Marquez wins in Malaysia to close in on world title

By the Editorial Team · Monday, November 2, 2026

Marc Marquez won the Malaysian MotoGP at Sepang, extending his championship lead to 44 points with three races remaining. With rival Jorge Martin sidelined by injury, Marquez is now poised to potentially secure his eighth world title at the next race in Qatar.

Marc Marquez moved closer to securing his eighth world championship with a commanding victory at Sunday’s Malaysian MotoGP held at Sepang. The Ducati rider completed the race in 40 minutes, 14.236 seconds, finishing 4.172 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Pedro Acosta. Marquez’s younger brother, Alex Marquez, rounded out the podium in third place, trailing nearly six seconds behind.

This win marks Marquez’s seventh victory of the season and his third at the Malaysian Grand Prix in the MotoGP class, having previously won at Sepang in 2018. With this result, Marquez now holds a 44-point lead over his nearest competitor, Jorge Martin. Martin, riding for Aprilia, did not participate in the Sepang race due to a broken wrist, creating an opportunity for Marquez to potentially clinch the championship title at the next event in Qatar.

“Closer, but not done,” the 33-year-old Marquez said regarding the championship race. He emphasized the need to remain focused as the season approaches its conclusion, with only three race weekends remaining, including Qatar and the final round in Valencia.

At the race start, Marquez quickly overtook his brother Alex entering Turn 1. The siblings briefly exchanged positions before Marc Marquez established a lead, gradually increasing the gap to 1.7 seconds over Alex while battling challenging hot conditions. Meanwhile, Pedro Acosta battled to maintain second place, eventually overtaking Alex Marquez on the tenth lap. Marquez then extended his lead unchallenged to clinch the win, continuing his dominant form in the latter half of the season.

Reflecting on his performance, Marquez noted a similarity to his brother’s style at the Malaysian circuit. “Looks like this weekend I took Alex Marquez’s skills in Malaysia because I was riding exactly like how he rode last year when he won,” he remarked.

Alex Marquez confirmed he will undergo surgery on his right shoulder in Madrid following the race, which will rule him out of the upcoming Qatar event. He expressed determination to recover and return stronger for the season finale in Valencia.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.