We are watching a master at work. 80 MotoGP victories. A third at the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia. And now, staring down the barrel of a first match point at the Lusail International Circuit next weekend. Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), by a dominant 4.1s, marched to a seventh win of 2026 to take one giant leap towards sticking another plaque on the famous Tower of Champions.
It’s now a healthy 44-point lead the seven-time MotoGP King has over injured rival Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, and a 67-point advantage over the #89’s teammate Marco Bezzecchi after the Italian finished P6 in Malaysia. Joining the reigning World Champion on the Sepang rostrum was second-place Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), the KTM star completing a brilliant weekend at the office, and polesitter Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP).
THE START: MM93 GETS THE HOLESHOT
Nailing the start was your championship leader Marc Marquez, who gobbled up the holeshot ahead of Alex Marquez. Biting back at Turn 4 was the latter, though, but the blue corner in the Marquez scrap ran wide to allow the red corner to keep hold of the lead.
It was a right old fight for P3 on the opening lap between the rapid-starting Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and Acosta, and after a sluggish start, it was the Tissot Sprint winner who climbed back into P3 by the end of the lap. Bezzecchi, meanwhile, was soon fourth after the Italian muscled his way past Ogura at Turn 14 on Lap 2.
ACOSTA SHADOWS THE MARQUEZ’S
A fastest lap of the Grand Prix saw Acosta quickly reel in the Marquez brothers. With tyre wear crucial, the Grand Prix then settled down in the early exchanges as Marc Marquez led Alex Marquez by 0.5s, with Acosta lingering just under fourth tenths away from the Gresini star. Bezzecchi was a further seven tenths adrift in fourth, while Ogura lapped the same distance behind his Aprilia stablemate.
MM93 STRETCHES HIS LEAD AS PA37 POUNCES ON AM73
By Lap 9, Marc Marquez had stretched his advantage to 1.1s. A lap later, it was 1.5s. How much of this was managing the tyres for Alex Marquez? The #73 had Acosta swarming all over his rear Michelin, before the KTM star launched an attack at Turn 9 on Lap 10. And it stuck. Then, Bezzecchi had a nibble at Turn 14. That, however, didn’t pay off for the #72.
Would the margin come down now Acosta was P2? The immediate answer was no. Marc Marquez’s advantage climbed north of two seconds for the first time, with Acosta putting nearly a second between his RC16 and the fight for the final podium spot between Alex Marquez, Bezzecchi, and Ogura.
A CLASS OF HIS OWN
With five laps to go, Marc Marquez led Acosta by 2.9s. Then 3.2s. Then 4.2s. A master at work in Malaysia. Untouchable today, and maybe now, untouchable in the championship chase. A seventh Grand Prix victory of the season. His 80th ever. One giant leap toward an eighth MotoGP title - the first chance: Qatar.
THE PODIUM FINISHERS AND POINT SCORERS
For the second year in a row, Acosta takes home a second place from Malaysia and after his Sprint win, that’s another top weekend for the #37. Polesitter Alex Marquez did hold onto that final podium spot, as Ogura – after forcing his way through on Bezzecchi – collected a double P4, with the gap to Alex Marquez sitting at 0.8s across the line.
Fifth place? Bastianini. A last-lap Turn 14 error from Bezzecchi allowed his compatriot to come through to pinch crucial points away from the Aprilia star, which now leaves Bezzecchi 67 points off Marc Marquez. It isn’t game over. It never is when the maths say it’s possible. But for Bezzecchi and Aprilia, it’s now a monumental mountain to climb if the title is to fall into their hands this season.
Closing out the top 10 positions were Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) in seventh, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in eighth as just 0.066s splits the Italians at the flag, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) in ninth, and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in P10.
The rest of the points in Malaysia went to Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), the Frenchman’s teammate Alex Rins, a disappointed Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3), and Fermin Aldeguer’s BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP stand-in Iker Lecuona.
NEXT: MATCH POINT WEEKEND
As we head to Qatar, Marc Marquez and Ducati know it could be the weekend where the title is wrapped up. Score 30 points more than Martin, and eight points more than Bezzecchi, and the crown is kept. Aprilia simply have to respond, as Martin aims to return fighting from his broken wrist.
See you next time.
MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix results!