Pedro Acosta won the MotoGP Tissot Sprint race Saturday afternoon at Petronas Sepang International Circuit, in Malaysia. Riding his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16 on Michelin control tires, the Spaniard won the 10-lap race by 0.578 second.

Seven-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez was the runner-up on his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26.

Marco Bezzecchi finished third on his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26.

Ai Ogura crossed the finish line fourth on his SuperFile Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP26.

Fabio Di Giannantonio got fifth on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26,

Marc Marquez leads the championship with 374 points, 19 ahead of Jorge Martin who has 355 points. Marco Bezzecchi is third with 322 points.

More, from a press release issued by MotoGP:

Acosta denies Marc Marquez and Bezzecchi in tense Sprint showdown at Sepang. Gold goes to the Shark as wet-dry conditions in Malaysia see the front group get their elbows out – and Ogura just lose out. 

Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is back on top! In a tense dry-wet showdown at the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia, the #37 got his elbows out at the front to fend off a three-strong group and take the spoils with half a second in hand. Championship leader Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) takes second and increases his points lead after duking it out in the group, with key rival Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) locking out the Saturday rostrum.

Early leader Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) crashed out in the flag-to-flag encounter, which saw some riders gamble on a switch but the front group stay the course on dry tyres.

As the lights went out, it was a drag race in the first few metres but Alex Marquez managed to arrive into Turn 1 with some breathing space, taking the lead as instead, Ai Ogura(SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) attacked Marc Marquez and made it stick – sticky as it was around Turns 2 and 3 between the duo. Marc Marquez was shuffled down to third and before the end of Lap 1, front row starter Acosta had also barged his way past the #93. Bezzecchi, meanwhile, tailed his Championship-leading quarry.

Drama was in the air on Lap 2. As the field headed round the final sector, the white flag came out – indicating spots of rain on track and signifying that riders were allowed to pit to change bikes to their second machines – with wet setups.

Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Team) headed in to do just that – but when the Australian arrived at the box the machine wasn’t prepped yet. Much more drama then hit as Alex Marquez, who had been holding a clear lead despite the spits of rain, suddenly slid out at Turn 14 – rider perfectly ok but bike cartwheeling across the gravel. His Sprint was over, and Ogura led.

The #79 had Acosta hot on his heels, with marc Marquez next up behind the duo. The rain was increasing around Turns 4, 5 and 6, but the rest of the track remained pretty dry. With the limited laps of a Sprint – and only six remaining – was it worthwhile to pit?

Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol), Iker Lecuona (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) took the gamble at the end of their Lap 4, as the lead trio continued onto Lap 5. Ogura leading Acosta, gaining metres where it was dry then losing a couple in the damp, with Marc Marquez maintaining a watching brief – and Bezzecchi gaining.

With four to go, that dynamic changed. The gaps between the top three started to seriously close, with Bezzecchi losing some ground in P4. The rain was increasing as the lap count went down. But then the switch was flicked as Acosta struck for the lead.

Ogura hit back but the #37 had the answer, taking over in front as Marquez sliced past Ogura for second. The shuffle bought Bez some metres – and it wasn’t over. Ogura shot down the inside of Marquez at Turn 4, but the #93 attacked again at five, slicing cleanly but brutally up the inside. This time it was job done.

Bezzecchi needed no second invite to make his own gains. The #72 was next past the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP machine at Turn 9 and made it stick, taking over in third. But the conditions remained stable enough, the switch hadn’t paid off for those on wets, and the drama had had its day – for today. Acosta crossed the line for his second Tissot Sprint win just over half a second clear, with the two key title rivals remaining in the weekend forced to follow him home.

Marc Marquez takes second to increase his lead to 19 points over the absent Jorge Martin(Aprilia Racing), with Bezzecchi’s P3 seeing his deficit to the top increase to 52 points.

Ogura was forced to settle for fourth after getting his elbows out, impressing if not taking that rostrum finish, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in P5 a little further back. There was a similar gap back to Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), ahead of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) who was hot on the #63’s heels. Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) was next up with just a tenth in hand over Enea Bastianini(Red Bull KTM Tech3), who completed the Sprint points.

