Home Blog Page 74

MotoGP: More From Sunday At Sepang

More from a press release issued by BK8 Gresini Team: 

Alex Marquez delivers to Gresini the independent team tittle with a win in Sepang.

 

Raceday – MalaysianGP

  • 1st – ALEX MARQUEZ #73 
  • NC – FERMIN ALDEGUER #54

 

World Championship Standings

  • 2nd – ALEX MARQUEZ #73 (413 points)
    Runner Up MotoGP 2025
  • 8th – FERMIN ALDEGUER #54 (186 points)
    Rookie of the Year 2025

 

Alex Marquez on the podium after his victory at Sepang. Photo courtesy Gresini Team

 

Alex Marquez: “Today I changed my approach at the start of the race, as yesterday I got it wrong, as I attaked and did what I aimed to do. We had a great race and achieved the goal of becoming the best independent team from the top of the podium; now we’ll enjoy these last two races.”

 

Fermin Aldeguer (54) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Gresini Team

 

Fermin Aldeguer: It wasn’t the best way to wrap up a weekend where we were really strong and where we felt very competitive. We achieved a goal and in today’s race we learned a lot. I hit hard during the crash, but we’re going back home to recuperate.”

 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Honda HRC Castrol: 

Mir masters Malaysian GP for second Honda podium.

Finishing what he started on Saturday, Joan Mir sealed his second podium finish of the flyaway races in fine fashion as he charged through the field. Luca Marini bounced back to secure another top ten finish and gain vital championship points.

Repeating his start to Saturday’s Sprint race, Joan Mir immediately moved himself into contention as he latched onto the back of Fabio Quartararo and spent several laps working to get past the French rider. As the race entered its second half, Mir’s superior pace saw him breeze past and break away to a comfortable fourth. Rapidly closing in on a fading Francesco Bagnaia, Mir had the pace to catch and pass the Ducati rider as he matched the podium trio’s speed, but a technical problem would promote Mir onto the podium.

Third at the line, an emotional Mir entered Parc Fermé for the second time in 2025 as his and Honda HRC’s effort were once again rewarded. The result moves the #36 to 93 points, more than doubling his total points haul from his previous two seasons with Honda. Two races offer two more chances of further success for the double World Champion.

Close to his teammate off the line, Luca Marini made another fantastic start to the Malaysian GP. Unfortunately, a small mistake dropped him back into the chasing group and he became entangled in an almost race long battle with Johann Zarco. Eventually getting the better of him, Marini would easily escape up the road with clean air to end the race in eighth and in turn securing a good haul of points after his first crash of the year. Besting Zarco once more, just six points now split the pair in their battle for top Honda honours.

A week of rest and recovery now awaits before the final pair of back-to-back races rounds out an incredible 2025 MotoGP World Championship. The Portuguese Grand Prix will take place on November 07 – 09 at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve.

 

Joan Mir on the podium at Sepang. Photo courtesy Honda HRC

 

Joan Mir: “It was a great race but one of the toughest of my life, the temperature, managing the tyres, controlling the bike – you had to be perfect everywhere and we managed to do it. I am so happy to end these races like this, to show what we could really do after yesterday. We took the maximum out of our package, and this shows the great work that we have done as a team. When you are confident you can do this. I realised that today we could do something, and I just went for it, right on that narrow line between being fast and crashing. I was very careful at Turn 9 today! The progress Honda has made in 12 months is fantastic, I knew what was possible with this project and that’s why I signed for another two years. Thank you to my team and all of Honda’s engineers.”

 

Luca Marini at Sepang. Photo courtesy Honda HRC

 

Luca Marini: “A good end to the weekend where again I think we had a lot of pace. The bike is continuing to improve and the top five is always there. I made a really good start and I was up with Mir and Zarco but I made a mistake and dropped back. After that I was in a big group fighting with many riders and it took a lot of laps to pass Zarco. With the medium front I was able to brake really hard but we were missing something in the turning. Maximising our results in Qualifying is the area that we need to improve, both with myself and the bike. Congratulations to Mir on another good podium.”

 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha: 

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Duo Take P5 and P13 in Sepang Race. 

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins pushed in sweltering conditions in today’s Grand Prix of Malaysia Race and both scored points. The duo completed the 20-lap contest in the tropical heat in 5th and 13th place respectively.

 

 

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins had to strike a balance between pushing and tyre management in the 20-lap Grand Prix of Malaysia Race. They negotiated the Sepang International Circuit in 35°C, engaged in various battles, and ultimately took 5th and 13th place respectively.

Quartararo started from P4 and skilfully defended his position from Fermín Aldeguer on the opening lap. As a gap started to form to the top 3, the Frenchman focused solely on keeping chasing rivals at bay. On lap 6, Joan Mir launched an attack but ran wide. El Diablo anticipated as much and cut back on the inside, reclaiming fourth. A second attempt came on lap 10. This time El Diablo had a small moment and thus had to concede fourth place. Franco Morbidelli roughly pushed past Quartararo on lap 11. The number-20 couldn’t respond as he had started to experience rear tyre drop. But it wasn’t long before Quartararo was back in fifth when Francesco Bagnaia, after experiencing a problem, retired from the race with three laps to go. With sizable gaps to fourth and sixth over the final two laps, the Yamaha man took the chequered flag in P5, 11.556s from first.

Rins commenced from P10 and, after an opening battle with Brad Binder, wrapped up the first lap in 12th place. The Spaniard was keen to preserve his tyres. On lap 5, Pol Espargaró crashed out, but Rins was overtaken by three rivals and circulating in 16th place by lap 9. For the remainder of the race, the number-42 kept trying to find a balance between pushing and nursing his tyres. With Raúl Fernández and Aldeguer crashing out on lap 12 and 17 respectively and Bagnaia suffering an issue on lap 18, Rins moved up to 13th again. Riding a lonely race at that time, he held the position to the finish line, crossing it 23.509s from first.

After today’s results, Quartararo stays in 9th place in the overall standings with 182 points, and Rins holds 19th position with 63 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are 6th in the team championship with 245 points, and Yamaha remain in 5th position in the constructor championship with 221 points.

MotoGP will be back in action next in two weeks’ time for the Grand Prix of Portugal, held at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve from 7-9 November.

 

MASSIMO MEREGALLI – Team Director, Monster Energy Yamaha

“Let’s start by giving credit to Fabio, who did extremely well again. He gave it his all in the opening stages once more and then really took care of the soft tyres whilst still riding defensively. Ultimately, this allowed him to take another positive fifth place, which is especially a good result considering the challenging Friday. Álex also had to find a balance between riding at the limit and managing the tyres, but in the mid-pack in these high temperatures this is quite complicated. In the end, he crossed the line in 13th place. We now fly back to Europe. A week off is well deserved for the riders and the team before we start the final two rounds of the season.”

 

Fabio Quartararo (20) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha

 

Fabio Quartararo: “It was quite a good race. Every time we start before Moto2, I can be aggressive on the first laps, and today I could push. But, like everyone, I had to save the tyres and try to avoid going over the limit. It’s tricky on the softs, but I think we did a great job. I tried to keep the pace. With Joan, I was riding defensively. I tried to close everything and be as fast as possible. At one moment, Franky overtook me quite aggressively in the last corner – it’s racing, so it’s normal – but after that I had to slow down. Finishing 5th-7th was the goal for today, so I’m quite happy.”

 

Alex Rins (42) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha

 

Alex Rins: “We have been struggling since FP1 this weekend, and it looks like when grip levels are low and temperatures are high, it affects us more than the others. So, we were expecting a really tough Race. In the beginning, I could have gone faster than I did. The problem was that I was thinking about the end of the Race. Maybe this smooth riding on the first seven laps, losing positions, allowed me to stay in P13 in the last laps. So, it was a tough weekend, but we need to keep going.”

 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3: 

And the overseas tour is a wrap for 2025, as the Grand Prix of Malaysian was our final stop in Asia before the championship heads back to Europe for the two final rounds of the season in Portugal and Valencia. Enea Bastianini delivered another stunning performance in the main race, as he fought his way to the 7th position after starting from P19, another stunning remontada from the Italian. Unfortunately, Pol Espargaro will leave Sepang with a bittersweet feeling, after the Spaniard crashed in lap 5 despite showing solid early pace.

Some of the toughest race conditions of the calendar awaited the MotoGP™ grid with 35° in the air and 55° on the ground, as lights were out at 3pm local time for 20 laps. It was not the ideal start for Pol Espargaro who dropped two positions within the first corners, and he sat in 14th after one lap of racing, but he charged through Alex Rins ahead in the next lap to go up to 13th, right behind teammate Brad Binder who had taken a solid launch from 18th. The number 44 had set himself into a solid early pace, with lap 2 already in 1’59.970, as he could close the gap on Binder. On his side, Enea Bastianini had gained 3 positions within the first two laps to 16th, and lap 3 was all about the battle for 15th against Jack Miller, a battle he eventually won to settle in the point-scoring positions after 3 laps. Meanwhile, the front trio of Alex Marquez, Francesco Bagnaia and Pedro Acosta was producing amazing battles for the lead. Unfortunately, while waiting for his moment to overtake Binder, Espargaro crashed at lap 5 from 12th, a great shame for the Spaniard who had much more today. Sooo, Red Bull KTM Tech3’s hopes were now all on Enea Bastianini, who was producing an encouraging pace with a 2’00.106 on lap 4. Espargaro crashing out meant P14 after 5 laps for the ‘Bestia’, and next he was through Alex Rins to 13th, behind Marco Bezzecchi. At the front, Alex Marquez had come out on top with a 0.8 seconds gap on Bagnaia-Acosta, with next in 4th Fabio Quartararo 1.6 seconds behind. Halfway through the race, Bastianini was still in 13th, but with the gap now completely closed on Bezzecchi, and his better rhythm saw him eventually go through the Aprilia on lap 12. Binder was the next target, and we were up to 11th now. Luca Marini and Johann Zarco were the next victims of Enea’s remontada, as Enea was now up to 9th with just 4 laps remaining. Fermin Aldeguer’s late crash and Francesco Bagnaia’s technical issue meant two more positions were gained, as we saw Enea Bastianini crossed the finish line in 7th! It is another amazing race performance from Bastianini, as he wraps up a tricky weekend in Malaysia on a sweet note.

Coming up next, the Grand Prix of Portugal, on November 7-8-9!

 

Enea Bastianini (23) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Tech3.

 

Enea Bastianini:My life is complicated! Starting on Friday, I was nervous because I had no confidence with the bike. On Saturday, we resolved some problems in the sprint, and we arrived on Sunday prepared, ready to fight for the top 10. Starting from far is tough, I gave it my all, but it is difficult to recover positions on that track, as the front tire is getting hotter and hotter, but anyway, I am happy with the job done today. We are still missing a bit of consistency, especially on time attacks, because every time we put on new tires, all KTM riders improve, and not me, so it is something that we need to understand, and I’m sure we can get better. Last year, I had the same issue, and we resolved it, so I am confident that we will find a way to solve it too with the KTM.”

 

Pol Espargaro (44) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Tech3.

 

Pol Espargaro:It is painful to crash so early in the race, of course, so there is not much to say. However, we need to take the positives, because I think that we had in our hands another top 10. Our speed was decent in the first laps, but it is racing, and a small mistake can change your Sunday. I think that everyone at KTM did a decent job at trying to keep the tires alive, we were working a lot yesterday to prepare for the main race. When I was behind Brad (Binder), I think that I was chilling a little bit too much, as I did not want to make a mistake, so maybe I waited a little bit too long, and I was probably not in the right position in the turn I crashed. It is a pity that I could not finish, but I am really happy that we have 3 KTMs in the top 10 today!”

 

Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager:It was a good Sunday for Enea Bastianini in Sepang, as he gained 12 positions in the race to finish in P7, which is a great performance. However, it gives us the same bittersweet feeling as usual, because he would probably have been fighting for the top 5 if he had qualified better. When you see the final position of Pedro Acosta, you really believe it would have been possible. We still have two races left to try improving our main weakness, so let’s work towards that goal, we will give it our all until the end. Pol Espargaro had a really positive weekend once again, qualified directly in Q2, and a finish close to the top 10 in the sprint. Unfortunately, he had a small crash while fighting for the top 10 positions today. Anyway, he delivered another great weekend for us, he has shown that our package can be competitive, and we want to thank him again for these two rounds in Australia and Malaysia. It is time to pack, and head back to Europe to finish the season, but before that, we will all have a well deserved week of rest! See you all in Portugal!”

 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing: 

Challenging race for Aprilia Racing at Sepang.

The full-distance race at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit proved challenging for Aprilia Racing. Starting back in 14th, Marco Bezzecchi struggled to make up ground in a difficult race. He had to settle for eleventh, but the points were enough to keep him third in the Riders’ standings on 291 points.

Lorenzo Savadori continued his vital development work on the RS-GP25 throughout the race, finishing sixteenth, just outside the points zone.

Rookie Ai Ogura from the Trackhouse MotoGP Team also delivered a strong performance, finishing tenth and helping to bring two Aprilia RS-GP25s into the points.

 

Marco Bezzecchi (72) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Aprilia Racing

 

Marco Bezzecchi:It certainly wasn’t a good day, beginning this morning with the terrible Moto3 accident involving Rueda and Dettwiler. As for my performance, sadly, I struggled. It was quite a tough race, and I couldn’t really overtake anyone. I couldn’t have done any better today, and I’m disappointed, but at least we scored a few points. Now we’ll work even harder for the last two races of the season.” 

 

Lorenzo Savadori (32) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Aprilia Racing

 

Lorenzo Savadori:It’s a pity because I lost some time at the start, battling with Chantra – my pace early on was good enough to stay with the group. Then, running in the slipstream, the temperatures rose and the tyre started to drop off. We’ll keep trying new things, and we already have some ideas we’ll test at Jerez in two days during private testing.”

 

Massimo Rivola – CEO Aprilia Racing: “It was a tough weekend; we knew we were heading to a track that doesn’t particularly suit us. Unfortunately, as has happened before this season with the RS-GP25 —much more competitive than previous bikes— the performance came a bit too late, and missing direct access to Q2 put us on the back foot. The sprint was excellent, with Marco always strong in overtaking, while in the race the choice of the front tyre affected his performance, but that’s easy to say now. We now look ahead to the final two GP’s with our goals clearly in mind and the determination to give our best straight away in Portimão.”

 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by CASTROL Honda LCR:

CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco finishes 12th at the Sepang International Circuit.

  • From 9th on the grid, and after feeling some improvements during Saturday’s Sprint, Johann Zarco was determined to push again for a good result in Sunday’s race.
  • The French rider made a strong start and was fighting for the top seven positions in the early stages.
  • However, in the closing laps, extreme tyre consumption caused by the high temperatures prevented him from maintaining the pace of the top 10. Zarco eventually crossed the line in 12th place, securing valuable championship points.
  • Despite the tough conditions, Zarco showed solid progress throughout the weekend, regaining confidence and demonstrating positive signs as the team heads into the final races of the season.
 
Johann Zarco (5) at Sepang. Photo courtesy honda LCR.
 
Johann Zarco: “I was happy with the start of the race and the first laps. I was in a good position and could control my pace for a while, which I wanted to maintain for the whole race, as I wasn’t that far from the group ahead. However, as the laps went by, it became more difficult; I couldn’t manage the tyre drop, and that’s when other riders overtook me. I tried to finish the race as well as possible, and overall, after many struggles, we had a solid weekend. We need to keep making progress.”

 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha: 

Tough Malaysian GP for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP: Miller 14th, Oliveira 19th.

It was a bitter Malaysian GP for the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP team, which wrapped up the 20th round of the Championship with Jack Miller finishing 14th, while Miguel Oliveira, after remounting following a crash on lap 10, crossed the line in 19th place. The next stop will be in two weeks‘ time at the Portuguese GP in Portimão.

 

A difficult Sunday closed out an already complicated weekend for the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP team. At the Sepang International Circuit, the team managed to bring home just a handful of points, two from Jack Miller, who completed the 20-lap race in 14th position. A crash on lap 10 ended Miguel Oliveira‘s hopes early, though the Portuguese rider was able to rejoin the race and finish 19th.

With the two points earned today, Miller‘s season total rises to 68, putting him 18th in the overall standings. Oliveira remains at 36 points in 20th place, while the Prima Pramac Yamaha team sits 11th in the Teams‘ Championship with 107 points.

With the 20th round behind them — closing out the four-race non-European stretch — Prima Pramac Yamaha will return to the track in two weeks‘ time in Portimão, Portugal, for the 21st and penultimate round of the 2025 World Championship.

 

GINO BORSOITeam Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP

“It was a complicated weekend. The race was very difficult, especially for Miller, who couldn‘t find enough grip to perform well on corner exits, and on the straights, as always when you‘re in a group, we were missing a bit of top speed. In the end, he ran a race that was in line with the targets we had set. As for Oliveira, it‘s a shame. We were struggling from the start of the weekend, and although we managed to improve a few things, recovering from the back is never easy. Now we head to Portimão, and I hope his home race gives him the boost he needs to achieve a good result, because he really deserves it.”

