The key facts

  • Marc Marquez (Ducati) won the Malaysian Grand Prix, his second consecutive win at Sepang after 2018 — his third overall in MotoGP in Malaysia
  • His lead over Jorge Martin is 44 points; the title could be sealed in Qatar
  • Alex Marquez finished third and announced shoulder surgery, missing the race in Qatar

Sepang victory and championship standings

Marc Marquez on Ducati dominated the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday, setting a time of 40:14.236 and finishing 4.172 seconds ahead of Red Bull's Pedro Acosta. His younger brother Alex Marquez took third place, nearly six seconds behind. This was the 33-year-old Spaniard's seventh win of the 2026 season and his third in Malaysia in the MotoGP class — the previous one came at Sepang back in 2018. This is reported by AFP.

The course of the race

Marquez immediately attacked his brother in the first corner, the brothers briefly swapped positions, after which the elder Marquez pulled ahead in the hot conditions and built his advantage up to 1.7 seconds. Acosta, who won Saturday's sprint, took second place from Alex Marquez on lap 10. From there, the leader brought the race home to victory without trouble. Behind the brothers finished Marco Bezzecchi (fourth) and the Japanese rider Ai Ogura (fifth).

The title could be decided in Qatar

Marquez's main rival, Jorge Martin of Aprilia, missed the Sepang weekend due to a wrist fracture. Marquez's lead over his nearest pursuer stands at 44 points, and the championship could be sealed as early as next weekend in Qatar. After Qatar, only two weekends will remain in the season. Marquez himself remained cautious: 'Closer, but not done. The mindset is the same: keep pushing and stay fully focused, because there are few races left but many moments'.

Alex Marquez will miss Qatar

Alex Marquez, who finished third, announced that after the weekend he will undergo surgery on his right shoulder in Madrid, which will keep him out of the race in Qatar. 'It's time to have this surgery and try to come back stronger in Valencia,' he said, referring to the final round of the season. The elder Marquez joked after his victory that he apparently 'picked up Alex's skills in Malaysia,' since he rode the way his brother had ridden a year earlier in the race he won.