That’s a wrap on a dramatic Saturday showdown. Acosta returns to the top step, Marc Marquez makes some gains, Bezzecchi stays in contention – and Alex Marquez gears up to try and get some Sunday revenge. Join us for more in the Grand Prix race at the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia!

MotoGP Malaysian GP Tissot Sprint results!

Maximo Quiles earned pole position during Moto3 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Petronas Sepang International Circuit, in Malaysia. Riding his CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team KTM on Pirelli control tires, the Spaniard topped the 25-rider field with a lap time of 2:10.396. 

Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Brian Uriarte was the best of the rest with a 2:10.480, and home hero Hakim Danish claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 2:10.529 on his AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI KTM.

Row-two qualifiers included IntactGP’s David Almansa (2:10.571), Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Carpe (2:10.604) and LEVEL UP – MTA’s Matteo Bertelle (2:10.844).

More, from a press release issued by MotoGP:

Quiles grabs pole at Sepang while Danish takes Malaysia’s first front row since 2012 in P3. The reigning Champion takes P1 at Sepang as Uriarte and Danish compete the front row.

Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) remains the rider to beat in Moto3 as he secured pole on a sweltering Saturday afternoon at the Malaysian Grand Prix, edging out Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Hakim Danish (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) for the top spot. Danish takes the front row on home turf, however, becoming the first Malaysian rider to do so since 2012.

Q1

Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) led Q1 early with a 2’11.614s lap before a 2’11.4s from Adrian Cruces (CIP Green Power) rang in early to send the Italian to P2. Replacement rider Leo Rammerstorfer (SIC58 Squadra Corse) was on the receiving end of contact from Kiattisak Singhapong (Rivacold Snipers Team), earning a warning from the FIM MotoGP Stewards for the incident.

Farther up the order, Pini didn’t improve his time in the session, but as it turned out, he didn’t need to. Ryusei Yamanaka (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) took a spot in Q2 with the third fastest lap, just five hundredths behind the Italian’s time. Snagging the final ticket into Q2, Marco Morelli (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) set a very late 2’11.708s, punching in just ahead of a pack of riders, including Valentin Perrone, who mistimed their final stint and didn’t cross the lap in time to set a final lap.

Q2

Riders began throwing darts at pole position straight out the gate in Q2. Looking for his seventh top ten in a row, Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL UP – MTA) continued his shining form in qualifying sessions to sit pole early.

Moments later, Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took P1 from Bertelle, before the #83’s countryman David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) further raised the bar to 2’10.571s for first position on his third lap.

As the session ticked down to below two minutes, riders began their final stint, led by a three-rider convoy with 2026 World Champion Quiles, who set his eventual pole-winning time of 2’10.396 with his fifth lap. Pole position arrives as his first qualifying-leading time since Assen back in June.

Chasing the Champion across the line, Uriarte took P2, benefitting from the slipstream of both home hero Danish and the #28 ahead of them. Danish is forced to settled for third but it’s an impressive front row start on home turf, his country’s first since Zulfahmi Khairuddin back in 2012.

Despite earning P2 with his fifth lap, Uriarte crashed at Turn 2 on the subsequent lap, moments before Almansa saw his session ended similarly early as he ran wide at Turn 4 on his final run. His prior 2’10.571s time held, however, for P4 to lead row 2. Carpe will set off behind him, his time just three hundredths slower than the seven-time 2926 pole sitter, with Bertelle to close row two tenths farther back.

Australian Joel Kelso (GRYD Racing) clinched P7 just a hundredth behind the Italian, while Indonesian rider Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) will start eighth due to a 2’10.861s time only six thousandths behind the #66.

Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) and David Munoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) closed out the top ten with the best pair of times in the session within the 2’11s range. Fernandez led the pair of Spaniards home on Saturday with just three hundredths separating Muñoz from the #31.

See the full Moto3 Quali results

Alex Marquez claimed pole position during MotoGP qualifying Saturday at Petronas Sepang International Circuit, in Malaysia. Riding his BK8 Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP26 on the 3.44-mile (5.54 km) track, Marquez turned a 1:56.493 to top the 20-rider field.

Marc Marquez was the best of the rest with a 1:56.563 on his Ducati Lenovo Team Desmosedici GP26, and Pedro Acosta claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:56.577 on his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16.