 

Jack Miller (43) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Yamaha

 

Jack Miller: I tried to manage the tires as best as I could, being very gentle at the beginning of the race to make sure I could get to the end and hopefully have something left in my pocket. But I had the same issues as the guys around me. Rins was in the same boat as me, nursing most of the race, even though it seemed like he had a little bit more on the corner exits. In the end, I focused on bringing it home rather than ending up in the gravel. I hope we can be more competitive in Portimão.”

 

Miguel Oliveira (88) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Yamaha

 

Miguel Oliveira: “The same thing as Saturday happened — a small front-end crash with no warning. I thought that today, with the medium front tire, things would be better, but it was hard to manage the grip. I was riding comfortably despite the difficulties we were facing, but there wasn‘t much we could do. The ambitions could have been higher, but today the best we could have managed was to finish alongside the two other Yamahas.”

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo Team:

Francesco Bagnaia and the Ducati Lenovo Team forced to retire at Sepang due to an unexpected setback while battling for the podium. Michele Pirro finishes seventeenth.

The Ducati Lenovo Team wrapped up the twentieth Grand Prix of the 2025 MotoGP season at the Sepang International Circuit. Francesco Bagnaia was forced to retire with three laps to go while running in third place, and Michele Pirro finished seventeenth.

Bagnaia lost the lead on lap two but kept Alex Márquez in close range for more than half the race distance. After defending second place well from Pedro Acosta’s attacks, he dropped to third and began to lose ground. With three laps remaining, Pecco returned to the pits and retired due to a flat rear tyre. Michele Pirro completed the weekend with a seventeenth-place finish.

As the twentieth Grand Prix draws to a close, with Marc Márquez already crowned World Champion, Francesco Bagnaia sits fourth in the standings, five points behind third place. The Triple Crown is completed by the Teams’ title secured by the Ducati Lenovo Team and the Constructors’ title clinched by Ducati.

The Ducati Lenovo Team will return to Europe to tackle the penultimate event of the season at Portimão’s Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, from November 7th to 9th.

 

Francesco Bagnaia (63) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Ducati

 

Francesco Bagnaia: “First of all, my thoughts go to Rueda and Dettwiler for what happened to them in the Moto3 race, and I keep my fingers crossed for them. When such things happen, everything else becomes less important. Today we were unlucky, as we had a flat rear tyre. This happened on lap twelve and then, little by little, the pressure kept dropping. I thought I had managed the tyre wear the wrong way, but after analysing the data, the issue was clearly there. Unfortunately, these things can happen. Overall though, it was a positive weekend despite how it ended.”

 

Michele Pirro (51) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Ducati

 

Michele Pirro: “We completed this hot weekend at Sepang with good feedback. In the race, while I was tailing another rider, I could feel changes in the bike’s behaviour – something I had never experienced before, as during testing I always ride on my own. The lap times improved as the race progressed, and I further narrowed the gap to the frontrunners. We tried new parts for next year and tested several set-up adjustments, working ahead of time for the future.”

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by IDEMITSU Honda LCR: 

IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Somkiat Chantra finished 15th in Sunday’s race at the Sepang International Circuit.

  • Facing once again a comeback race and determined to fight for his goals, Chantra made a solid start from 20th on the grid.
  • The extreme heat and tyre consumption were the main challenges to manage, but Somkiat rode consistently and avoided mistakes throughout the 20 laps.
  • In the end, he crossed the line in 15th position, scoring points once again and demonstrating resilience and hard work.

 

Somkiat Chantra (35) at Sepang. Photo courtesy IDEMITSU Honda LCR
 
Somkiat Chantra: “I’m happy to get the points again. It wasn’t a bad race, but I struggled with tyre consumption; it was demanding. I had difficulties managing both the front and the rear tyres until the end, so I focused on avoiding mistakes and secured 15th place. In the end, it was a good result!”

 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Yamaha Factory Racing: 

Yamaha V4-Powered Prototype Successfully Completes Second Full-Length MotoGP Race.

The Yamaha Factory Racing Team used the Grand Prix of Malaysia Sunday to collect more valuable dry-track data at the Sepang International Circuit. Wild-card entry Augusto Fernández stuck to his plan of using the 20-lap MotoGP Race to push the V4-Powered Prototype in a full-length MotoGP Race setting and rode it to an 18th place across the finish line.

The Yamaha Factory Racing Team completed their testing programme in today’s MotoGP Race at the Grand Prix of Malaysia. Wild-card entry Augusto Fernández wrapped up the 20-lap contest in 18th place in the Yamaha V4-Powered Prototype’s second full-length MotoGP Race.

Augusto Fernández started from P23 and gained a position early on by overtaking Michele Pirro. The Yamaha test rider had made his plans clear for the Sunday: he was determined to complete all 20 laps and gather dry-track data while pushing in the race. Though he wasn’t able to stay with a rider group, he put his head down. With a competitor taking a fall on lap 5, the number-7 rode steadily in 21st position. Two more riders crashing out and Miguel Oliveira dropping to the back of the pack had Augusto Fernández climb as high as 19th before he started to battle with a charging Pirro with 7 laps to go. Augusto Fernández was pushed down to 20th, but as another two riders failed to make it to the chequered flag, he ultimately crossed the finish line in 18th place, 47.060s from first.

After today’s results, Augusto Fernández still holds joint-24th place in the championship standings with 8 points, and Yamaha is in 5th position in the constructor championship with 221 points.

Augusto Fernandez (7) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Yamaha Factory Racing

 

Augusto Fernandez: “It was a busy weekend, and we have settled on a clear direction to take for the next test and wild-card race weekend in Valencia to improve further. We have been working on the balance of the bike, and we need to keep working on it and set a base. The process will take a bit of time, so we need to keep working hard.”

Moto2: World Championship Race Results From Malaysia

Jake Dixon won the shortened FIM Moto2 World Championship race Sunday at Petronas Sepang International Circuit, in Malaysia. Riding his ELF Marc VDS Racing Boscoscuro on Pirelli control tires, the Brit won the 11-lap race by 2.035-seconds.

David Alonso was the runner-up on his CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team Kalex.

Barry Baltus was third on his Fantic Racing Kalex.

Alonso’s teammate, Daniel Holgado finished fourth.

Diogo Moreira took fifth on his Italtrans Racing Team Kalex.

American Joe Roberts crashed his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.

Diogo Moreira leads the championship with 256 points, 9 ahead of Manuel Gonzalez who has 247 points. Barry Baltus is third with 221 points.

 

Classification moto2 race

 

worldstanding moto2

 

More from a press release issued by Dorna: 

Dixon victorious as Moreira takes over in title race after Gonzalez crashes. The biggest title twist of 2025 as Gonzalez crashes, Moreira leads the way and Dixon wins to remain in contention. 

A dramatic Moto2™ encounter saw Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) claim Moto2™ honours at Sepang in a red-flagged Grand Prix of Malaysia. Dixon managed to hit the front on Lap 3 of the restart and never looked back, finishing ahead of David Alonso (CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team) and his polesitting teammate Daniel Holgado. The pendulum swung again in the title race too, as Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) fell from a top five place with just a few laps to go; chief title rival Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) finished fifth and thus leads the Championship for the first time in 2025 with his two-point deficit converted into a nine-point advantage.

Holgado got the dream launch in the original start but further back, there was drama for Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team), who fell on the exit of Turn 5. This brought out the red flag and whilst the American was able to walk away, everyone would need to go again in a shortened 11-lap scrap for honours. On the second restart, it was a carbon copy as Holgado again grabbed the holeshot whilst Dixon battled intensely behind with 2020 Moto3 World Champion and arch-rival Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2). By Turn 14, the #96 was through and began hunting down Holgado.

At Turn 4 on Lap 3, the British star made his move into the lead, getting the job done and then setting a relentless pace to break away. The scrap was further behind as Gonzalez had his hands full with Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing), with the Belgian still in title contention and thus not giving an inch to the #18. Behind, Moreira was fighting his way through. Having previously had contact with Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) at Turn 6 whilst fighting for P9, he’d moved up to P6 with just four laps to go, passing a fading Arenas.

With just one place between the two title heavyweights, it all came to a crashing halt for Gonzalez who fell at Turn 15 with just three to go. The long-time Championship leader dropped the ball at the wrong time and with a clear view of it, Moreira knew this was his chance. Inheriting fifth, all he had to do was get to the finish, whilst Gonzalez’s crash had also brought Baltus and Dixon back into mathematical contention.

Across the line, it was a seventh Moto2™ victory and a third of the season for the Brit, who is now 41 behind new Championship leader Moreira with 50 remaining. Alonso took his fourth podium of the season and his second in as many rounds, ahead of Baltus who, like Dixon, remains in mathematical contention and is 35 points from the lead. Holgado strengthened his grasp on finishing 2025 as top rookie with fourth, whilst Moreira leads the way after his P5.

Arenas took the chequered flag in sixth place whilst Daniel Muñoz (Red Bull KTM Ajo) finished seventh. Alex Escrig (KLINT Forward Factory Team) was magnificent in P8 for his first points since Austin, whilst Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Tony Arbolino (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) rounded out the top ten.

Asia Talent Cup: Bodie Paige P5 in Race2 At Sepang

A week after racing a Team Hammer Suzuki GSX-R750 with ASRA during his Daytona debut, MotoAmerica Talent Cup race winner Bodie Paige finished 5th on his NSF250 Honda, in Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup Race 2 held on Sunday of the MotoGP event weekend in Malaysia, at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit. 

 

Asia Talent Cup Race 2 results

MotoGP: World Championship Race Results From Malaysia

Alex Marquez won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at Petronas Sepang International Circuit, in Malaysia. Riding his BK8 Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP24 on Michelin control tires, the Spaniard won the 20-lap race by 2.676-seconds.

Pedro Acosta was the runner-up on his Red Bull KTM Factory RC16.

The 2020 MotoGP World Champion, Joan Mir finished the race third on his Honda HRC Castrol RC213V.

Franco Morbidelli crossed the finish line fourth on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati Desmosedici GP24.

Fabio Quartararo took fifth on his Monster Energy Yamaha YZR-M1.

Poleman, Francesco Bagnaia suffered mechanical issues on his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP25.

Marc Marquez leads the championship with 545 points, 132 ahead of Alex Marquez who has 413 points. Marco Bezzecchi is third with 291 points.

 

Classification motogp race

 

worldstanding motogp

 

More from a press release issued by Dorna: 

Alex Marquez clinches Sepang victory as Bagnaia suffers late DNF. The #73 wins in Malaysia, Acosta impresses to earn P2 as a late bike problem for the #63 hands Mir a Sunday rostrum. 

After clinching second in the MotoGP World Championship on Saturday, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) backed it up with a commanding Malaysian Grand Prix victory on Sunday. A flawless ride from the #73 saw the Spaniard beat the impressive Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) by 2.6s, while a late issue for Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) handed Joan Mir and Honda HRC Castrol a fantastic P3 at Sepang.

 

Bagnaia earns holeshot, Marquez aggressive early

Just as he did in the Sprint, Bagnaia nailed the start and earned the holeshot, as Acosta fired his way into an early P2. But not for long. Alex Marquez attacked his compatriot at Turn 4, and a lap later, the #73 demoted Bagnaia to P2 with a brilliant move up the inside of the Italian. For the first time this weekend, the #63 wasn’t leading.

 

Bagnaia vs Acosta

On Lap 3, it was Turn 4 again. This time, Acosta was underneath Bagnaia, but the latter bit straight back at Turn 5 to keep the KTM behind him. Acosta then gave it another go at Turn 9, but once more, it wasn’t a move that stuck. This phenomenal duel between Bagnaia and Acosta allowed Marquez to stretch his early lead out to 0.8s, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) a further 0.8s back in P4 – the Frenchman having Mir close for company.

A few laps went by and the situation at the front remained the same. Marquez’s lead was hovering around the second mark, with Acosta still locked onto the rear tyre of Bagnaia. It was 1.9s back to the Quartararo vs Mir fight that was rumbling on nicely, with Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) 1.1s adrift of the two MotoGP World Champions. Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), meanwhile, was 1.5s behind Morbidelli and was struggling to get going in the Grand Prix at this stage.

On Lap 10 of 20, Mir made his move on Quartararo. What did the HRC star have in his pocket now that a bit of free air was ahead of him? The gap to the podium fight was 2.7s as the Grand Prix entered the second half, and now, tyre life was going to be crucial.

The beginning of Lap 12 saw Australian GP winner Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) crash at Turn 1, which was just after Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) also slipped out of contention, while at the front, Marquez was half a second quicker than Pecco and Acosta.

 

Acosta makes his move, Bagnaia suffers bike problem

Then, Acosta pounced. Turn 11 was the place and when the move was made, the gap between Marquez and Acosta was 1.8s, then two seconds. It was a move that stuck for Acosta, with Bagnaia potentially regretting his front medium compound tyre choice now.

Lap 14 saw Marquez land a 2:00.546, a whole second faster than Bagnaia and over half a second quicker than second place Acosta. Mir, in P4, was also in the 2:00s, meaning the #36’s podium chances weren’t done yet – and the same could be said for Morbidelli in P5.

However, on the next two laps, Bagnaia managed to find a bit of pace to limit the damage to his advantage over Mir. With four laps to go, the gap between the Ducati and HRC riders sat at 1.9s, with Acosta 2.5s away from Marquez. It looked like Acosta needed Marquez to make a mistake in the closing stages if he wanted to have a realistic chance of clinching his first MotoGP win.

While a win looked like it was coming for Marquez, the other side of the Gresini garage then witnessed Aldeguer crash out at the final corner, as Bagnaia then encountered an issue on his Ducati. Pecco felt something wasn’t right coming into Turn 1 and immediately started looking down to the rear of his machine. What had gone wrong? It wasn’t clear to us what it was, but whatever the issue, it meant Mir was now in P3, and Pecco was scoring zero points. A disappointing end to a great weekend for Pecco, but a gift for Mir and Honda after their Sprint DNF on Saturday.

And so, the last lap began. Marquez was 2.8s clear of Acosta, who in turn had a very comfortable gap back to Mir. 1.4s split the latter to fourth place Morbidelli, so minus any mistakes, P3 was Mir’s.

After clinching second place overall on Saturday, Marquez completed a fantastic weekend at the office to win for the first time outside of Spain. Kudos to Acosta, that’s another sublime effort from the KTM rider to stick it on the box at Sepang, 13 seconds ahead of the next best KTM, as Mir earns his second Sunday podium of the season with a P3. A great start and end to the flyaway stretch for the 2020 World Champion and HRC.

 

Your Malaysian GP points scorers

Morbidelli had some very strong late race pace to finish in P4, with Quartararo completing the top five after he was forced to sit up at Turn 15 when Morbidelli came barging through. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) earned P6, a couple of seconds ahead of Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3), who came from P19 on the grid to collect a P7 – a great ride from ‘The Beast’.

Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) rounded out the top 10, the trio finishing ahead of 11th place Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing). It was a low-key round for Bezzecchi and Aprilia, but Pecco’s unfortunate DNF means they move back into P3 overall.

The final points on offer went to Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR), Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP), and Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR).

 

Next up: Portimao

With second in the championship now wrapped up by Marquez, all attention turns to the P3 fight. Bezzecchi and Pecco are split by five points, with Acosta now only 31 points behind Bezzecchi, meaning he’s not out of the equation yet either.

We’ll see you in Portugal.

MotoGP Malaysian GP results!

Moto3 : World Championship Race Results From Malaysia

Taiyo Furusato won the shortened FIM Moto3 World Championship race Sunday at Petronas Sepang International Circuit, in Malaysia. Using his Pirelli-shod Honda Team Asia racebike, the Japanese rider won the 10-lap race by 2.259-seconds.

Angel Piqueras was the runner-up on his Frinsa – MT Helmets – MSI KTM.

Adrian Fernandez was third on his Leopard Racing Honda and his teammate David Almansa finished the race fourth. 

Piqueras’ teammate, Ryusei Yamanaka crossed the finish line fifth. 

Jose Antonio Rueda leads the championship with 365 points, 114 ahead of Angel Piqueras who has 251 points. Maximo Quiles is third with 237 points.

 

Classification race moto3

 

worldstanding moto3

 

More from a press release issued by Dorna: 

Furusato takes maiden Moto3™ victory at Sepang. A shortened Moto3 encounter after a delay was won by the Japanese star who rode a perfect Grand Prix to win by 2.259s. 

Moto3 got their Grand Prix underway later than previously scheduled; during the sighting lap, there was an incident involving Noah Dettwiler (CIP Green Power) and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo), which led to the Grand Prix being delayed. Both riders were taken to hospital by medical helicopter and the new race start pushed back until the medical helicopter could return. When the Grand Prix got underway over 10 laps, Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) took a first win in the class ahead of Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) and Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing).

