide the championship at the next round in Qatar.
Marquez led from the start of the 20-lap race and gradually set a pace that his rivals were unable to match. The Spaniard crossed the finish line with a lead of 4.172 seconds over Pedro Acosta. The KTM rider's second place prevented him from recording his first MotoGP double after winning Saturday's sprint.
Alex Marquez finished third, having started from pole position. The Gresini Ducati rider held off Marco Bedzecki, indirectly helping his brother in the title fight. Bedzecki spent several laps directly behind him, but found no opportunity to overtake.
At the end of the race, the Italian also had to defend himself from Ai Ogura. The Japanese rider, who rides for the Aprilia Trackhouse satellite team, attacked and overtook him, with contact between the two. On the last lap, Bedzecki made a mistake and lost another position to Enea Bastianini. The Aprilia factory rider finished sixth, while Bastianini finished fifth.
Marc Marquez started the weekend in Malaysia with a 19-point lead over Jorge Martin, who was out due to injury. After his second place in the sprint and victory in the main race, the leader increased his advantage in the championship and put the title within his reach.
The next round is the Qatar Grand Prix, followed by races in Portugal and Valencia. Marquez can now win his eighth title in the premier class if he maintains the necessary lead after the start at the “Lusail“ track.