Acosta wins Malaysian Sprint as Márquez extends MotoGP lead to 19 points

AI-generated illustration.

Pedro Acosta won the Malaysian MotoGP Sprint on Saturday, beating Marc Márquez by 0.578 seconds after a race complicated by changing weather at Sepang. Marco Bezzecchi finished third, while Márquez increased his championship lead over the absent Jorge Martín to 19 points.

Pole-sitter Álex Márquez led the opening stages but crashed out, handing first place to Ai Ogura. The Japanese rider then became the target for Acosta, Marc Márquez and Bezzecchi as the leading group stayed together in the uncertain conditions.

Acosta made his decisive move with three laps remaining. Ogura fought to recover the position but eventually dropped behind both Márquez and Bezzecchi, finishing fourth, 1.793 seconds behind the winner.

The white flag allowed riders to change motorcycles as rain threatened the ten-lap contest. Several riders switched to wet-weather machines, but the leading group stayed out and the heavy rain arrived only after the finish. Jack Miller’s attempt to change bikes was frustrated when his spare Yamaha was not ready.

Fabio Di Giannantonio took fifth, with Francesco Bagnaia sixth and Brad Binder seventh. Diogo Moreira and Enea Bastianini completed the points positions in eighth and ninth.

Márquez’s second place increased his advantage over Martín from ten points to 19. Bezzecchi remains third in the championship, 52 points behind the leader. Martín withdrew from the remainder of the weekend after his attempt to return from the wrist fracture suffered at Phillip Island proved too painful.

The full-length Malaysian Grand Prix is scheduled for Sunday, with Martín’s withdrawal covering the rest of the weekend.