SEPANG, Malaysia — 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 No. 73 saw the Spaniard beat the impressive Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) by 2.6 seconds, while a late issue for Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) handed Joan Mir and Honda HRC Castrol a fantastic third-place run at Sepang.
Just as he did in the Sprint, Bagnaia nailed the start and earned the holeshot, as Acosta fired his way into second. But not for long. Alex Marquez attacked his compatriot at Turn 4, and a lap later, Marquez demoted Bagnaia to second with a brilliant move up the inside of the Italian. For the first time this weekend, the No. 63 wasn’t leading.
Franco Morbidelli had some very strong late race pace to finish fourth, with Fabio Quartararo completing the top five.