Grabbing the holeshot, Furusato led the way throughout the opening lap whilst polesitter David Almansa (Leopard Racing) was just ahead of a fast-starting Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team). By the end of Lap 3, Almansa had briefly retaken the lead but soon enough, the #72 of Furusato battled back to P1. By half distance, Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) had worked his way into P2, getting ahead of Quiles at Turn 4 on Lap 5 before the Spaniard retaliated at Turn 9. Fernandez had also surged into contention from the fourth row of the grid and picked Pini’s pocket, the #94 now fourth. Fernandez was now into P2 whilst at Turn 2 on Lap 6, Quiles had the most remarkable of front-end slides but somehow kept it upright.

It was a Honda 1-2-3 at the front with Furusato’s lead hovering at around a second, ahead of Fernandez and Almansa, although the second of the Leopard Racing Hondas was shuffled back to fifth by a hard-charging Pini and Piqueras, although the #22 responded at Turn 9 to retake fourth. Pini had likewise elevated himself into second and all the fighting of the remaining podium positions gave Furusato a one second lead with three laps to go. Almansa lost the front at the final corner on Lap 8 but managed to stay on track, dropping him down to P6 and out of the podium battle and instead behind Quiles. A lap later and Turn 15 spelt the end of Pini’s Grand Prix, the Italian out of podium battle in an attempt to pass Fernandez.

Onto the final lap and with Furusato clearing off into the distance, the fight was for second but at Turn 9, soon settled as Fernandez had a huge slide, handing it to Piqueras. Across the line for his first Grand Prix victory, Furusato was unstoppable to bag Honda’s first win of 2025. Piqueras clinched second whilst Fernandez came home third ahead of teammate Almansa, with three Hondas in the top four. Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) came through to complete the top five, ahead of Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo).

Quiles came home seventh and with that was crowned Rookie of the Year ahead of Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) who came up from 15th for his first top ten since his P7 at Assen. In ninth place, Brian Uriarte (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) who was forced off-track by Quiles on the final lap at Turn 7 whilst Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) clinched P10. Elsewhere, home wildcard Hakim Danish (AEON CREDIT SIC Racing MSI) set the fastest lap but retired with a technical issue.

Moto3 results!

The 2026 KTM 990 RC R Races Onto The Streets

Throttle hands have been itching for it, and now the production 2026 KTM 990 RC R is on the horizon. And, for riders, this highly-anticipated new Supersport entry from KTM is ready to widen the thrills of the street and narrow the margins for lap-times on track.
 
The KTM 990 RC R arrives with elevated specifications and serves as a refined ‘R’platform that will have you READY TO RACE, but is also engineered with the ergonomics for day-to-day use and offers the best of both arenas. This up-specced model will reset the perception of performance, enjoyment, and style in the next generation Supersport segment.
 
A natural extension of the KTM RC line-up, the KTM 990 RC R has been years in the making with a wealth of data garnered by KTM’s Research and Development, as well as aerodynamic data from its Motorsport program. Fabricated and assembled in Austria, the bike has a purpose-built steel chassis (and diecast aluminum subframe) with exceptional front-end feel, in addition to a firm, agile character that still offers immense stability. The powerful LC8c engine cranks out class-leading horsepower and torque, launching the machine away from any traffic light as though it was the front row of the grid. 
 
MY26 KTM 990 RC R in action. Photo courtesy KTM.
 
Sporting DNA is immediately transparent through the aesthetic of the KTM 990 RC R with the wind tunnel-developed aerodynamics, 320 mm Brembo 4-piston caliper HyPure brakes, attuned bodywork, WP APEX suspension and 8.8” TFT dash that reveals the Ride Modes: RAIN, STREET, SPORT, and CUSTOM. Optional Ride Modes include TRACK and two more CUSTOM Modes with telemetry such as lean angle and throttle opening rates for acceleration, as well as four, advanced standard ABS Modes: STREET, SPORT, SUPERMOTO+ and SUPERMOTO ABS.
 
The specifications of the KTM 990 RC R are a clear indication of the racing genesis of the project, but KTM’s goal is to offer an effective and appealing motorcycle for riders who also want to turn heads on the street. This is evident through its READY TO RACE riding position that is sharp in its stance, while having riders dialed for those longer journeys at speed. 
 
A six-point ergonomics contact patch gives comfy support for knees, arms and hands, and adjustable footrests will accommodate tall or shorter riders, or allow for steeper lean angles at the apex. Weight has been trimmed where possible and remains complemented by attention to detail – inclusive of the 4.2-gallon (16-liter) fuel tank that enables riders to go the distance. 
 
The 2026 KTM 990 RC R will be coming off production lines in November 2025 and will arrive in authorized KTM dealers soon afterward. 
 
 
MY26 KTM 990 RC R. Photo courtesy KTM
 
Riaan Neveling, Global KTM Brand Manager: “At KTM we like the fast-paced life and the KTM 990 RC R is a bike that we’ve been impatient to show for some time now. Why? Through all our model segments and strong technology, we know we’ve been missing that motorcycle that gets a certain type of rider excited. We kick ass when it comes to Naked bikes, Adventure bikes and, of course, Offroad, among others, but this is the expression we’ve wanted to deliver for some time. It’s our link to all the efforts to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MotoGP project and our outlet for the sea of information and data that has come the way of our Mattighofen R&D experts.”
 
The KTM 990 RC R’s journey to realization has been charted from discussions to design to delivery in a special video series that can be seen HERE
 
Riders, racers and authentic performance-seekers can choose between orange and black versions of the 2026 KTM 990 RC R.
 
 
MY26 KTM 990 RC R. Photo courtesy KTM
 
Plus, KTM has always stayed true to its READY TO RACE core, and the dedicated track rider is no exception. Arriving early 2026, the KTM 990 RC R TRACK is set to make its debut as a pure, track-only machine engineered to deliver performance straight from the Mattighofen production line. Available to order through KTM Authorized Dealers, the KTM 990 RC R TRACK is far more than a street bike conversion. Stripped of unnecessary components and fitted with essentials for serious track use – including a reduced dashboard, dedicated electronics, removed ABS modulator, direct brake lines, a track-optimized gearbox, and more – it’s built to bring riders closer to the apex from day one. Full technical details of this new model will be revealed early next year.
 
In addition, KTM is set to launch the KTM 990 RC R CUP in Europe during spring 2026. Designed for riders looking to progress beyond standard track days, the KTM 990 RC R CUP offers an accessible entry point into racing without the pressure of competing against seasoned professionals. To further elevate the experience, professional KTM riders will be present at each round, sharing insights and mentoring participants to sharpen their skills on track. The KTM 990 RC R CUP will be open to both the street-homologated version and the dedicated KTM 990 RC R TRACK model. For more info about the CUP go to KTM.com.

MotoGP: More From Saturday At Sepang

More from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo Team:

Francesco Bagnaia and the Ducati Lenovo Team win the Sepang Sprint starting from pole. Michele Pirro finishes twentieth.

The Ducati Lenovo Team enjoyed a dominant Saturday at the Sepang International Circuit courtesy of Francesco Bagnaia, who came out victorious in the Sprint from pole position. Michele Pirro completed the encounter in twentieth place.

Bagnaia, who took pole after progressing through Q1, had an excellent start to the race and gradually pulled away from his opponents lap after lap up to the chequered flag. This is Pecco’s second win of the season in a Saturday race. Michele Pirro, twenty-second on the grid, finished twentieth at the flag.

The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action tomorrow morning at 9:40 local time (GMT +8) for the warm-up, followed by the Grand Prix of Malaysia, which will be contested over a 20-lap distance from 15:00.

 

Francesco Bagnaia on the podium after his victory in Sprint race. Photo courtesy Ducati Lenovo Team.

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st
“This win is for the team, who work tirelessly. This season we’ve been alternating between excellent performances and very complicated moments, and all together we’re trying to find the reason behind these ups and downs. After yesterday’s difficulties in the time attack, we made some adjustments that helped me quite a bit, both in qualifying and in the Sprint. We had a small issue that limited me a little under braking, but I still managed to be incisive – and the feeling was good.”

 

Michele Pirro (51) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Ducati Lenovo Team.

Michele Pirro (#51 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 20th
“It was a tough and hot race, but if I look at the overall gap I had in the Australian Sprint, we made significant steps forward. The level of this MotoGP is extremely high and my role is different from the other riders’, so I focused on keeping a consistent pace and managing the tyre wear. I’m super happy about Pecco’s result; it was great to see him competitive again.”
 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by BK8 Gresini Team:

A Gresini podium: Alex Marquez seals the runner-up spot, Fermin Aldeguer is rookie of the year.

 

Sprint – MalaysianGP

  • 2nd – ALEX MARQUEZ #73 
  • 3rd – FERMIN ALDEGUER #54 (7th after being disqualified)

 

World Championship Standings

  • 2nd – ALEX MARQUEZ #73 (388 points)
    Runner Up MotoGP 2025
  • 8th – FERMIN ALDEGUER #54 (186 points)
    Rookie of the Year 2025

 

Alex Marquez and all the Gresini Team celebrating the second place in world championship. Photo courtesy Gresini

 

Alex Marquez:It was a great season, we deserved it and I had never thought I would have done better than Marc or Enea this season. We did it and we’re happy. I wasn’t honestly happy with the Sprint, I didn’t ride as I could have, I was stiff. Let’s see if tomorrow we can do something to improve and be more competitive.”

 

Fermin Aldeguer is the 2025 MotoGP Rookie of the year. Photo courtesy Gresini Team.

 

Fermin Aldeguer: “We could have become rookie of the year in Australia, but honestly speaking it’s much better to have done it here. It was one of the goals for the year, along with winning a race and we achieved both things. Now we’ll aim at continuing our growth, making it into Q2 and wrap up this championship the best way possible.”

* Fermin penalized 8 seconds for tire pressure.

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha: 

Sepang Sprint Ends in P5 & P15 for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP. 

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo showed his mettle in the opening laps of the Grand Prix of Malaysia Sprint. He completed the race in P6. However, following a post-Sprint 8-second penalty for Fermín Aldeguer, Quartararo ranked fifth in the amended classifications. Álex Rins lost some ground in the middle stages of the 10-lap dash and went on to finish in 15th place.

 

 

The Grand Prix of Malaysia Sprint was a challenging outing for the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team. Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins were pushing in the 10-lap contest but were unable to make strides. They went on to ride to a P6 and P15 result respectively. Following a post-Sprint 8-second penalty for Fermín Aldeguer, Quartararo moved up to 5th in the revised classifications.

Starting from P4 on the grid, Quartararo initially held his position but soon got in a scrap with Franco Morbidelli, and Joan Mir grabbed the opportunity to slip through. While Quartararo kept battling with Morbidelli, also Aldeguer snuck past, so the number-20 rider settled in seventh. On lap 5, Mir crashed, allowing El Diablo back into the top 6. The Yamaha man eventually lost touch with Morbidelli and instead focused on making sure that Marco Bezzecchi wouldn’t catch up. Quartararo finished in sixth place, 8.468s from first.

Rins commenced the 10-lap dash from P10 but fell back to twelfth on the first lap. In the two following laps he engaged in a brief battle with a charging Bezzecchi and Enea Bastianini and was relegated to P14. The number-42 rider briefly gained a position when Mir crashed on lap 5, but over the course of lap 3-6 he dropped to P16 as he was unable to ride defensively like he wanted to. A crash by Luca Marini on lap 8, had the Spaniard holding 15th position when he arrived at the chequered flag, which he took 17.721s from the winner.

After today’s results, Quartararo stays in 9th place in the overall standings with 171 points, and Rins holds 19th position with 60 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are 6th in the team championship with 231 points, and Yamaha remain in 5th position in the constructor championship with 210 points.

The team will be back in action tomorrow* for Warm Up, held from 10:40-10:50 GMT +8, and the 20-lap Race, which starts at 15:00.

*On Sunday, October 26th, daylight saving time will start in Europe. The clocks in Malaysia do not change, increasing the time difference between Malaysia and Europe by one hour for the Sunday.

 
 
MASSIMO MEREGALLI – Team Director, Monster Energy Yamaha:
 
“Today we didn’t quite obtain the outcome we were aiming for. While having both riders qualify inside the top 10 is a good result, Fabio had set his sights on the front row, but he ultimately had to settle for P4. In the Sprint, Fabio managed the tyres pretty well and achieved a positive sixth place, which later became P5. Álex struggled to find the right feeling to defend his position and concluded the race in P15. We’ll analyse today’s data thoroughly to identify areas for improvement ahead of tomorrow’s Race, which promises to be long and demanding for both riders.”
 
 
 
Fabio Quartararo (20) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha

 

Fabio Quartararo: “I did my best. At the beginning, various rivals around me had a really good pace, and I lost a lot of time battling with Franky. But I have to say, I haven’t enjoyed a battle that much in a long time. I think my pace was not so bad too, considering where we were yesterday. I gave it my 100%. I expected to be faster at the end of the race, with a bit less tyre drop, but it was similar to the guys in front.”

 

Alex Rins (42) At Sepang. Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha

 

Alex Rins: “It was really tough, but we already knew from FP2. We can be competitive on one lap, but not over a whole race distance. The tyre drop after some laps is really big for us. We need to analyse it and see what we can do.”

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing:

Comeback sprint for Aprilia Racing at Sepang.

The sprint at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit concluded with a strong performance from Aprilia Racing. Starting from 14th on the grid after narrowly missing out on Q2, Marco Bezzecchi pulled off an excellent comeback. The Italian rider managed the sprint with composure amid the early-lap battles, steadily climbing through the field to finish sixth.

Focusing on the development of the RS-GP25, Lorenzo Savadori continued fine-tuning new components under race conditions, crossing the finish line in 18th place.

 

Marco Bezzecchi (72) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Aprilia

 

Marco Bezzecchi: “The start wasn’t bad, and I managed to recover, pulling off a few nice overtakes. My race pace throughout the weekend hasn’t been bad, but unfortunately, I missed the flying lap on Friday and in qualifying. Clearly, things aren’t going quite as well as in the last few races, but we expected to struggle a bit more here. However, it’s proving useful because we’re working on lots of things that can help us in the future.”

 

Lorenzo Savadori (32) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Aprilia Racing

 

Lorenzo Savadori:My race pace was good, and I was close to the pack. Unfortunately, I had some front-end drop-off and had to back off a bit. I also ran wide at the final corner on the last lap. In general, we tried some new things during the race that still need a bit of fine-tuning and improvement. On Sunday, we’ll aim to take another step forward.”

 

 

Fabiano Sterlacchini: “It was definitely a rather challenging day. The layout, temperature and rear grip levels, an issue for all riders, made things a bit tricky for us. There are also a couple of stop-and-go sections we’re still working on. We’ve made good progress over the season, but clearly it’s not enough yet. As we did from Friday to Saturday, we’ll work to identify some solutions to apply in the full race.”

 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by CASTROL Honda LCR: 

CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco has finished 8th in Saturday’s Sprint at the Sepang International Circuit.

  • After a strong qualifying performance, French rider Johann Zarco started from 9th position on the grid.
  • Zarco made a good start, found his rhythm, and controlled the situation throughout the race, ultimately finishing 8th and securing valuable points.
  • The Frenchman admits to feeling more comfortable on the bike and is pleased with his ability to ride confidently, which is a positive sign as he continues to pursue his goals.
  • Today’s data will provide valuable insights for Zarco and his crew, helping them refine the final details ahead of tomorrow’s main race.
 
Johann Zarco (5) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Dorna.
 
Johann Zarco: “It’s great to have my confidence back on the bike. I’m feeling more at ease and able to perform. Since yesterday, it’s been nice to be able to attack, as I did this morning. I lost a few tenths in qualifying, but we did a good job. At Sprint time, I had a solid start and pushed as much as possible. I couldn’t keep up with the pace of the first six riders, so despite my disappointment, I tried to make the most of the situation and finished 8th. I hope we can make some improvements for tomorrow, and we’re feeling confident.”

 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Idemitsu Honda LCR: 

IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Somkiat Chantra has finished 17th in Saturday’s Sprint at the Sepang International Circuit.

  • The Thai rider faced a comeback Sprint, starting from 20th on the grid, but did so with great confidence on a circuit he enjoys.
  • Chantra made a solid start and managed to handle the situation without mistakes while fighting for his goals.
  • The rider didn’t give up and pushed hard, finishing 17th and gaining important insights for tomorrow’s race.

 

Somkiat Chantra (35) at Sepang. Photo courtesy IDEMITSU Honda LCR.
 
 
Somkiat Chantra: “Today, I used the soft tyres on both the front and rear. From the beginning, I tried to follow the group, but as the laps went on, I struggled to maintain my pace due to a lack of front-end feeling. Then I just tried to manage the situation. Overall, it wasn’t too bad, but tomorrow we’ll make some setup changes and aim to improve.”

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3:

Enea Bastianini and Pol Espargaro both delivered solid sprint performances on Super Saturday at the Malaysian Grand Prix, under the hot and humid heat of Sepang. If Bastianini failed to qualify well, with a P19-start, he did once again a solid job in the afternoon’s sprint, as he recovered 10 positions to see the checkered flag in 9th, and score a sprint point, something he had not reproduced since his 5th place in Catalonia’s sprint. Meanwhile, Pol Espargaro took the 11th place of the Tissot Sprint, after he had qualified in 12th.

