Acosta masters the rain from third on the grid
Pedro Acosta claimed the Malaysian Grand Prix sprint race at Sepang on Saturday, holding off his future teammate Marc Marquez in a wet-weather contest. The KTM rider began from third on the grid and used the rainy conditions to take the win, underlining the reputation he has built as MotoGP's most promising young talent.[S1][S2][S4]
The race turned when rain arrived and riders were permitted to switch to their second machines fitted with wet tyres. Alex Marquez, who had started from pole and shown strong pace off the line, was the first to fall, crashing at Turn 14 on the third lap.[S1]
Ai Ogura of Trackhouse then moved to the front, but the order soon settled. Acosta passed Ogura, who was subsequently overtaken by both Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi as the podium took shape.[S1]
Bezzecchi loses ground as Martin pulls out
Bezzecchi completed the podium in third, a result that cost him two points to Marquez in the championship standings and stretched the leader's advantage over him to 52 points. The Aprilia rider will need to finish ahead of the Ducati man at every remaining round if he is to claim a first title.[S1]
Jorge Martin, Bezzecchi's Aprilia teammate, withdrew from the Sepang event during qualifying. He had broken his wrist at the previous round in Australia and tried to continue in Malaysia, but the pain and the difficulty of braking made it impossible.[S1][S3]
Martin's absence allowed Marquez to push his lead over him to 19 points, with Bezzecchi a further 33 back. Three weekends remain on the calendar, leaving the championship fight unresolved.[S1][S3]
