Sepang: hot fight and an important win
Alex Marquez won the Grand Prix of Malaysia in Sepang, giving Gresini the independent team title. On the tough tarmac with lap times and temperatures that caused heavy tyre wear, Marquez kept his cool and rode a smart race from the start. Fermin Aldeguer did not reach the finish after a heavy crash, but still finishes the season in the top ten of the championship.
Podium and standout performances
Joan Mir climbed to the podium for Honda HRC Castrol. Mir slid through the field in the second half of the race and eventually grabbed P3, a reward for the team's hard work and a clear step forward for Honda. Luca Marini fought his way back to P8 after an early mistake, while Fabio Quartararo rode solidly for Monster Energy Yamaha and crossed the line in fifth. Alex Rins mainly tried to save the tyres and finished on P13.
- Winner: Alex Marquez (Gresini) - independent team title for Gresini
- Joan Mir (Honda) on the podium after strong overtaking moves
- Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) forced out by a flat rear tyre
- Enea Bastianini stormed from P19 to P7; Pol Espargaro crashed early
Ducati Lenovo suffered a blow when Francesco Bagnaia had to go to the pits with three laps to go and could not finish the race due to a rear tyre puncture. The outcome does not change the fact that Ducati has already won important titles this year, but it was a sour way to end a strong race.
Teams, rookies and testing
Red Bull KTM Tech3 had reason for optimism thanks to Enea Bastianini, who made up several places and finished seventh. Pol Espargaro showed initial speed but crashed on lap five. Aprilia found it difficult in Sepang; Marco Bezzecchi did not go beyond P11 and Lorenzo Savadori stayed just outside the points.
Yamaha Factory Racing used the race to collect additional data with the V4-powered prototype. Wild-card Augusto Fernández rode out all 20 laps and finished on P18. At Prima Pramac Yamaha, the weekend was disappointing with Jack Miller grabbing two points with P14 and Miguel Oliveira recovering after a crash to finish P19.
Results and outlook
The battle of attrition in Sepang was also a test of tyre management and cooling. Many riders had to temper the pace to reach the finish line. With two Grands Prix to go, the circus moves back to Europe; the battle continues in a fortnight' time in Portimão at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve.
“Today I changed my approach at the start and that made the difference; we became the best independent team from the top of the podium.”
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