MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Alex Marquez of Gresini Racing claimed a commanding victory in the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang Circuit on Sunday, October 26, 2025, at 3:00 PM local time. Relieved of championship pressure after securing second place on Saturday’s sprint, Marquez dominated the 20-lap race, finishing 2.6 seconds ahead. Meanwhile, Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati Team suffered a late-race mechanical failure, ending his podium hopes.
Marquez started strongly, overtaking polesitter Bagnaia early at Turn 1. Despite Pedro Acosta of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing using KTM’s superior launch control to lead into Turn 1, Marquez repassed him at Turn 4. On lap 2, he seized the lead from Bagnaia with a clever inside move at a right-hander, gradually building a gap. Acosta later passed Bagnaia on lap 13 at Turn 4, exploiting the Ducati rider’s struggles with Michelin’s medium front tire, but Marquez had already extended his lead to two seconds. “I focused on maintaining rhythm and seizing opportunities,” Marquez said post-race.
Bagnaia, leading early, was on track for a third-place finish until a mysterious mechanical issue forced him to retire three laps from the end, returning dejectedly to the pits. This elevated Joan Mir of Honda HRC to third after a prolonged battle with Fabio Quartararo of Yamaha Factory Racing. Mir succeeded on lap 10 at Turn 4 after an earlier wide move at Turn 15 on lap 6 allowed Quartararo to regain position.
Quartararo dropped to fifth when Franco Morbidelli of Team VR46 overtook him at the final corner. Fabio di Giannantonio finished sixth on the other VR46 Ducati, while Enea Bastianini of Tech 3 climbed from 19th to seventh in a remarkable recovery.
Luca Marini of Honda took eighth, followed by Brad Binder of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Ai Ogura of Trackhouse Racing Team in tenth. Marco Bezzecchi of Aprilia Racing Team finished 11th, ahead of Johann Zarco of Team LCR.
Three riders retired: Bagnaia, Fermin Aldeguer, and Raul Fernandez. Aldeguer and Fernandez crashed out, with Fernandez falling at Turn 15 while running seventh.
Marquez’s win solidifies his status as a top contender, while Bagnaia’s failure adds drama to the season. Sportrik’s analysis suggests that machine reliability and tire management will be critical in the next race, with expectations of fierce competition until the end.
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