2' min
At Sepang, Pecco Bagnaia claimed the top spot on the podium after a thrilling battle with Jorge Martin, extending the title race to the final round in Barcelona. With a 24-point lead over the Ducati rider, Martin still holds a significant advantage, but it will be the race on November 17 that decides the world champion. Enea Bastianini also made it to the podium, while Marc Marquez finished 12th after a fall.
In the Malaysian GP, Bagnaia put on a stellar performance, taking the Championship to its ultimate conclusion. His duel with Martin kept everyone on the edge of their seats: the Spaniard, despite his points lead, chose to fight head-to-head without holding back, but Bagnaia prevailed over time. Martin, although missing the chance to secure the title early, will head to Barcelona with a cushion, with the final weekend’s decisive 37 points still up for grabs. Bastianini, taking advantage of Marquez’s crash, is now just one point behind him in the battle for third place in the standings.
The Sepang race was high tension from the start, with a first-lap collision between Quartararo, Miller, and Binder causing a red flag and a temporary race halt. On the second start, reduced to 19 laps, Bagnaia took the lead, igniting a fierce duel with Martin in the first three laps. The two riders put on a show with relentless overtakes and counters, at one point crossing the starting line just 9 thousandths of a second apart. After this intense phase, Bagnaia pulled ahead, benefitting from a soft-medium tire strategy, while Martin, on dual mediums, attempted a late recovery but couldn’t close the gap with the Italian.
Behind the top duo, Bastianini finished third, followed by Alex Marquez, Pedro Acosta, and a recovering Quartararo after the initial scare. The top 10 was completed by Viñales, Rins, Bezzecchi, and Fernandez. Marc Marquez, after a crash at turn 15 that left him in 12th place, maintains a slim lead over Bastianini in the race for third place, setting up another battle to be decided in Barcelona.
