MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix: Pedro Acosta wins the Sepang sprint
Acosta beats Marc Marquez by 0.578 seconds; Marquez leads absent Jorge Martin by 19 championship points and Marco Bezzecchi by 52.
In this article
KTM’s Pedro Acosta won the Malaysian MotoGP sprint at Sepang, finishing 0.578 seconds ahead of Ducati’s Marc Marquez.
Earlier, Gresini Ducati’s Alex Marquez had secured pole position—the front starting spot—for both the sprint and the Grand Prix.
Marc Marquez’s second-place finish extended his championship advantage while Jorge Martin sat out the weekend.
| Rival | Points behind Marc Marquez |
|---|---|
| Jorge Martin | 19 |
| Marco Bezzecchi | 52 |
Alex Marquez crashes out as rain prompts bike changes
Alex Marquez led from pole for 4 laps before sliding out of the lead at Turn 14. He did not finish the sprint.
Spots of rain prompted a white flag on lap 2, allowing riders to change bikes, The Race said. The first riders to switch successfully did so on lap 5, but then set lap times almost 10 seconds slower than the leaders.
Martin targets a conditional return in Qatar
Aprilia rider Jorge Martin withdrew after Saturday morning practice. Martin and Aprilia team manager Paolo Bonora said his injured wrist prevented him from applying the strength needed under braking. His withdrawal leaves him unable to score at Sepang.
After finishing second in the sprint, Marc Marquez leads Martin by 19 championship points.
The Malaysian Grand Prix remains to be contested. Martin intends to attempt a return in Qatar next week, but said he would have to stop if his physical condition felt the same there. Lusail International Circuit schedules the Qatar Grand Prix weekend for 6–8 November 2026.
Earlier in Sports
Other SportsUS coroner links college football player Tyler Ulrich’s death to brain injury
The Garland County coroner’s report attributes the 21-year-old Southern Nazarene player’s brain bleed to helmet-to-helmet contact, giving a more specific medical account than the university’s earlier statement.
2 min
RugbyWXV Global Series: England beat USA 55–12 in rugby
England beat the USA 55–12 to finish their rugby year. Wales beat Japan 29–5, with Amy Williams scoring twice, and finished the WXV Global Series with three wins and one defeat, against the USA. Nel Metcalfe, Kelsey Jones and Sisilia Tuipulotu scored Wales’s other three tries.
1 min
BasketballLakers owner Mark Walter agrees sale terms with Josh Kushner, sources say
The proposed sale values the team at $12.5 billion, sources close to the talks say; formal signing and NBA review of financing and ownership structure remain ahead.
2 min