 

Qualifying

As qualifying followed the classic FP2 opening Super Saturday, Enea Bastianini was the first of the Red Bull KTM Tech3 squad to hit the track as he joined a busy Q1 session, alongside the 3 latest race winners, and in-form Marco Bezzecchi. Enea’s first lap was a 1’58.402 while Fermin Aldeguer set the tone with a 1’57.698, before Bastianini found a way to gain a few hundredths to clock a 1’58.189 on lap 3, before his pit stop. He was in a provisional 7th place with Luca Marini and Fermin Aldeguer both provisionally qualified. For run 2, Bastianini could not put it all together to do a good enough lap to make some improvements, and his earlier lap remained his best. He finished in 9th, therefore qualifying in 19th on the grid. Francesco Bagnaia and Fermin Aldeguer were the two riders to go through Q2, joining our own Pol Espargaro, in the fight for the 20th pole position of the season. Espargaro’s first lap was a 1’58.174 while Pedro Acosta was the first to take the top of the timesheets with a 1’57.363. The number 44 was in a provisional 9th place as he rejoined the track for run 2, just behind teammate Acosta. Meanwhile, Fabio Quartararo was in pole with a 1’57.195. Unfortunately for Pol, Acosta crashed in front, and he did not make further improvements. Espargaro is set to start the Malaysian Grand Prix from 12th on the grid, while Francesco Bagnaia meant business as he grabbed his 3rd pole of 2025, followed by Alex Marquez and Franco Morbidelli closing the front row.

 

Tissot Sprint

Under the scorching sun of Malaysia, it was all lights out at 3pm local time for 10 laps of sprint madness, and it was pole sitter Francesco Bagnaia who took the holeshot straight away. From his 12th position, Pol Espargaro took a rocket start himself as 3 positions were gained in the first 3 turns to 8th, but Johann Zarco was quick to answer back as he pushed through Pol, so Espargaro found himself in 9th after one lap. Meanwhile, another one to also take a solid start was Enea Bastianini, who gained 5 positions in one lap to enter lap 2 in P14 behind Marco Bezzecchi. The Italian showed solid early pace with his fastest sprint lap clocked on lap 2 with a 1’59.318, one that saw him close the gap ahead, to then overtake Alex Rins on lap 3 and progress to 13th. Meanwhile, Espargaro was still in 9th, while Bagnaia had already made a 1.1 second-gap on rivals Alex Marquez and Pedro Acosta. The number 44 produced some solid early pace, which allowed him to apply more and more pressure on Zarco ahead, and Joan Mir making a mistake ahead on lap 5 gave Pol his opportunity to move past the LCR rider, and gain two positions to sit in P7 halfway through the 10 lap-shootout. The crashes ahead of both Mir and Oliveira had Bastianini sit in 11th after 6 laps, with now Zarco just 0.2 seconds ahead. Four laps to try making it out to the points! Just a bit further ahead, Pol Espargaro was losing a bit of rhythm as he was overtaken by Bezzecchi, and soon, Luca Marini arrived from behind. Unfortunately, a contact was made between Espargaro and Marini with the HRC rider trying to overtake Pol on the inside. Marini crashed while Pol managed to avoid the worst, but he was back to 12th. In a last effort, he caught back on Raul Fernandez ahead to cross the finish line in 11th. This contact between Espargaro and Marini gifted the two spots Bastianini needed to make it to the points, and that was a P9 for Enea! 10 places gained in 10 laps, an encouraging achievement for the ‘Bestia’ heading to the long distance on Sunday! Don’t miss the final showdown of the Malaysian Grand Prix, with the main race starting at 15:00 local time (UTC+8), for 20 laps!

Enea Bastianini (23) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Tech3

 

Enea Bastianini:As the weekends go by, we improve, day after day, so for sure we improved a bit from yesterday, and we got closer to the others. To be honest, I am not really happy, because the problem remains the same. Every time we jump on the bike at the start of the weekend, we are lacking confidence, and then qualifyings are all the same, I struggle to turn the bike where and when I want, I don’t have a lot of traction especially on the dry. Then during the races, we usually manage to do a good pace. P9 is good, but we must solve our issues.”

 

Pol Espargaro (44) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Tech3

 

Pol Espargaro:I am happy more or less! We had a good pace from the start of the sprint, I could stay with the top guys while managing the rear drop of the tire, which killed us in Australia. I was about to take P8-P9, but then I had a small contact with Luca Marini, nothing bad, but I lost positions, even if I managed to get back one to finish 11th. It is good for us, but we are looking for more tomorrow!”

 

Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager:Today was a good day at the office for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team, despite the little frustration still going on on Enea Bastianini’s side, as weekends keep looking alike. Our main target was clearly to try improving the one-lap performance, but we failed again, as he qualified in P19, which makes everything complicated. The frustration is obviously higher when you see him finishing in P9 of the sprint after recovering 10 positions. Our goal remains the same, and we won’t stop until we have improved this weak point. Pol Espargaro had another strong day, although he struggled a bit in Q2 with the 12th place, but he rode a solid pace in the sprint, and he was fighting for P8 when contact was made with Luca Marini. He dropped to 11th, but he has done a really good job so far, and I think that we can realistically target top 10 finishes for both our riders on Sunday.”

 

 

 

—— 

More from a press release issued by Honda HRC Castrol: 

Disappointing end to promising Sprint Saturday in Sepang. 

A double DNF for Honda HRC Castrol, a tough pill to swallow after Joan Mir chased the podium and Luca Marini was in the midst of another impressive recovery.

The rains held off for the entirety of Saturday at the Sepang International Circuit, allowing for another busy day of work. With ample track time, the gaps between riders only continued to tighten and both Honda HRC Castrol riders looked primed to continue their top five performances with Marini leading the morning session and Mir close behind in fourth with mid 1’58s.

Having clinched the top ten on Friday, Joan Mir converted his Q2 speed into seventh on the grid and set about making his presence known in the Sprint. Attempting to ride around the outside of Fabio Quartararo into Turn 1, the #36 was on the move as he chased the leading trio. Lapping half a second faster than Acosta, the distance evaporated rapidly as Mir gave chase. Losing the front just as he reached the podium battle, Mir was unharmed in the fall, but his Sprint would end prematurely. Despite the crash, Mir and Honda HRC were able to take a number of positives away from the day and will return stronger on Sunday.

Missing Q2 just a few tenths, Luca Marini launched from 13th and put together one of his most aggressive races of the season. With Bezzecchi hot on his heels, Marini muscled his way through and into the top eight to enter the fight for the points. Resuming his intense battle with Pol Espargaro from Phillip Island, Marini attempted to pass the former Honda rider but contact between the two would see Marini fall and Espargaro pushed wide. This is Marini’s first crash of the 2025 MotoGP World Championship season.

The Honda HRC Castrol team have taken valuable lessons from Saturday and will return stronger for the 20-lap Malaysian GP on Sunday. Scheduled for 15:00, the Honda RC213V clearly has more to show around the 5.5 kilometres of the Sepang International Circuit.

 

Joan Mir (36) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Honda HRC

 

Joan Mir: “Not how we wanted to end today, that’s for sure! Our pace was really good even after a disappointing Qualifying, because our partials were better than our overall lap. In the Sprint, my start was positive, and I am riding with a lot of confidence – I think you can see that on TV as well! We need to try and find a bit more grip, I am making a lot up under braking and it’s easier to make a mistake which is what happened. It was my mistake; we checked the data – one of those crashes where you open the throttle a bit earlier than normal. Our speed is there, this is the positive point and it gives the engineers another example of what and where we need to work.”

 

Luca Marini (10) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Honda HRC

 

Luca Marini: “I saw Pol going wide, so I went for the gap but I entered a bit too slowly so he didn’t see me and he came back into the corner. It was my mistake and we touched, I fell. It’s something that can happen and I am OK, a little knock to my finger but nothing serious. A pity because our pace is looking really good and we have the potential to show ourselves. Let’s see what tomorrow can bring, the bike is improving but we need to focus on our one lap speed to make the step that the other riders are able to make. I am confident Honda HRC can do this because the time we have found in just a year is incredible.”

 

 

 

—— 

More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha: 

Challenging Sprint for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP at Sepang: Miller 14th, Oliveira Crashes Out Early. 

The Sprint Race that awarded the first points of the Malaysian GP weekend — round 20 of the MotoGP World Championship — proved tricky for the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP riders. Jack Miller completed the 10-lap race in 14th place, while Miguel Oliveira was forced to retire after a harmless crash at Turn 1 at the start of lap six. Tomorrow brings a chance for redemption in the 20-lap Grand Prix (start at 3:00 p.m. local time / 8:00 a.m. CET), with Miller starting 11th on the grid and Oliveira 16th.

 

 

It was a tough Saturday for the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP squad at the Sepang International Circuit, hosting the 20th round of the MotoGP season. After a challenging qualifying session — with Oliveira eliminated in Q1 and forced to settle for 16th, and Miller unable to piece together a perfect lap despite a promising Friday, ending 11th — the Sprint Race turned into a difficult one for both riders.

Caught in the chaos of Turn 1, Miller lost several positions at the start and ended the opening lap in 15th place. Oliveira also dropped back to 20th. His race was cut short by a low-speed crash at Turn 1 early on lap six, while occupying 18th place. Miller, after battling in the opening laps, stabilized his pace and finished 14th. Tomorrow‘s Grand Prix, scheduled for 3:00 p.m. local time (8:00 a.m. CET), will be a chance to fight back.

Malaysian GP schedule:
Sunday: 10:40 (3:40 CET) Warm-up; 15:00 (8:00 CET) Race (20 laps – 110,86 km)

 

GINO BORSOI – Team Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP

“It was a very difficult race for both riders. They actually started well, but then got caught in traffic at Turn 1 and lost several positions. From there, the race became complicated — stuck in the pack, unable to take their lines, and forced to defend down the straights. For tomorrow, we‘ll try to work on the electronics, as rear-tire management will be a key factor. We haven‘t decided which tire to use yet; we‘ll need to analyze and make the best choice.”

 

Jack Miller (43) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Yamaha

 

Jack Miller:We maybe could have done a little bit more, but it was a difficult race — the front tire was struggling pretty much from the start. And then you‘re racing in the middle of the group, it‘s hot, you can‘t use the rear tire much to stop, and you just suffer. Turn 1 was a nightmare, turn 4 the same, and turn 9 as well. We need to understand how to keep the temperatures more under control. Tomorrow we‘ll try again and see what we can do.”

 

Miguel Oliveira (88) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Yamaha

 

Miguel Oliveira: “There aren‘t many positive things to take from this Sprint. Qualifying was a bit better, but still not enough to get into Q2. Then in the Sprint it was just about surviving — you can‘t push and there‘s very little you can do. I felt the tires overheating right from the beginning, and then I crashed. I did exactly the same as in the previous laps, but the tire just couldn‘t handle it anymore. I‘m disappointed about that, but we‘ll try again tomorrow, even though it‘s going to be a long and tough race.”

 

Alpinestars Launches Limited Edition FLYTE S-R10 Helmet & Supertech R Boot

Alpinestars Unveils Limited Edition FLYTE S-R10 Racing Helmet and Supertech R Vented Boots Inspired by 2024 MotoGP World Champion Jorge Martin.

Petronas Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia Alpinestars presents a bold new design collaboration with 2024 MotoGP World Champion Jorge Martin. Inspired by speed, heat, and the power of flight, the collection features the Supertech R10 Racing Helmet and Supertech R Vented Boots.

The Flyte LE design ignites the track with a flaming motif in deep blues and searing oranges, symbolizing the Martinator’s explosive pace and fearless precision on the bike. The color palette nods to Aprilia’s racing heritage — blending legacy hues with a modern, high-energy aesthetic that mirrors Jorge’s transition to the Aprilia Racing Team.

Engineered for elite performance, both the Supertech R10 Helmet and Supertech R Vented Boots combine MotoGP-proven technology with Alpinestars’ uncompromising commitment to protection, comfort, and style. The result: the ultimate expression of racing performance fused with signature design.

 

Jorge Martin with the FLYTE S-R10 Racing Helmet and Supertech R Vented Boots. Photo courtesy Alpinestar.

 

“The Flyte design reflects my drive always to keep moving forward, no matter what: it’s about personality, energy, and a constant drive towards the goal. Working on this design with Alpinestars at a time like the one I’m going through now, gives me even more motivation and strength to come back. I’ve always liked bold designs, and I think this one perfectly captures my relentless drive and the fire in my soul and personality. – JORGE MARTIN

The Limited Edition Flyte Supertech R10 Helmet and Supertech R Vented Boots give fans the opportunity to experience Jorge Martin’s race-day intensity and unique style — the embodiment of passion, precision, and speed.

The Flyte Collection will be available worldwide starting October 24, 2025, at 6 PM CET / 9 AM PST through alpinestars.com and authorized Alpinestars dealers for €649.95 / $659.95 (Supertech R Vented Boots) and €1,349.95 / $1,549.95 (S-R10 Helmet). Each helmet includes interchangeable race and standard spoilers, clear and dark smoke visors, tear-offs, a Pinlock lens, and wind and breath deflectors — all stored in a premium paddock helmet bag.

 

Jorge Martin with Limited Edition FLYTE S-R10 Racing Helmet. Photo courtesy Alpinestar.

 

Supertech R10 Road Racing Helmet: MotoGP-Performance: 

The Supertech R10 represents Alpinestars’ helmet innovation excellence—the product of extensive research, development, and wind tunnel testing. Designed for aerodynamic efficiency and stability at high speed, the helmet combines advanced ventilation, exceptional comfort, and world-class impact protection, wrapped in an electrifying Flyte graphic that commands attention on and off the grid.

 

Jorge Martin wearing the Supertech R Vented Boots. Photo courtesy Alpinestar.

 

Supertech R Vented Boots: MotoGP-Grade Performance for Track and Road:

The Supertech R Vented Boots set the standard for high-performance protective footwear. Engineered from years of feedback from MotoGP and WorldSBK champions, they offer advanced protection, unmatched flexibility, and superior ventilation. The Flyte edition introduces a striking new graphic that complements the helmet — embodying the heat, motion, and intensity of competition.

Key features include extensive perforations for optimal airflow, a flexible rear bellow for dynamic movement, a TPU shifter for precise feel and superior medial protection, and an ergonomically profiled shin plate for premium impact absorption.

 

 

ABOUT ALPINESTARS: 

Founded in 1963, Alpinestars is the world-leading manufacturer of professional racing products, including motorcycling airbag protection, high-performance apparel, helmets, footwear, and goggles. Alpinestars understands that the best design and research are achieved under extreme conditions. Through its involvement in Formula 1, NASCAR, AMA, World Motocross, and MotoGP, Alpinestars has developed the most advanced technical equipment for the racing world’s top athletes.

Track Daz: Upcoming Track Days

Get signed up today!

Attention in the pits.  

Just a reminder, we’re back at BRP’s new Circuit for the final time in 2025 on Saturday, November 1st.   

For this one, we’re doing the standard ABC format program both days, with 20 minute rotations.   The new Circuit is a fun fast flowing layout, with some fun features to really keep you on your toes.  Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to ride the Circuit one last time before the year ends!!

 

Price for this event is $250 per rider/per day.

 

Get signed up for BRP Circuit November 1st weekend http://www.trackrabbit.com/s/2mo1

 

Check out our latest installment of the Reasonably Priced Sportbike : HERE

Want to save some money on Boxo Tools

Click on link below or use code Trackdaz10:  

https://boxousa.com/TrackDaz

 

NOTE:

TrackDaz is a reseller of KYT Helmets, Attack Performance parts, Yoshimura exhausts, and Pirelli Tires.  If you need tires, don’t hesitate to add them to your trackday registration, and we’ll have them waiting for you with your name on them track-side.   If you’d like other products, let us know your needs, and we’ll do our best to get you handled.

See you at the track!

 

Asia Talent Cup: Bodie Paige Struggles in Race1 At Sepang

A week after racing a Team Hammer Suzuki GSX-R750 with ASRA during his Daytona debut, MotoAmerica Talent Cup race winner Bodie Paige finished 5th in Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup Qualifying session held on Saturday of the MotoGP event weekend In Malaysia, at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit. Wild-card rider Paige set a time of 2:19.259 (+1.876).

 

Qualifying practice Results

 

However, in Race 1 Paige crashed his NSF250 Honda and didn’t finished  the race.

 

Race 1 results at Sepang.

MotoGP: More From Sunday At Sepang

Alex Marquez (73), Francesco Bagnaia (63) and Pedro Acosta (37) during the MotoGP race at Sepang. Photo courtesy courtesy Dorna.

More from a press release issued by BK8 Gresini Team: 

Alex Marquez delivers to Gresini the independent team tittle with a win in Sepang.

