Marco Bezzecchi passes Ai Ogura for fourth place and top Aprilia.
It very much looks like Marc Marquez is slowing the early pace to save tyres, causing a queue of riders behind:
1. Marc Marquez
2. Alex Marquez +0.491s
3. Pedro Acosta +0.587s
4. Marco Bezzecchi +1.315s
5. Ai Ogura +1.489s
6. Enea Bastianini +2.325s
7. Johann Zarco +2.433s
8. Luca Marini +2.835s
9. Fabio Di Giannantonio +3.537s
10. Joan Mir +3.783s
11. Brad Binder +4.033s
12. Diogo Moreira +4.115s
13. Franco Morbidelli +4.839s
14. Alex Rins +5.137s
15. Francesco Bagnaia +6.421s
16. Fabio Quartararo +6.696s
17. Jack Miller +7.002s
18. Iker Lecuona +7.320s
19. Maverick Viñales +7.762s
RT. Augusto Fernandez +1 lap
Pramac Yamaha replacement rider Augusto Fernandez is the first faller of the race.
1. Marc Marquez
2. Alex Marquez +0.228s
3. Pedro Acosta +0.833s
4. Ai Ogura +1.138s
5. Marco Bezzecchi +1.242s
6. Enea Bastianini +2.097s
7. Johann Zarco +2.440s
8. Luca Marini +2.698s
9. Fabio Di Giannantonio +2.934s
10. Joan Mir +3.076s
11. Brad Binder +3.272s
12. Diogo Moreira +3.589s
13. Franco Morbidelli +3.899s
14. Francesco Bagnaia +4.273s
15. Alex Rins +4.317s
16. Fabio Quartararo +4.797s
17. Iker Lecuona +5.016s
18. Jack Miller +5.085s
19. Augusto Fernandez +5.189s
20. Maverick Viñales +5.501s
Sprint winner Pedro Acosta is up to third ahead of Ogura and Bezzecchi.
Bastianini back to sixth.
Alex made a lunge to retake the lead from Marc, but couldn't hold it.
The 2026 Malaysian MotoGP gets underway with Alex Marquez and Marc Marquez holding 1-2 at turn one, but it's the red Lenovo machine ahead.
Ai Ogura is third ahead of a fast-starting Enea Bastianini, then Pedro Acosta and Marco Bezzecchi.
The grid clears and the warm-up lap begins at Sepang.
Michelin confirms there have been no last-minute changes and all riders will use the soft compound tyres front and rear. They'll need plenty of management over the 20-lap distance in this heat.
Five minutes to go before the warm-up and Marc Marquez does his now familiar pre-race press-ups on the grid.
92,107 Sunday fans are packed into Sepang for today's race.
As Sprint winner Pedro Acosta said yesterday, only he and Ai Ogura had nothing to lose in Saturday's battle.
Marc Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi have the title to think about, while - as at Phillip Island - Alex will not want to take risks around his brother.
Fabio Quartararo says his hopes of rain look to have been thwarted, and he's expecting a fully dry Grand Prix.
Alex Marquez proved at Catalunya 2025 and Jerez 2026 that he can respond to a Sprint mistake with victory the next day in the grand prix.
Will Sepang join that list?
The MotoGP riders leave pit lane and head for the grid.
25mins until the race start.
The cameras pick up Marc Marquez sitting alone in the Ducati pits, studying notes on a clipboard.
Riders are waiting as long as possible before heading to the grid, due to the heat.
Ai Ogura went on the attack early in the Sprint, what can he do in the grand prix?
Marc Marquez may have done only two flying laps in warm-up, but his pace advantage was clear.
The big question, for all riders, will be tyre endurance over the 20 laps:

Despite the incredible heat, the low grip levels from the 'destroyed' Sepang track surface mean soft compound tyres are again expected to be used front and rear.
There's likely to be a lot of tyre saving going on.
Pirelli said the track temperature for the Moto2 race was a scorching 54°C.
The air temp is officially 35°C.
The 20-lap MotoGP race is sure to be a gruelling physical challenge.
There's also the risk of a rainstorm, as arrived moments after the chequered flag on Saturday.
In order for Marc Marquez to have a mathematical chance of winning the MotoGP title next weekend in Qatar, he needs to finish either first or second in today's grand prix.
Ducati's reigning champion, runner-up to KTM's Pedro Acosta in the Sprint, was fastest in the morning warm-up.
With closest title rival Jorge Martin out injured, Marquez starts today 19 points clear.

Row 1: Alex Marquez (pole), Marc Marquez, Pedro Acosta
Row 2: Ai Ogura, Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio Di Giannantonio
Row 3: Enea Bastianini, Johann Zarco, Franco Morbidelli
Row 4: Francesco Bagnaia, Joan Mir, Maverick Viñales
Row 5: Luca Marini, Diogo Moreira, Brad Binder
Row 6: Jack Miller, Alex Rins, Fabio Quartararo
Row 7: Iker Lecuona, Augusto Fernandez
Good morning.
The Malaysian Moto2 Grand Prix has just ended in victory for 2027 MotoGP rider David Alonso.
This year's MotoGP race starts in just over an hour.