Row-two qualifiers included SuperFile Trackhouse’s Ai Ogura (1:56.617), Aprilia Racing’s Marco Bezzecchi (1:56.668) and Pertamina Enduro VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio (1:56.842).

More, from a press release issued by MotoGP:

Alex Marquez snatches Sepang pole from Marc Marquez by 0.070s. Acosta joins the Ducati duo on the front row in Malaysia as Bezzecchi gears up for a second-row start in the absence of teammate Martin.

Better late than never, hey Alex? It’s the younger Marquez brother who will start from pole position at the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia after Alex Marquez (Bk8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) lands a glorious 1:56.493 to snatch Saturday morning P1 honours away from World Championship leader Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team). The gap between the top two in a blistering Q2 was a mere 0.070s, while only a further 0.014s in arrears is third-place Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).

It wasn’t the morning Aprilia Racing were searching for in Malaysia, though. The headline news is that heroic Jorge Martin has withdrawn from the remainder of the weekend, with title-chasing Marco Bezzecchi fifth on the grid at the Sepang International Circuit. 

Q1: Martin withdraws, Zarco & Pecco progress

Ahead of qualifying getting underway in Sepang, the breaking news was Martin’s withdrawal. A week after fracturing his wrist in the Phillip Island Sprint, the rider second in the championship chase, after displaying an unreal dose of grit, determination and bravery to give it a go in Malaysia, sadly couldn’t continue for the remainder of the weekend. A herculean effort to be out there, but the discomfort was simply too much for the 2024 World Champion. 

On track, Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) occupied the top two promotion spots in Q1 heading into the closing minutes. Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) wasn’t far away from knocking his compatriot out, 0.071s the gap splitting the Italians, but Zarco and Pecco did enough to gain entry to the pole position scrap in Sepang.

Q2: 0.175s covers top five as Alex Marquez leaves it late

Kicking off the second part of qualifying fastest was Alex Marquez as the first pair of 1:56 lap times were dropped by last year’s Malaysia GP winner and the reigning World Champion, Marc Marquez. A 1:56.697 was Alex’s mighty opening attempt, one that was 0.267s better than the #93’s effort. 

A pair of KTMs were an early P3 and P4 in the form of Acosta and Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3), with Aprilia Racing’s remaining on-track star this weekend, Marco Bezzecchi, provisionally P5 on the starting grid.

Pecco’s first flyer saw last year’s Sepang polesitter go P6 before a mistake at Turn 1 saw the Italian break his screen in frustration, but there was anything but frustration in the Aprilia ranks as Bezzecchi, and then Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team), exchanged lap times good enough for pole. 

Not for long though. Cue the jaws music. The championship leader was setting red sector times and despite getting a little out of shape into Turn 14, Marc Marquez jumped back ahead of the Aprilia duo to go P1. And right behind his 2027 teammate was Acosta, who climbed to P2.

However, Alex Marquez wasn’t done. And sure enough, the younger Marquez denied his brother to snatch a late Malaysian GP pole position by just 0.070s. That was all she wrote, meaning a first Saturday morning P1 was pocketed for the first time since the 2025 Catalan GP. 

YOUR MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX GRID

What a bumper front row that is. Marquez leads Marquez, blue leads red, Alex leads Marc, with Acosta only 0.084s away from pole position on the outside of the front row.

Ogura fronts the second row ahead of Bezzecchi, who in the end settles for P5 ahead of a monumental weekend in the championship chase. Can Bez chip away at the 50-point deficit to Marc Marquez, with teammate Martin sidelined? We’ll find out soon enough.

Completing the second row in P6 is Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), while Bastianini spearheads Row 3 in P7. Zarco and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) join ‘The Beast’ in P8 and P9 respectively, as Pecco is forced to start from P10 after navigating through Q1. The returning Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) will launch from P11 at the venue where he picked up his latest podium in 2025, while Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) goes from P12 as he continues to battle through the shoulder pain barrier. 

STRAP IN: IT’S SPRINT TIME IN SEPANG

Opportunity knocks for Ducati and Marc Marquez in the absence of Martin, as Bezzecchi and Aprilia hunt big points – beginning with the Tissot Sprint at 15:00 local time (UTC +8). 

MotoGP Malaysian GP qualifying results!