 

Raceday – MalaysianGP

  • 1st – ALEX MARQUEZ #73 
  • NC – FERMIN ALDEGUER #54

 

World Championship Standings

  • 2nd – ALEX MARQUEZ #73 (413 points)
    Runner Up MotoGP 2025
  • 8th – FERMIN ALDEGUER #54 (186 points)
    Rookie of the Year 2025

 

Alex Marquez on the podium after his victory at Sepang. Photo courtesy Gresini Team

 

Alex Marquez: “Today I changed my approach at the start of the race, as yesterday I got it wrong, as I attaked and did what I aimed to do. We had a great race and achieved the goal of becoming the best independent team from the top of the podium; now we’ll enjoy these last two races.”

 

Fermin Aldeguer (54) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Gresini Team

 

Fermin Aldeguer: It wasn’t the best way to wrap up a weekend where we were really strong and where we felt very competitive. We achieved a goal and in today’s race we learned a lot. I hit hard during the crash, but we’re going back home to recuperate.”

 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Honda HRC Castrol: 

Mir masters Malaysian GP for second Honda podium.

Finishing what he started on Saturday, Joan Mir sealed his second podium finish of the flyaway races in fine fashion as he charged through the field. Luca Marini bounced back to secure another top ten finish and gain vital championship points.

Repeating his start to Saturday’s Sprint race, Joan Mir immediately moved himself into contention as he latched onto the back of Fabio Quartararo and spent several laps working to get past the French rider. As the race entered its second half, Mir’s superior pace saw him breeze past and break away to a comfortable fourth. Rapidly closing in on a fading Francesco Bagnaia, Mir had the pace to catch and pass the Ducati rider as he matched the podium trio’s speed, but a technical problem would promote Mir onto the podium.

Third at the line, an emotional Mir entered Parc Fermé for the second time in 2025 as his and Honda HRC’s effort were once again rewarded. The result moves the #36 to 93 points, more than doubling his total points haul from his previous two seasons with Honda. Two races offer two more chances of further success for the double World Champion.

Close to his teammate off the line, Luca Marini made another fantastic start to the Malaysian GP. Unfortunately, a small mistake dropped him back into the chasing group and he became entangled in an almost race long battle with Johann Zarco. Eventually getting the better of him, Marini would easily escape up the road with clean air to end the race in eighth and in turn securing a good haul of points after his first crash of the year. Besting Zarco once more, just six points now split the pair in their battle for top Honda honours.

A week of rest and recovery now awaits before the final pair of back-to-back races rounds out an incredible 2025 MotoGP World Championship. The Portuguese Grand Prix will take place on November 07 – 09 at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve.

 

Joan Mir on the podium at Sepang. Photo courtesy Honda HRC

 

Joan Mir: “It was a great race but one of the toughest of my life, the temperature, managing the tyres, controlling the bike – you had to be perfect everywhere and we managed to do it. I am so happy to end these races like this, to show what we could really do after yesterday. We took the maximum out of our package, and this shows the great work that we have done as a team. When you are confident you can do this. I realised that today we could do something, and I just went for it, right on that narrow line between being fast and crashing. I was very careful at Turn 9 today! The progress Honda has made in 12 months is fantastic, I knew what was possible with this project and that’s why I signed for another two years. Thank you to my team and all of Honda’s engineers.”

 

Luca Marini at Sepang. Photo courtesy Honda HRC

 

Luca Marini: “A good end to the weekend where again I think we had a lot of pace. The bike is continuing to improve and the top five is always there. I made a really good start and I was up with Mir and Zarco but I made a mistake and dropped back. After that I was in a big group fighting with many riders and it took a lot of laps to pass Zarco. With the medium front I was able to brake really hard but we were missing something in the turning. Maximising our results in Qualifying is the area that we need to improve, both with myself and the bike. Congratulations to Mir on another good podium.”

 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha: 

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Duo Take P5 and P13 in Sepang Race. 

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins pushed in sweltering conditions in today’s Grand Prix of Malaysia Race and both scored points. The duo completed the 20-lap contest in the tropical heat in 5th and 13th place respectively.

 

 

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins had to strike a balance between pushing and tyre management in the 20-lap Grand Prix of Malaysia Race. They negotiated the Sepang International Circuit in 35°C, engaged in various battles, and ultimately took 5th and 13th place respectively.

Quartararo started from P4 and skilfully defended his position from Fermín Aldeguer on the opening lap. As a gap started to form to the top 3, the Frenchman focused solely on keeping chasing rivals at bay. On lap 6, Joan Mir launched an attack but ran wide. El Diablo anticipated as much and cut back on the inside, reclaiming fourth. A second attempt came on lap 10. This time El Diablo had a small moment and thus had to concede fourth place. Franco Morbidelli roughly pushed past Quartararo on lap 11. The number-20 couldn’t respond as he had started to experience rear tyre drop. But it wasn’t long before Quartararo was back in fifth when Francesco Bagnaia, after experiencing a problem, retired from the race with three laps to go. With sizable gaps to fourth and sixth over the final two laps, the Yamaha man took the chequered flag in P5, 11.556s from first.

Rins commenced from P10 and, after an opening battle with Brad Binder, wrapped up the first lap in 12th place. The Spaniard was keen to preserve his tyres. On lap 5, Pol Espargaró crashed out, but Rins was overtaken by three rivals and circulating in 16th place by lap 9. For the remainder of the race, the number-42 kept trying to find a balance between pushing and nursing his tyres. With Raúl Fernández and Aldeguer crashing out on lap 12 and 17 respectively and Bagnaia suffering an issue on lap 18, Rins moved up to 13th again. Riding a lonely race at that time, he held the position to the finish line, crossing it 23.509s from first.

After today’s results, Quartararo stays in 9th place in the overall standings with 182 points, and Rins holds 19th position with 63 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are 6th in the team championship with 245 points, and Yamaha remain in 5th position in the constructor championship with 221 points.

MotoGP will be back in action next in two weeks’ time for the Grand Prix of Portugal, held at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve from 7-9 November.

 

MASSIMO MEREGALLI – Team Director, Monster Energy Yamaha

“Let’s start by giving credit to Fabio, who did extremely well again. He gave it his all in the opening stages once more and then really took care of the soft tyres whilst still riding defensively. Ultimately, this allowed him to take another positive fifth place, which is especially a good result considering the challenging Friday. Álex also had to find a balance between riding at the limit and managing the tyres, but in the mid-pack in these high temperatures this is quite complicated. In the end, he crossed the line in 13th place. We now fly back to Europe. A week off is well deserved for the riders and the team before we start the final two rounds of the season.”

 

Fabio Quartararo (20) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha

 

Fabio Quartararo: “It was quite a good race. Every time we start before Moto2, I can be aggressive on the first laps, and today I could push. But, like everyone, I had to save the tyres and try to avoid going over the limit. It’s tricky on the softs, but I think we did a great job. I tried to keep the pace. With Joan, I was riding defensively. I tried to close everything and be as fast as possible. At one moment, Franky overtook me quite aggressively in the last corner – it’s racing, so it’s normal – but after that I had to slow down. Finishing 5th-7th was the goal for today, so I’m quite happy.”

 

Alex Rins (42) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha

 

Alex Rins: “We have been struggling since FP1 this weekend, and it looks like when grip levels are low and temperatures are high, it affects us more than the others. So, we were expecting a really tough Race. In the beginning, I could have gone faster than I did. The problem was that I was thinking about the end of the Race. Maybe this smooth riding on the first seven laps, losing positions, allowed me to stay in P13 in the last laps. So, it was a tough weekend, but we need to keep going.”

 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3: 

And the overseas tour is a wrap for 2025, as the Grand Prix of Malaysian was our final stop in Asia before the championship heads back to Europe for the two final rounds of the season in Portugal and Valencia. Enea Bastianini delivered another stunning performance in the main race, as he fought his way to the 7th position after starting from P19, another stunning remontada from the Italian. Unfortunately, Pol Espargaro will leave Sepang with a bittersweet feeling, after the Spaniard crashed in lap 5 despite showing solid early pace.

Some of the toughest race conditions of the calendar awaited the MotoGP™ grid with 35° in the air and 55° on the ground, as lights were out at 3pm local time for 20 laps. It was not the ideal start for Pol Espargaro who dropped two positions within the first corners, and he sat in 14th after one lap of racing, but he charged through Alex Rins ahead in the next lap to go up to 13th, right behind teammate Brad Binder who had taken a solid launch from 18th. The number 44 had set himself into a solid early pace, with lap 2 already in 1’59.970, as he could close the gap on Binder. On his side, Enea Bastianini had gained 3 positions within the first two laps to 16th, and lap 3 was all about the battle for 15th against Jack Miller, a battle he eventually won to settle in the point-scoring positions after 3 laps. Meanwhile, the front trio of Alex Marquez, Francesco Bagnaia and Pedro Acosta was producing amazing battles for the lead. Unfortunately, while waiting for his moment to overtake Binder, Espargaro crashed at lap 5 from 12th, a great shame for the Spaniard who had much more today. Sooo, Red Bull KTM Tech3’s hopes were now all on Enea Bastianini, who was producing an encouraging pace with a 2’00.106 on lap 4. Espargaro crashing out meant P14 after 5 laps for the ‘Bestia’, and next he was through Alex Rins to 13th, behind Marco Bezzecchi. At the front, Alex Marquez had come out on top with a 0.8 seconds gap on Bagnaia-Acosta, with next in 4th Fabio Quartararo 1.6 seconds behind. Halfway through the race, Bastianini was still in 13th, but with the gap now completely closed on Bezzecchi, and his better rhythm saw him eventually go through the Aprilia on lap 12. Binder was the next target, and we were up to 11th now. Luca Marini and Johann Zarco were the next victims of Enea’s remontada, as Enea was now up to 9th with just 4 laps remaining. Fermin Aldeguer’s late crash and Francesco Bagnaia’s technical issue meant two more positions were gained, as we saw Enea Bastianini crossed the finish line in 7th! It is another amazing race performance from Bastianini, as he wraps up a tricky weekend in Malaysia on a sweet note.

Coming up next, the Grand Prix of Portugal, on November 7-8-9!

 

Enea Bastianini (23) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Tech3.

 

Enea Bastianini:My life is complicated! Starting on Friday, I was nervous because I had no confidence with the bike. On Saturday, we resolved some problems in the sprint, and we arrived on Sunday prepared, ready to fight for the top 10. Starting from far is tough, I gave it my all, but it is difficult to recover positions on that track, as the front tire is getting hotter and hotter, but anyway, I am happy with the job done today. We are still missing a bit of consistency, especially on time attacks, because every time we put on new tires, all KTM riders improve, and not me, so it is something that we need to understand, and I’m sure we can get better. Last year, I had the same issue, and we resolved it, so I am confident that we will find a way to solve it too with the KTM.”

 

Pol Espargaro (44) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Tech3.

 

Pol Espargaro:It is painful to crash so early in the race, of course, so there is not much to say. However, we need to take the positives, because I think that we had in our hands another top 10. Our speed was decent in the first laps, but it is racing, and a small mistake can change your Sunday. I think that everyone at KTM did a decent job at trying to keep the tires alive, we were working a lot yesterday to prepare for the main race. When I was behind Brad (Binder), I think that I was chilling a little bit too much, as I did not want to make a mistake, so maybe I waited a little bit too long, and I was probably not in the right position in the turn I crashed. It is a pity that I could not finish, but I am really happy that we have 3 KTMs in the top 10 today!”

 

Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager:It was a good Sunday for Enea Bastianini in Sepang, as he gained 12 positions in the race to finish in P7, which is a great performance. However, it gives us the same bittersweet feeling as usual, because he would probably have been fighting for the top 5 if he had qualified better. When you see the final position of Pedro Acosta, you really believe it would have been possible. We still have two races left to try improving our main weakness, so let’s work towards that goal, we will give it our all until the end. Pol Espargaro had a really positive weekend once again, qualified directly in Q2, and a finish close to the top 10 in the sprint. Unfortunately, he had a small crash while fighting for the top 10 positions today. Anyway, he delivered another great weekend for us, he has shown that our package can be competitive, and we want to thank him again for these two rounds in Australia and Malaysia. It is time to pack, and head back to Europe to finish the season, but before that, we will all have a well deserved week of rest! See you all in Portugal!”

 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing: 

Challenging race for Aprilia Racing at Sepang.

The full-distance race at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit proved challenging for Aprilia Racing. Starting back in 14th, Marco Bezzecchi struggled to make up ground in a difficult race. He had to settle for eleventh, but the points were enough to keep him third in the Riders’ standings on 291 points.

Lorenzo Savadori continued his vital development work on the RS-GP25 throughout the race, finishing sixteenth, just outside the points zone.

Rookie Ai Ogura from the Trackhouse MotoGP Team also delivered a strong performance, finishing tenth and helping to bring two Aprilia RS-GP25s into the points.

 

Marco Bezzecchi (72) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Aprilia Racing

 

Marco Bezzecchi:It certainly wasn’t a good day, beginning this morning with the terrible Moto3 accident involving Rueda and Dettwiler. As for my performance, sadly, I struggled. It was quite a tough race, and I couldn’t really overtake anyone. I couldn’t have done any better today, and I’m disappointed, but at least we scored a few points. Now we’ll work even harder for the last two races of the season.” 

 

Lorenzo Savadori (32) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Aprilia Racing

 

Lorenzo Savadori:It’s a pity because I lost some time at the start, battling with Chantra – my pace early on was good enough to stay with the group. Then, running in the slipstream, the temperatures rose and the tyre started to drop off. We’ll keep trying new things, and we already have some ideas we’ll test at Jerez in two days during private testing.”

 

Massimo Rivola – CEO Aprilia Racing: “It was a tough weekend; we knew we were heading to a track that doesn’t particularly suit us. Unfortunately, as has happened before this season with the RS-GP25 —much more competitive than previous bikes— the performance came a bit too late, and missing direct access to Q2 put us on the back foot. The sprint was excellent, with Marco always strong in overtaking, while in the race the choice of the front tyre affected his performance, but that’s easy to say now. We now look ahead to the final two GP’s with our goals clearly in mind and the determination to give our best straight away in Portimão.”

 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by CASTROL Honda LCR:

CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco finishes 12th at the Sepang International Circuit.

  • From 9th on the grid, and after feeling some improvements during Saturday’s Sprint, Johann Zarco was determined to push again for a good result in Sunday’s race.
  • The French rider made a strong start and was fighting for the top seven positions in the early stages.
  • However, in the closing laps, extreme tyre consumption caused by the high temperatures prevented him from maintaining the pace of the top 10. Zarco eventually crossed the line in 12th place, securing valuable championship points.
  • Despite the tough conditions, Zarco showed solid progress throughout the weekend, regaining confidence and demonstrating positive signs as the team heads into the final races of the season.
 
Johann Zarco (5) at Sepang. Photo courtesy honda LCR.
 
Johann Zarco: “I was happy with the start of the race and the first laps. I was in a good position and could control my pace for a while, which I wanted to maintain for the whole race, as I wasn’t that far from the group ahead. However, as the laps went by, it became more difficult; I couldn’t manage the tyre drop, and that’s when other riders overtook me. I tried to finish the race as well as possible, and overall, after many struggles, we had a solid weekend. We need to keep making progress.”

 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha: 

Tough Malaysian GP for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP: Miller 14th, Oliveira 19th.

It was a bitter Malaysian GP for the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP team, which wrapped up the 20th round of the Championship with Jack Miller finishing 14th, while Miguel Oliveira, after remounting following a crash on lap 10, crossed the line in 19th place. The next stop will be in two weeks‘ time at the Portuguese GP in Portimão.

 

A difficult Sunday closed out an already complicated weekend for the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP team. At the Sepang International Circuit, the team managed to bring home just a handful of points, two from Jack Miller, who completed the 20-lap race in 14th position. A crash on lap 10 ended Miguel Oliveira‘s hopes early, though the Portuguese rider was able to rejoin the race and finish 19th.

With the two points earned today, Miller‘s season total rises to 68, putting him 18th in the overall standings. Oliveira remains at 36 points in 20th place, while the Prima Pramac Yamaha team sits 11th in the Teams‘ Championship with 107 points.

With the 20th round behind them — closing out the four-race non-European stretch — Prima Pramac Yamaha will return to the track in two weeks‘ time in Portimão, Portugal, for the 21st and penultimate round of the 2025 World Championship.

 

GINO BORSOITeam Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP

“It was a complicated weekend. The race was very difficult, especially for Miller, who couldn‘t find enough grip to perform well on corner exits, and on the straights, as always when you‘re in a group, we were missing a bit of top speed. In the end, he ran a race that was in line with the targets we had set. As for Oliveira, it‘s a shame. We were struggling from the start of the weekend, and although we managed to improve a few things, recovering from the back is never easy. Now we head to Portimão, and I hope his home race gives him the boost he needs to achieve a good result, because he really deserves it.”

