Pedro Acosta wins rain-hit Sepang MotoGP sprint after Alex Marquez crash
Pedro Acosta scored his second sprint victory of the season in Malaysia
KTM’s Pedro Acosta won a thrilling, rain-hit sprint at the MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix after Alex Marquez crashed from the lead, as Marc Marquez finished second.
The championship battle between Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin took another dramatic twist on Saturday morning when the Aprilia rider withdrew due to injury.
This has now left the door open for Marquez to extend his championship lead and assume control with just four rounds - including this one - to go.
But he had to fight hard in a 10-lap, rain-affected sprint he never looked fully comfortable in to finish second behind future Ducati team-mate Acosta.
Marco Bezzecchi completed the podium for Aprilia after passing Ai Ogura late on.
Polesitter Alex Marquez led in the early laps, but crashed while running in first.
Marc Marquez’s points lead now stands at 19 over Martin, while Marco Bezzecchi has dropped to 52 adrift.
The sprint began in fully dry conditions, with Gresini Ducati’s Alex Marquez seizing the lead from pole ahead of Marc Marquez on the run to Turn 1.
But Marquez was passed by Ogura into Turn 1, before the pair made slight contact at Turn 2, which forced the Ducati rider to sit up and open the door for Acosta to move into the podium places.
Spots of rain began to fall on lap two, with Pramac’s Jack Miller taking the gamble to come in and swap to his wet bike.
But his team didn’t have his bike ready, with the Australian visibly angry in pitlane.
Alex Marquez then crashed at Turn 14 on lap three, releasing Trackhouse Aprilia’s Ogura into the lead from Acosta and Marc Marquez.
Acosta took the lead on lap eight at Turn 9, though Ogura fought back at Turn 11.
But Acosta got a better run out of the corner and retook the lead, while Marquez carved through on Ogura at Turn 14.
Ogura tried to retake second from Marquez at Turn 4 on the following lap, but ran wide on the exit to let the Ducati rider draw back alongside.
Marquez then scythed through on Ogura’s inside at Turn 5 to take second.
The rain spots intensified in the closing stages, with Maverick Vinales, Joan Mir, Franco Morbidelli and Iker Lecuona pitting for their wet bikes.
But the rain didn’t get heavy until after the chequered flag.
Acosta led Marquez by 0.578s at the finish, with Bezzecchi third from Ogura and VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio.
Pecco Bagnaia was sixth on the sister factory team Ducati, as KTM’s Brad Binder, LCR Honda’s Diogo Moreira and Tech3’s Enea Bastianini completed the top nine.
Maverick Vinales was the leading wet-tyre runner in 15th, albeit 1m42s from the lead.