 

Jack Miller (43) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Yamaha

 

Jack Miller: I tried to manage the tires as best as I could, being very gentle at the beginning of the race to make sure I could get to the end and hopefully have something left in my pocket. But I had the same issues as the guys around me. Rins was in the same boat as me, nursing most of the race, even though it seemed like he had a little bit more on the corner exits. In the end, I focused on bringing it home rather than ending up in the gravel. I hope we can be more competitive in Portimão.”

 

Miguel Oliveira (88) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Yamaha

 

Miguel Oliveira: “The same thing as Saturday happened — a small front-end crash with no warning. I thought that today, with the medium front tire, things would be better, but it was hard to manage the grip. I was riding comfortably despite the difficulties we were facing, but there wasn‘t much we could do. The ambitions could have been higher, but today the best we could have managed was to finish alongside the two other Yamahas.”

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo Team:

Francesco Bagnaia and the Ducati Lenovo Team forced to retire at Sepang due to an unexpected setback while battling for the podium. Michele Pirro finishes seventeenth.

The Ducati Lenovo Team wrapped up the twentieth Grand Prix of the 2025 MotoGP season at the Sepang International Circuit. Francesco Bagnaia was forced to retire with three laps to go while running in third place, and Michele Pirro finished seventeenth.

Bagnaia lost the lead on lap two but kept Alex Márquez in close range for more than half the race distance. After defending second place well from Pedro Acosta’s attacks, he dropped to third and began to lose ground. With three laps remaining, Pecco returned to the pits and retired due to a flat rear tyre. Michele Pirro completed the weekend with a seventeenth-place finish.

As the twentieth Grand Prix draws to a close, with Marc Márquez already crowned World Champion, Francesco Bagnaia sits fourth in the standings, five points behind third place. The Triple Crown is completed by the Teams’ title secured by the Ducati Lenovo Team and the Constructors’ title clinched by Ducati.

The Ducati Lenovo Team will return to Europe to tackle the penultimate event of the season at Portimão’s Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, from November 7th to 9th.

 

Francesco Bagnaia (63) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Ducati

 

Francesco Bagnaia: “First of all, my thoughts go to Rueda and Dettwiler for what happened to them in the Moto3 race, and I keep my fingers crossed for them. When such things happen, everything else becomes less important. Today we were unlucky, as we had a flat rear tyre. This happened on lap twelve and then, little by little, the pressure kept dropping. I thought I had managed the tyre wear the wrong way, but after analysing the data, the issue was clearly there. Unfortunately, these things can happen. Overall though, it was a positive weekend despite how it ended.”

 

Michele Pirro (51) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Ducati

 

Michele Pirro: “We completed this hot weekend at Sepang with good feedback. In the race, while I was tailing another rider, I could feel changes in the bike’s behaviour – something I had never experienced before, as during testing I always ride on my own. The lap times improved as the race progressed, and I further narrowed the gap to the frontrunners. We tried new parts for next year and tested several set-up adjustments, working ahead of time for the future.”

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by IDEMITSU Honda LCR: 

IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Somkiat Chantra finished 15th in Sunday’s race at the Sepang International Circuit.

  • Facing once again a comeback race and determined to fight for his goals, Chantra made a solid start from 20th on the grid.
  • The extreme heat and tyre consumption were the main challenges to manage, but Somkiat rode consistently and avoided mistakes throughout the 20 laps.
  • In the end, he crossed the line in 15th position, scoring points once again and demonstrating resilience and hard work.

 

Somkiat Chantra (35) at Sepang. Photo courtesy IDEMITSU Honda LCR
 
Somkiat Chantra: “I’m happy to get the points again. It wasn’t a bad race, but I struggled with tyre consumption; it was demanding. I had difficulties managing both the front and the rear tyres until the end, so I focused on avoiding mistakes and secured 15th place. In the end, it was a good result!”

 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Yamaha Factory Racing: 

Yamaha V4-Powered Prototype Successfully Completes Second Full-Length MotoGP Race.

The Yamaha Factory Racing Team used the Grand Prix of Malaysia Sunday to collect more valuable dry-track data at the Sepang International Circuit. Wild-card entry Augusto Fernández stuck to his plan of using the 20-lap MotoGP Race to push the V4-Powered Prototype in a full-length MotoGP Race setting and rode it to an 18th place across the finish line.

The Yamaha Factory Racing Team completed their testing programme in today’s MotoGP Race at the Grand Prix of Malaysia. Wild-card entry Augusto Fernández wrapped up the 20-lap contest in 18th place in the Yamaha V4-Powered Prototype’s second full-length MotoGP Race.

Augusto Fernández started from P23 and gained a position early on by overtaking Michele Pirro. The Yamaha test rider had made his plans clear for the Sunday: he was determined to complete all 20 laps and gather dry-track data while pushing in the race. Though he wasn’t able to stay with a rider group, he put his head down. With a competitor taking a fall on lap 5, the number-7 rode steadily in 21st position. Two more riders crashing out and Miguel Oliveira dropping to the back of the pack had Augusto Fernández climb as high as 19th before he started to battle with a charging Pirro with 7 laps to go. Augusto Fernández was pushed down to 20th, but as another two riders failed to make it to the chequered flag, he ultimately crossed the finish line in 18th place, 47.060s from first.

After today’s results, Augusto Fernández still holds joint-24th place in the championship standings with 8 points, and Yamaha is in 5th position in the constructor championship with 221 points.

Augusto Fernandez (7) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Yamaha Factory Racing

 

Augusto Fernandez: “It was a busy weekend, and we have settled on a clear direction to take for the next test and wild-card race weekend in Valencia to improve further. We have been working on the balance of the bike, and we need to keep working on it and set a base. The process will take a bit of time, so we need to keep working hard.”

Moto2: World Championship Race Results From Malaysia

Moto2 race start at Sepang. Photo courtesy Dorna.

Jake Dixon won the shortened FIM Moto2 World Championship race Sunday at Petronas Sepang International Circuit, in Malaysia. Riding his ELF Marc VDS Racing Boscoscuro on Pirelli control tires, the Brit won the 11-lap race by 2.035-seconds.

David Alonso was the runner-up on his CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team Kalex.

Barry Baltus was third on his Fantic Racing Kalex.

Alonso’s teammate, Daniel Holgado finished fourth.

Diogo Moreira took fifth on his Italtrans Racing Team Kalex.

American Joe Roberts crashed his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.

Diogo Moreira leads the championship with 256 points, 9 ahead of Manuel Gonzalez who has 247 points. Barry Baltus is third with 221 points.

 

Classification moto2 race

 

worldstanding moto2

 

More from a press release issued by Dorna: 

Dixon victorious as Moreira takes over in title race after Gonzalez crashes. The biggest title twist of 2025 as Gonzalez crashes, Moreira leads the way and Dixon wins to remain in contention. 

A dramatic Moto2™ encounter saw Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) claim Moto2™ honours at Sepang in a red-flagged Grand Prix of Malaysia. Dixon managed to hit the front on Lap 3 of the restart and never looked back, finishing ahead of David Alonso (CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team) and his polesitting teammate Daniel Holgado. The pendulum swung again in the title race too, as Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) fell from a top five place with just a few laps to go; chief title rival Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) finished fifth and thus leads the Championship for the first time in 2025 with his two-point deficit converted into a nine-point advantage.

Holgado got the dream launch in the original start but further back, there was drama for Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team), who fell on the exit of Turn 5. This brought out the red flag and whilst the American was able to walk away, everyone would need to go again in a shortened 11-lap scrap for honours. On the second restart, it was a carbon copy as Holgado again grabbed the holeshot whilst Dixon battled intensely behind with 2020 Moto3 World Champion and arch-rival Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2). By Turn 14, the #96 was through and began hunting down Holgado.

At Turn 4 on Lap 3, the British star made his move into the lead, getting the job done and then setting a relentless pace to break away. The scrap was further behind as Gonzalez had his hands full with Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing), with the Belgian still in title contention and thus not giving an inch to the #18. Behind, Moreira was fighting his way through. Having previously had contact with Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) at Turn 6 whilst fighting for P9, he’d moved up to P6 with just four laps to go, passing a fading Arenas.

With just one place between the two title heavyweights, it all came to a crashing halt for Gonzalez who fell at Turn 15 with just three to go. The long-time Championship leader dropped the ball at the wrong time and with a clear view of it, Moreira knew this was his chance. Inheriting fifth, all he had to do was get to the finish, whilst Gonzalez’s crash had also brought Baltus and Dixon back into mathematical contention.

Across the line, it was a seventh Moto2™ victory and a third of the season for the Brit, who is now 41 behind new Championship leader Moreira with 50 remaining. Alonso took his fourth podium of the season and his second in as many rounds, ahead of Baltus who, like Dixon, remains in mathematical contention and is 35 points from the lead. Holgado strengthened his grasp on finishing 2025 as top rookie with fourth, whilst Moreira leads the way after his P5.

Arenas took the chequered flag in sixth place whilst Daniel Muñoz (Red Bull KTM Ajo) finished seventh. Alex Escrig (KLINT Forward Factory Team) was magnificent in P8 for his first points since Austin, whilst Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Tony Arbolino (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) rounded out the top ten.

Asia Talent Cup: Bodie Paige P5 in Race2 At Sepang

Bodie Paige (26) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup.

A week after racing a Team Hammer Suzuki GSX-R750 with ASRA during his Daytona debut, MotoAmerica Talent Cup race winner Bodie Paige finished 5th on his NSF250 Honda, in Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup Race 2 held on Sunday of the MotoGP event weekend in Malaysia, at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit. 

 

Asia Talent Cup Race 2 results

MotoGP: World Championship Race Results From Malaysia

MotoGP Race start at Sepang. Photo courtesy Dorna.

Alex Marquez won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at Petronas Sepang International Circuit, in Malaysia. Riding his BK8 Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP24 on Michelin control tires, the Spaniard won the 20-lap race by 2.676-seconds.

Pedro Acosta was the runner-up on his Red Bull KTM Factory RC16.

The 2020 MotoGP World Champion, Joan Mir finished the race third on his Honda HRC Castrol RC213V.

Franco Morbidelli crossed the finish line fourth on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati Desmosedici GP24.

Fabio Quartararo took fifth on his Monster Energy Yamaha YZR-M1.

Poleman, Francesco Bagnaia suffered mechanical issues on his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP25.

Marc Marquez leads the championship with 545 points, 132 ahead of Alex Marquez who has 413 points. Marco Bezzecchi is third with 291 points.

 

Classification motogp race

 

worldstanding motogp

 

More from a press release issued by Dorna: 

Alex Marquez clinches Sepang victory as Bagnaia suffers late DNF. The #73 wins in Malaysia, Acosta impresses to earn P2 as a late bike problem for the #63 hands Mir a Sunday rostrum. 

After clinching second in the MotoGP World Championship on Saturday, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) backed it up with a commanding Malaysian Grand Prix victory on Sunday. A flawless ride from the #73 saw the Spaniard beat the impressive Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) by 2.6s, while a late issue for Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) handed Joan Mir and Honda HRC Castrol a fantastic P3 at Sepang.

 

Bagnaia earns holeshot, Marquez aggressive early

Just as he did in the Sprint, Bagnaia nailed the start and earned the holeshot, as Acosta fired his way into an early P2. But not for long. Alex Marquez attacked his compatriot at Turn 4, and a lap later, the #73 demoted Bagnaia to P2 with a brilliant move up the inside of the Italian. For the first time this weekend, the #63 wasn’t leading.

 

Bagnaia vs Acosta

On Lap 3, it was Turn 4 again. This time, Acosta was underneath Bagnaia, but the latter bit straight back at Turn 5 to keep the KTM behind him. Acosta then gave it another go at Turn 9, but once more, it wasn’t a move that stuck. This phenomenal duel between Bagnaia and Acosta allowed Marquez to stretch his early lead out to 0.8s, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) a further 0.8s back in P4 – the Frenchman having Mir close for company.

A few laps went by and the situation at the front remained the same. Marquez’s lead was hovering around the second mark, with Acosta still locked onto the rear tyre of Bagnaia. It was 1.9s back to the Quartararo vs Mir fight that was rumbling on nicely, with Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) 1.1s adrift of the two MotoGP World Champions. Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), meanwhile, was 1.5s behind Morbidelli and was struggling to get going in the Grand Prix at this stage.

On Lap 10 of 20, Mir made his move on Quartararo. What did the HRC star have in his pocket now that a bit of free air was ahead of him? The gap to the podium fight was 2.7s as the Grand Prix entered the second half, and now, tyre life was going to be crucial.

The beginning of Lap 12 saw Australian GP winner Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) crash at Turn 1, which was just after Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) also slipped out of contention, while at the front, Marquez was half a second quicker than Pecco and Acosta.

 

Acosta makes his move, Bagnaia suffers bike problem

Then, Acosta pounced. Turn 11 was the place and when the move was made, the gap between Marquez and Acosta was 1.8s, then two seconds. It was a move that stuck for Acosta, with Bagnaia potentially regretting his front medium compound tyre choice now.

Lap 14 saw Marquez land a 2:00.546, a whole second faster than Bagnaia and over half a second quicker than second place Acosta. Mir, in P4, was also in the 2:00s, meaning the #36’s podium chances weren’t done yet – and the same could be said for Morbidelli in P5.

However, on the next two laps, Bagnaia managed to find a bit of pace to limit the damage to his advantage over Mir. With four laps to go, the gap between the Ducati and HRC riders sat at 1.9s, with Acosta 2.5s away from Marquez. It looked like Acosta needed Marquez to make a mistake in the closing stages if he wanted to have a realistic chance of clinching his first MotoGP win.

While a win looked like it was coming for Marquez, the other side of the Gresini garage then witnessed Aldeguer crash out at the final corner, as Bagnaia then encountered an issue on his Ducati. Pecco felt something wasn’t right coming into Turn 1 and immediately started looking down to the rear of his machine. What had gone wrong? It wasn’t clear to us what it was, but whatever the issue, it meant Mir was now in P3, and Pecco was scoring zero points. A disappointing end to a great weekend for Pecco, but a gift for Mir and Honda after their Sprint DNF on Saturday.

And so, the last lap began. Marquez was 2.8s clear of Acosta, who in turn had a very comfortable gap back to Mir. 1.4s split the latter to fourth place Morbidelli, so minus any mistakes, P3 was Mir’s.

After clinching second place overall on Saturday, Marquez completed a fantastic weekend at the office to win for the first time outside of Spain. Kudos to Acosta, that’s another sublime effort from the KTM rider to stick it on the box at Sepang, 13 seconds ahead of the next best KTM, as Mir earns his second Sunday podium of the season with a P3. A great start and end to the flyaway stretch for the 2020 World Champion and HRC.

 

Your Malaysian GP points scorers

Morbidelli had some very strong late race pace to finish in P4, with Quartararo completing the top five after he was forced to sit up at Turn 15 when Morbidelli came barging through. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) earned P6, a couple of seconds ahead of Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3), who came from P19 on the grid to collect a P7 – a great ride from ‘The Beast’.

Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) rounded out the top 10, the trio finishing ahead of 11th place Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing). It was a low-key round for Bezzecchi and Aprilia, but Pecco’s unfortunate DNF means they move back into P3 overall.

The final points on offer went to Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR), Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP), and Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR).

 

Next up: Portimao

With second in the championship now wrapped up by Marquez, all attention turns to the P3 fight. Bezzecchi and Pecco are split by five points, with Acosta now only 31 points behind Bezzecchi, meaning he’s not out of the equation yet either.

We’ll see you in Portugal.

MotoGP Malaysian GP results!

Moto3 : World Championship Race Results From Malaysia

Moto3 race at Sepang. Photo courtesy Dorna.

Taiyo Furusato won the shortened FIM Moto3 World Championship race Sunday at Petronas Sepang International Circuit, in Malaysia. Using his Pirelli-shod Honda Team Asia racebike, the Japanese rider won the 10-lap race by 2.259-seconds.

Angel Piqueras was the runner-up on his Frinsa – MT Helmets – MSI KTM.

Adrian Fernandez was third on his Leopard Racing Honda and his teammate David Almansa finished the race fourth. 

Piqueras’ teammate, Ryusei Yamanaka crossed the finish line fifth. 

Jose Antonio Rueda leads the championship with 365 points, 114 ahead of Angel Piqueras who has 251 points. Maximo Quiles is third with 237 points.

 

Classification race moto3

 

worldstanding moto3

 

More from a press release issued by Dorna: 

Furusato takes maiden Moto3™ victory at Sepang. A shortened Moto3 encounter after a delay was won by the Japanese star who rode a perfect Grand Prix to win by 2.259s. 

Moto3 got their Grand Prix underway later than previously scheduled; during the sighting lap, there was an incident involving Noah Dettwiler (CIP Green Power) and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo), which led to the Grand Prix being delayed. Both riders were taken to hospital by medical helicopter and the new race start pushed back until the medical helicopter could return. When the Grand Prix got underway over 10 laps, Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) took a first win in the class ahead of Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) and Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing).

Grabbing the holeshot, Furusato led the way throughout the opening lap whilst polesitter David Almansa (Leopard Racing) was just ahead of a fast-starting Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team). By the end of Lap 3, Almansa had briefly retaken the lead but soon enough, the #72 of Furusato battled back to P1. By half distance, Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) had worked his way into P2, getting ahead of Quiles at Turn 4 on Lap 5 before the Spaniard retaliated at Turn 9. Fernandez had also surged into contention from the fourth row of the grid and picked Pini’s pocket, the #94 now fourth. Fernandez was now into P2 whilst at Turn 2 on Lap 6, Quiles had the most remarkable of front-end slides but somehow kept it upright.

It was a Honda 1-2-3 at the front with Furusato’s lead hovering at around a second, ahead of Fernandez and Almansa, although the second of the Leopard Racing Hondas was shuffled back to fifth by a hard-charging Pini and Piqueras, although the #22 responded at Turn 9 to retake fourth. Pini had likewise elevated himself into second and all the fighting of the remaining podium positions gave Furusato a one second lead with three laps to go. Almansa lost the front at the final corner on Lap 8 but managed to stay on track, dropping him down to P6 and out of the podium battle and instead behind Quiles. A lap later and Turn 15 spelt the end of Pini’s Grand Prix, the Italian out of podium battle in an attempt to pass Fernandez.

Onto the final lap and with Furusato clearing off into the distance, the fight was for second but at Turn 9, soon settled as Fernandez had a huge slide, handing it to Piqueras. Across the line for his first Grand Prix victory, Furusato was unstoppable to bag Honda’s first win of 2025. Piqueras clinched second whilst Fernandez came home third ahead of teammate Almansa, with three Hondas in the top four. Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) came through to complete the top five, ahead of Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo).

Quiles came home seventh and with that was crowned Rookie of the Year ahead of Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) who came up from 15th for his first top ten since his P7 at Assen. In ninth place, Brian Uriarte (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) who was forced off-track by Quiles on the final lap at Turn 7 whilst Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) clinched P10. Elsewhere, home wildcard Hakim Danish (AEON CREDIT SIC Racing MSI) set the fastest lap but retired with a technical issue.

Moto3 results!

The 2026 KTM 990 RC R Races Onto The Streets

MY26 KTM 990 RC R. Photo courtesy KTM
Throttle hands have been itching for it, and now the production 2026 KTM 990 RC R is on the horizon. And, for riders, this highly-anticipated new Supersport entry from KTM is ready to widen the thrills of the street and narrow the margins for lap-times on track.
 
The KTM 990 RC R arrives with elevated specifications and serves as a refined ‘R’platform that will have you READY TO RACE, but is also engineered with the ergonomics for day-to-day use and offers the best of both arenas. This up-specced model will reset the perception of performance, enjoyment, and style in the next generation Supersport segment.
 
A natural extension of the KTM RC line-up, the KTM 990 RC R has been years in the making with a wealth of data garnered by KTM’s Research and Development, as well as aerodynamic data from its Motorsport program. Fabricated and assembled in Austria, the bike has a purpose-built steel chassis (and diecast aluminum subframe) with exceptional front-end feel, in addition to a firm, agile character that still offers immense stability. The powerful LC8c engine cranks out class-leading horsepower and torque, launching the machine away from any traffic light as though it was the front row of the grid. 
 
MY26 KTM 990 RC R in action. Photo courtesy KTM.
 
Sporting DNA is immediately transparent through the aesthetic of the KTM 990 RC R with the wind tunnel-developed aerodynamics, 320 mm Brembo 4-piston caliper HyPure brakes, attuned bodywork, WP APEX suspension and 8.8” TFT dash that reveals the Ride Modes: RAIN, STREET, SPORT, and CUSTOM. Optional Ride Modes include TRACK and two more CUSTOM Modes with telemetry such as lean angle and throttle opening rates for acceleration, as well as four, advanced standard ABS Modes: STREET, SPORT, SUPERMOTO+ and SUPERMOTO ABS.
 
The specifications of the KTM 990 RC R are a clear indication of the racing genesis of the project, but KTM’s goal is to offer an effective and appealing motorcycle for riders who also want to turn heads on the street. This is evident through its READY TO RACE riding position that is sharp in its stance, while having riders dialed for those longer journeys at speed. 
 
A six-point ergonomics contact patch gives comfy support for knees, arms and hands, and adjustable footrests will accommodate tall or shorter riders, or allow for steeper lean angles at the apex. Weight has been trimmed where possible and remains complemented by attention to detail – inclusive of the 4.2-gallon (16-liter) fuel tank that enables riders to go the distance. 
 
The 2026 KTM 990 RC R will be coming off production lines in November 2025 and will arrive in authorized KTM dealers soon afterward. 
 
 
MY26 KTM 990 RC R. Photo courtesy KTM
 
Riaan Neveling, Global KTM Brand Manager: “At KTM we like the fast-paced life and the KTM 990 RC R is a bike that we’ve been impatient to show for some time now. Why? Through all our model segments and strong technology, we know we’ve been missing that motorcycle that gets a certain type of rider excited. We kick ass when it comes to Naked bikes, Adventure bikes and, of course, Offroad, among others, but this is the expression we’ve wanted to deliver for some time. It’s our link to all the efforts to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MotoGP project and our outlet for the sea of information and data that has come the way of our Mattighofen R&D experts.”
 
The KTM 990 RC R’s journey to realization has been charted from discussions to design to delivery in a special video series that can be seen HERE
 
Riders, racers and authentic performance-seekers can choose between orange and black versions of the 2026 KTM 990 RC R.
 
 
MY26 KTM 990 RC R. Photo courtesy KTM
 
Plus, KTM has always stayed true to its READY TO RACE core, and the dedicated track rider is no exception. Arriving early 2026, the KTM 990 RC R TRACK is set to make its debut as a pure, track-only machine engineered to deliver performance straight from the Mattighofen production line. Available to order through KTM Authorized Dealers, the KTM 990 RC R TRACK is far more than a street bike conversion. Stripped of unnecessary components and fitted with essentials for serious track use – including a reduced dashboard, dedicated electronics, removed ABS modulator, direct brake lines, a track-optimized gearbox, and more – it’s built to bring riders closer to the apex from day one. Full technical details of this new model will be revealed early next year.
 
In addition, KTM is set to launch the KTM 990 RC R CUP in Europe during spring 2026. Designed for riders looking to progress beyond standard track days, the KTM 990 RC R CUP offers an accessible entry point into racing without the pressure of competing against seasoned professionals. To further elevate the experience, professional KTM riders will be present at each round, sharing insights and mentoring participants to sharpen their skills on track. The KTM 990 RC R CUP will be open to both the street-homologated version and the dedicated KTM 990 RC R TRACK model. For more info about the CUP go to KTM.com.

MotoGP: More From Saturday At Sepang

MotoGP Sprint race at Sepang. Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha

More from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo Team:

Francesco Bagnaia and the Ducati Lenovo Team win the Sepang Sprint starting from pole. Michele Pirro finishes twentieth.

The Ducati Lenovo Team enjoyed a dominant Saturday at the Sepang International Circuit courtesy of Francesco Bagnaia, who came out victorious in the Sprint from pole position. Michele Pirro completed the encounter in twentieth place.

Bagnaia, who took pole after progressing through Q1, had an excellent start to the race and gradually pulled away from his opponents lap after lap up to the chequered flag. This is Pecco’s second win of the season in a Saturday race. Michele Pirro, twenty-second on the grid, finished twentieth at the flag.

The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action tomorrow morning at 9:40 local time (GMT +8) for the warm-up, followed by the Grand Prix of Malaysia, which will be contested over a 20-lap distance from 15:00.

 

Francesco Bagnaia on the podium after his victory in Sprint race. Photo courtesy Ducati Lenovo Team.

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st
“This win is for the team, who work tirelessly. This season we’ve been alternating between excellent performances and very complicated moments, and all together we’re trying to find the reason behind these ups and downs. After yesterday’s difficulties in the time attack, we made some adjustments that helped me quite a bit, both in qualifying and in the Sprint. We had a small issue that limited me a little under braking, but I still managed to be incisive – and the feeling was good.”

 

Michele Pirro (51) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Ducati Lenovo Team.

Michele Pirro (#51 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 20th
“It was a tough and hot race, but if I look at the overall gap I had in the Australian Sprint, we made significant steps forward. The level of this MotoGP is extremely high and my role is different from the other riders’, so I focused on keeping a consistent pace and managing the tyre wear. I’m super happy about Pecco’s result; it was great to see him competitive again.”
 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by BK8 Gresini Team:

A Gresini podium: Alex Marquez seals the runner-up spot, Fermin Aldeguer is rookie of the year.

 

Sprint – MalaysianGP

  • 2nd – ALEX MARQUEZ #73 
  • 3rd – FERMIN ALDEGUER #54 (7th after being disqualified)

 

World Championship Standings

  • 2nd – ALEX MARQUEZ #73 (388 points)
    Runner Up MotoGP 2025
  • 8th – FERMIN ALDEGUER #54 (186 points)
    Rookie of the Year 2025

 

Alex Marquez and all the Gresini Team celebrating the second place in world championship. Photo courtesy Gresini

 

Alex Marquez:It was a great season, we deserved it and I had never thought I would have done better than Marc or Enea this season. We did it and we’re happy. I wasn’t honestly happy with the Sprint, I didn’t ride as I could have, I was stiff. Let’s see if tomorrow we can do something to improve and be more competitive.”

 

Fermin Aldeguer is the 2025 MotoGP Rookie of the year. Photo courtesy Gresini Team.

 

Fermin Aldeguer: “We could have become rookie of the year in Australia, but honestly speaking it’s much better to have done it here. It was one of the goals for the year, along with winning a race and we achieved both things. Now we’ll aim at continuing our growth, making it into Q2 and wrap up this championship the best way possible.”

* Fermin penalized 8 seconds for tire pressure.

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha: 

Sepang Sprint Ends in P5 & P15 for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP. 

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo showed his mettle in the opening laps of the Grand Prix of Malaysia Sprint. He completed the race in P6. However, following a post-Sprint 8-second penalty for Fermín Aldeguer, Quartararo ranked fifth in the amended classifications. Álex Rins lost some ground in the middle stages of the 10-lap dash and went on to finish in 15th place.

 

 

The Grand Prix of Malaysia Sprint was a challenging outing for the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team. Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins were pushing in the 10-lap contest but were unable to make strides. They went on to ride to a P6 and P15 result respectively. Following a post-Sprint 8-second penalty for Fermín Aldeguer, Quartararo moved up to 5th in the revised classifications.

Starting from P4 on the grid, Quartararo initially held his position but soon got in a scrap with Franco Morbidelli, and Joan Mir grabbed the opportunity to slip through. While Quartararo kept battling with Morbidelli, also Aldeguer snuck past, so the number-20 rider settled in seventh. On lap 5, Mir crashed, allowing El Diablo back into the top 6. The Yamaha man eventually lost touch with Morbidelli and instead focused on making sure that Marco Bezzecchi wouldn’t catch up. Quartararo finished in sixth place, 8.468s from first.

Rins commenced the 10-lap dash from P10 but fell back to twelfth on the first lap. In the two following laps he engaged in a brief battle with a charging Bezzecchi and Enea Bastianini and was relegated to P14. The number-42 rider briefly gained a position when Mir crashed on lap 5, but over the course of lap 3-6 he dropped to P16 as he was unable to ride defensively like he wanted to. A crash by Luca Marini on lap 8, had the Spaniard holding 15th position when he arrived at the chequered flag, which he took 17.721s from the winner.

After today’s results, Quartararo stays in 9th place in the overall standings with 171 points, and Rins holds 19th position with 60 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are 6th in the team championship with 231 points, and Yamaha remain in 5th position in the constructor championship with 210 points.

The team will be back in action tomorrow* for Warm Up, held from 10:40-10:50 GMT +8, and the 20-lap Race, which starts at 15:00.

*On Sunday, October 26th, daylight saving time will start in Europe. The clocks in Malaysia do not change, increasing the time difference between Malaysia and Europe by one hour for the Sunday.

 
 
MASSIMO MEREGALLI – Team Director, Monster Energy Yamaha:
 
“Today we didn’t quite obtain the outcome we were aiming for. While having both riders qualify inside the top 10 is a good result, Fabio had set his sights on the front row, but he ultimately had to settle for P4. In the Sprint, Fabio managed the tyres pretty well and achieved a positive sixth place, which later became P5. Álex struggled to find the right feeling to defend his position and concluded the race in P15. We’ll analyse today’s data thoroughly to identify areas for improvement ahead of tomorrow’s Race, which promises to be long and demanding for both riders.”
 
 
 
Fabio Quartararo (20) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha

 

Fabio Quartararo: “I did my best. At the beginning, various rivals around me had a really good pace, and I lost a lot of time battling with Franky. But I have to say, I haven’t enjoyed a battle that much in a long time. I think my pace was not so bad too, considering where we were yesterday. I gave it my 100%. I expected to be faster at the end of the race, with a bit less tyre drop, but it was similar to the guys in front.”

 

Alex Rins (42) At Sepang. Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha

 

Alex Rins: “It was really tough, but we already knew from FP2. We can be competitive on one lap, but not over a whole race distance. The tyre drop after some laps is really big for us. We need to analyse it and see what we can do.”

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing:

Comeback sprint for Aprilia Racing at Sepang.

The sprint at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit concluded with a strong performance from Aprilia Racing. Starting from 14th on the grid after narrowly missing out on Q2, Marco Bezzecchi pulled off an excellent comeback. The Italian rider managed the sprint with composure amid the early-lap battles, steadily climbing through the field to finish sixth.

Focusing on the development of the RS-GP25, Lorenzo Savadori continued fine-tuning new components under race conditions, crossing the finish line in 18th place.

 

Marco Bezzecchi (72) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Aprilia

 

Marco Bezzecchi: “The start wasn’t bad, and I managed to recover, pulling off a few nice overtakes. My race pace throughout the weekend hasn’t been bad, but unfortunately, I missed the flying lap on Friday and in qualifying. Clearly, things aren’t going quite as well as in the last few races, but we expected to struggle a bit more here. However, it’s proving useful because we’re working on lots of things that can help us in the future.”

 

Lorenzo Savadori (32) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Aprilia Racing

 

Lorenzo Savadori:My race pace was good, and I was close to the pack. Unfortunately, I had some front-end drop-off and had to back off a bit. I also ran wide at the final corner on the last lap. In general, we tried some new things during the race that still need a bit of fine-tuning and improvement. On Sunday, we’ll aim to take another step forward.”

 

 

Fabiano Sterlacchini: “It was definitely a rather challenging day. The layout, temperature and rear grip levels, an issue for all riders, made things a bit tricky for us. There are also a couple of stop-and-go sections we’re still working on. We’ve made good progress over the season, but clearly it’s not enough yet. As we did from Friday to Saturday, we’ll work to identify some solutions to apply in the full race.”

 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by CASTROL Honda LCR: 

CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco has finished 8th in Saturday’s Sprint at the Sepang International Circuit.

  • After a strong qualifying performance, French rider Johann Zarco started from 9th position on the grid.
  • Zarco made a good start, found his rhythm, and controlled the situation throughout the race, ultimately finishing 8th and securing valuable points.
  • The Frenchman admits to feeling more comfortable on the bike and is pleased with his ability to ride confidently, which is a positive sign as he continues to pursue his goals.
  • Today’s data will provide valuable insights for Zarco and his crew, helping them refine the final details ahead of tomorrow’s main race.
 
Johann Zarco (5) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Dorna.
 
Johann Zarco: “It’s great to have my confidence back on the bike. I’m feeling more at ease and able to perform. Since yesterday, it’s been nice to be able to attack, as I did this morning. I lost a few tenths in qualifying, but we did a good job. At Sprint time, I had a solid start and pushed as much as possible. I couldn’t keep up with the pace of the first six riders, so despite my disappointment, I tried to make the most of the situation and finished 8th. I hope we can make some improvements for tomorrow, and we’re feeling confident.”

 

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Idemitsu Honda LCR: 

IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Somkiat Chantra has finished 17th in Saturday’s Sprint at the Sepang International Circuit.

  • The Thai rider faced a comeback Sprint, starting from 20th on the grid, but did so with great confidence on a circuit he enjoys.
  • Chantra made a solid start and managed to handle the situation without mistakes while fighting for his goals.
  • The rider didn’t give up and pushed hard, finishing 17th and gaining important insights for tomorrow’s race.

 

Somkiat Chantra (35) at Sepang. Photo courtesy IDEMITSU Honda LCR.
 
 
Somkiat Chantra: “Today, I used the soft tyres on both the front and rear. From the beginning, I tried to follow the group, but as the laps went on, I struggled to maintain my pace due to a lack of front-end feeling. Then I just tried to manage the situation. Overall, it wasn’t too bad, but tomorrow we’ll make some setup changes and aim to improve.”

 

 

—– 

More from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3:

Enea Bastianini and Pol Espargaro both delivered solid sprint performances on Super Saturday at the Malaysian Grand Prix, under the hot and humid heat of Sepang. If Bastianini failed to qualify well, with a P19-start, he did once again a solid job in the afternoon’s sprint, as he recovered 10 positions to see the checkered flag in 9th, and score a sprint point, something he had not reproduced since his 5th place in Catalonia’s sprint. Meanwhile, Pol Espargaro took the 11th place of the Tissot Sprint, after he had qualified in 12th.

 

Qualifying

As qualifying followed the classic FP2 opening Super Saturday, Enea Bastianini was the first of the Red Bull KTM Tech3 squad to hit the track as he joined a busy Q1 session, alongside the 3 latest race winners, and in-form Marco Bezzecchi. Enea’s first lap was a 1’58.402 while Fermin Aldeguer set the tone with a 1’57.698, before Bastianini found a way to gain a few hundredths to clock a 1’58.189 on lap 3, before his pit stop. He was in a provisional 7th place with Luca Marini and Fermin Aldeguer both provisionally qualified. For run 2, Bastianini could not put it all together to do a good enough lap to make some improvements, and his earlier lap remained his best. He finished in 9th, therefore qualifying in 19th on the grid. Francesco Bagnaia and Fermin Aldeguer were the two riders to go through Q2, joining our own Pol Espargaro, in the fight for the 20th pole position of the season. Espargaro’s first lap was a 1’58.174 while Pedro Acosta was the first to take the top of the timesheets with a 1’57.363. The number 44 was in a provisional 9th place as he rejoined the track for run 2, just behind teammate Acosta. Meanwhile, Fabio Quartararo was in pole with a 1’57.195. Unfortunately for Pol, Acosta crashed in front, and he did not make further improvements. Espargaro is set to start the Malaysian Grand Prix from 12th on the grid, while Francesco Bagnaia meant business as he grabbed his 3rd pole of 2025, followed by Alex Marquez and Franco Morbidelli closing the front row.

 

Tissot Sprint

Under the scorching sun of Malaysia, it was all lights out at 3pm local time for 10 laps of sprint madness, and it was pole sitter Francesco Bagnaia who took the holeshot straight away. From his 12th position, Pol Espargaro took a rocket start himself as 3 positions were gained in the first 3 turns to 8th, but Johann Zarco was quick to answer back as he pushed through Pol, so Espargaro found himself in 9th after one lap. Meanwhile, another one to also take a solid start was Enea Bastianini, who gained 5 positions in one lap to enter lap 2 in P14 behind Marco Bezzecchi. The Italian showed solid early pace with his fastest sprint lap clocked on lap 2 with a 1’59.318, one that saw him close the gap ahead, to then overtake Alex Rins on lap 3 and progress to 13th. Meanwhile, Espargaro was still in 9th, while Bagnaia had already made a 1.1 second-gap on rivals Alex Marquez and Pedro Acosta. The number 44 produced some solid early pace, which allowed him to apply more and more pressure on Zarco ahead, and Joan Mir making a mistake ahead on lap 5 gave Pol his opportunity to move past the LCR rider, and gain two positions to sit in P7 halfway through the 10 lap-shootout. The crashes ahead of both Mir and Oliveira had Bastianini sit in 11th after 6 laps, with now Zarco just 0.2 seconds ahead. Four laps to try making it out to the points! Just a bit further ahead, Pol Espargaro was losing a bit of rhythm as he was overtaken by Bezzecchi, and soon, Luca Marini arrived from behind. Unfortunately, a contact was made between Espargaro and Marini with the HRC rider trying to overtake Pol on the inside. Marini crashed while Pol managed to avoid the worst, but he was back to 12th. In a last effort, he caught back on Raul Fernandez ahead to cross the finish line in 11th. This contact between Espargaro and Marini gifted the two spots Bastianini needed to make it to the points, and that was a P9 for Enea! 10 places gained in 10 laps, an encouraging achievement for the ‘Bestia’ heading to the long distance on Sunday! Don’t miss the final showdown of the Malaysian Grand Prix, with the main race starting at 15:00 local time (UTC+8), for 20 laps!

Enea Bastianini (23) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Tech3

 

Enea Bastianini:As the weekends go by, we improve, day after day, so for sure we improved a bit from yesterday, and we got closer to the others. To be honest, I am not really happy, because the problem remains the same. Every time we jump on the bike at the start of the weekend, we are lacking confidence, and then qualifyings are all the same, I struggle to turn the bike where and when I want, I don’t have a lot of traction especially on the dry. Then during the races, we usually manage to do a good pace. P9 is good, but we must solve our issues.”

 

Pol Espargaro (44) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Tech3

 

Pol Espargaro:I am happy more or less! We had a good pace from the start of the sprint, I could stay with the top guys while managing the rear drop of the tire, which killed us in Australia. I was about to take P8-P9, but then I had a small contact with Luca Marini, nothing bad, but I lost positions, even if I managed to get back one to finish 11th. It is good for us, but we are looking for more tomorrow!”

 

Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager:Today was a good day at the office for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team, despite the little frustration still going on on Enea Bastianini’s side, as weekends keep looking alike. Our main target was clearly to try improving the one-lap performance, but we failed again, as he qualified in P19, which makes everything complicated. The frustration is obviously higher when you see him finishing in P9 of the sprint after recovering 10 positions. Our goal remains the same, and we won’t stop until we have improved this weak point. Pol Espargaro had another strong day, although he struggled a bit in Q2 with the 12th place, but he rode a solid pace in the sprint, and he was fighting for P8 when contact was made with Luca Marini. He dropped to 11th, but he has done a really good job so far, and I think that we can realistically target top 10 finishes for both our riders on Sunday.”

 

 

 

—— 

More from a press release issued by Honda HRC Castrol: 

Disappointing end to promising Sprint Saturday in Sepang. 

A double DNF for Honda HRC Castrol, a tough pill to swallow after Joan Mir chased the podium and Luca Marini was in the midst of another impressive recovery.

The rains held off for the entirety of Saturday at the Sepang International Circuit, allowing for another busy day of work. With ample track time, the gaps between riders only continued to tighten and both Honda HRC Castrol riders looked primed to continue their top five performances with Marini leading the morning session and Mir close behind in fourth with mid 1’58s.

Having clinched the top ten on Friday, Joan Mir converted his Q2 speed into seventh on the grid and set about making his presence known in the Sprint. Attempting to ride around the outside of Fabio Quartararo into Turn 1, the #36 was on the move as he chased the leading trio. Lapping half a second faster than Acosta, the distance evaporated rapidly as Mir gave chase. Losing the front just as he reached the podium battle, Mir was unharmed in the fall, but his Sprint would end prematurely. Despite the crash, Mir and Honda HRC were able to take a number of positives away from the day and will return stronger on Sunday.

Missing Q2 just a few tenths, Luca Marini launched from 13th and put together one of his most aggressive races of the season. With Bezzecchi hot on his heels, Marini muscled his way through and into the top eight to enter the fight for the points. Resuming his intense battle with Pol Espargaro from Phillip Island, Marini attempted to pass the former Honda rider but contact between the two would see Marini fall and Espargaro pushed wide. This is Marini’s first crash of the 2025 MotoGP World Championship season.

The Honda HRC Castrol team have taken valuable lessons from Saturday and will return stronger for the 20-lap Malaysian GP on Sunday. Scheduled for 15:00, the Honda RC213V clearly has more to show around the 5.5 kilometres of the Sepang International Circuit.

 

Joan Mir (36) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Honda HRC

 

Joan Mir: “Not how we wanted to end today, that’s for sure! Our pace was really good even after a disappointing Qualifying, because our partials were better than our overall lap. In the Sprint, my start was positive, and I am riding with a lot of confidence – I think you can see that on TV as well! We need to try and find a bit more grip, I am making a lot up under braking and it’s easier to make a mistake which is what happened. It was my mistake; we checked the data – one of those crashes where you open the throttle a bit earlier than normal. Our speed is there, this is the positive point and it gives the engineers another example of what and where we need to work.”

 

Luca Marini (10) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Honda HRC

 

Luca Marini: “I saw Pol going wide, so I went for the gap but I entered a bit too slowly so he didn’t see me and he came back into the corner. It was my mistake and we touched, I fell. It’s something that can happen and I am OK, a little knock to my finger but nothing serious. A pity because our pace is looking really good and we have the potential to show ourselves. Let’s see what tomorrow can bring, the bike is improving but we need to focus on our one lap speed to make the step that the other riders are able to make. I am confident Honda HRC can do this because the time we have found in just a year is incredible.”

 

 

 

—— 

More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha: 

Challenging Sprint for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP at Sepang: Miller 14th, Oliveira Crashes Out Early. 

The Sprint Race that awarded the first points of the Malaysian GP weekend — round 20 of the MotoGP World Championship — proved tricky for the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP riders. Jack Miller completed the 10-lap race in 14th place, while Miguel Oliveira was forced to retire after a harmless crash at Turn 1 at the start of lap six. Tomorrow brings a chance for redemption in the 20-lap Grand Prix (start at 3:00 p.m. local time / 8:00 a.m. CET), with Miller starting 11th on the grid and Oliveira 16th.

 

 

It was a tough Saturday for the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP squad at the Sepang International Circuit, hosting the 20th round of the MotoGP season. After a challenging qualifying session — with Oliveira eliminated in Q1 and forced to settle for 16th, and Miller unable to piece together a perfect lap despite a promising Friday, ending 11th — the Sprint Race turned into a difficult one for both riders.

Caught in the chaos of Turn 1, Miller lost several positions at the start and ended the opening lap in 15th place. Oliveira also dropped back to 20th. His race was cut short by a low-speed crash at Turn 1 early on lap six, while occupying 18th place. Miller, after battling in the opening laps, stabilized his pace and finished 14th. Tomorrow‘s Grand Prix, scheduled for 3:00 p.m. local time (8:00 a.m. CET), will be a chance to fight back.

Malaysian GP schedule:
Sunday: 10:40 (3:40 CET) Warm-up; 15:00 (8:00 CET) Race (20 laps – 110,86 km)

 

GINO BORSOI – Team Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP

“It was a very difficult race for both riders. They actually started well, but then got caught in traffic at Turn 1 and lost several positions. From there, the race became complicated — stuck in the pack, unable to take their lines, and forced to defend down the straights. For tomorrow, we‘ll try to work on the electronics, as rear-tire management will be a key factor. We haven‘t decided which tire to use yet; we‘ll need to analyze and make the best choice.”

 

Jack Miller (43) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Yamaha

 

Jack Miller:We maybe could have done a little bit more, but it was a difficult race — the front tire was struggling pretty much from the start. And then you‘re racing in the middle of the group, it‘s hot, you can‘t use the rear tire much to stop, and you just suffer. Turn 1 was a nightmare, turn 4 the same, and turn 9 as well. We need to understand how to keep the temperatures more under control. Tomorrow we‘ll try again and see what we can do.”

 

Miguel Oliveira (88) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Yamaha

 

Miguel Oliveira: “There aren‘t many positive things to take from this Sprint. Qualifying was a bit better, but still not enough to get into Q2. Then in the Sprint it was just about surviving — you can‘t push and there‘s very little you can do. I felt the tires overheating right from the beginning, and then I crashed. I did exactly the same as in the previous laps, but the tire just couldn‘t handle it anymore. I‘m disappointed about that, but we‘ll try again tomorrow, even though it‘s going to be a long and tough race.”

 

Alpinestars Launches Limited Edition FLYTE S-R10 Helmet & Supertech R Boot

Jorge Martin with the FLYTE S-R10 Racing Helmet. Photo courtesy Alpinestar.

Alpinestars Unveils Limited Edition FLYTE S-R10 Racing Helmet and Supertech R Vented Boots Inspired by 2024 MotoGP World Champion Jorge Martin.

Petronas Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia Alpinestars presents a bold new design collaboration with 2024 MotoGP World Champion Jorge Martin. Inspired by speed, heat, and the power of flight, the collection features the Supertech R10 Racing Helmet and Supertech R Vented Boots.

The Flyte LE design ignites the track with a flaming motif in deep blues and searing oranges, symbolizing the Martinator’s explosive pace and fearless precision on the bike. The color palette nods to Aprilia’s racing heritage — blending legacy hues with a modern, high-energy aesthetic that mirrors Jorge’s transition to the Aprilia Racing Team.

Engineered for elite performance, both the Supertech R10 Helmet and Supertech R Vented Boots combine MotoGP-proven technology with Alpinestars’ uncompromising commitment to protection, comfort, and style. The result: the ultimate expression of racing performance fused with signature design.

 

Jorge Martin with the FLYTE S-R10 Racing Helmet and Supertech R Vented Boots. Photo courtesy Alpinestar.

 

“The Flyte design reflects my drive always to keep moving forward, no matter what: it’s about personality, energy, and a constant drive towards the goal. Working on this design with Alpinestars at a time like the one I’m going through now, gives me even more motivation and strength to come back. I’ve always liked bold designs, and I think this one perfectly captures my relentless drive and the fire in my soul and personality. – JORGE MARTIN

The Limited Edition Flyte Supertech R10 Helmet and Supertech R Vented Boots give fans the opportunity to experience Jorge Martin’s race-day intensity and unique style — the embodiment of passion, precision, and speed.

The Flyte Collection will be available worldwide starting October 24, 2025, at 6 PM CET / 9 AM PST through alpinestars.com and authorized Alpinestars dealers for €649.95 / $659.95 (Supertech R Vented Boots) and €1,349.95 / $1,549.95 (S-R10 Helmet). Each helmet includes interchangeable race and standard spoilers, clear and dark smoke visors, tear-offs, a Pinlock lens, and wind and breath deflectors — all stored in a premium paddock helmet bag.

 

Jorge Martin with Limited Edition FLYTE S-R10 Racing Helmet. Photo courtesy Alpinestar.

 

Supertech R10 Road Racing Helmet: MotoGP-Performance: 

The Supertech R10 represents Alpinestars’ helmet innovation excellence—the product of extensive research, development, and wind tunnel testing. Designed for aerodynamic efficiency and stability at high speed, the helmet combines advanced ventilation, exceptional comfort, and world-class impact protection, wrapped in an electrifying Flyte graphic that commands attention on and off the grid.

 

Jorge Martin wearing the Supertech R Vented Boots. Photo courtesy Alpinestar.

 

Supertech R Vented Boots: MotoGP-Grade Performance for Track and Road:

The Supertech R Vented Boots set the standard for high-performance protective footwear. Engineered from years of feedback from MotoGP and WorldSBK champions, they offer advanced protection, unmatched flexibility, and superior ventilation. The Flyte edition introduces a striking new graphic that complements the helmet — embodying the heat, motion, and intensity of competition.

Key features include extensive perforations for optimal airflow, a flexible rear bellow for dynamic movement, a TPU shifter for precise feel and superior medial protection, and an ergonomically profiled shin plate for premium impact absorption.

 

 

ABOUT ALPINESTARS: 

Founded in 1963, Alpinestars is the world-leading manufacturer of professional racing products, including motorcycling airbag protection, high-performance apparel, helmets, footwear, and goggles. Alpinestars understands that the best design and research are achieved under extreme conditions. Through its involvement in Formula 1, NASCAR, AMA, World Motocross, and MotoGP, Alpinestars has developed the most advanced technical equipment for the racing world’s top athletes.

Track Daz: Upcoming Track Days

Some students riding during a Track Daz Event. Photo courtesy TrackDaz.

Get signed up today!

Attention in the pits.  

Just a reminder, we’re back at BRP’s new Circuit for the final time in 2025 on Saturday, November 1st.   

For this one, we’re doing the standard ABC format program both days, with 20 minute rotations.   The new Circuit is a fun fast flowing layout, with some fun features to really keep you on your toes.  Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to ride the Circuit one last time before the year ends!!

 

Price for this event is $250 per rider/per day.

 

Get signed up for BRP Circuit November 1st weekend http://www.trackrabbit.com/s/2mo1

 

Check out our latest installment of the Reasonably Priced Sportbike : HERE

Want to save some money on Boxo Tools

Click on link below or use code Trackdaz10:  

https://boxousa.com/TrackDaz

 

NOTE:

TrackDaz is a reseller of KYT Helmets, Attack Performance parts, Yoshimura exhausts, and Pirelli Tires.  If you need tires, don’t hesitate to add them to your trackday registration, and we’ll have them waiting for you with your name on them track-side.   If you’d like other products, let us know your needs, and we’ll do our best to get you handled.

See you at the track!

 

Asia Talent Cup: Bodie Paige Struggles in Race1 At Sepang

Bodie Paige (26) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Asia Talent Cup.

A week after racing a Team Hammer Suzuki GSX-R750 with ASRA during his Daytona debut, MotoAmerica Talent Cup race winner Bodie Paige finished 5th in Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup Qualifying session held on Saturday of the MotoGP event weekend In Malaysia, at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit. Wild-card rider Paige set a time of 2:19.259 (+1.876).

 

Qualifying practice Results

 

However, in Race 1 Paige crashed his NSF250 Honda and didn’t finished  the race.

 

Race 1 results at Sepang.
0FansLike
0FollowersFollow
0FollowersFollow
1,620SubscribersSubscribe

Latest Posts