Spanish rider Alex Márquez claimed victory at the Malaysian MotoGP Grand Prix on Sunday, his third win of the year, which secured the top spot for Gresini in the independent teams’ classification.
Márquez, on a Ducati, finished 2.676 seconds ahead of fellow Spaniard Pedro Acosta of KTM. Honda’s Joan Mir, also from Spain, completed the podium in third place, 8.048 seconds behind the winner.
The race, the 20th of 22 rounds in the World Motorcycle Championship, comes as the season approaches its conclusion. Marc Márquez, Alex’s brother and also a Spanish Ducati rider, had already mathematically secured the overall championship title prior to the event, despite being absent due to injury. He maintains a 132-point lead over Alex Márquez in the standings.
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Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira, competing for Yamaha, finished 19th after a fall on the 11th of 20 laps left him at the back of the pack. He crossed the finish line 1 minute, 17.942 seconds after the winner.
The penultimate race of the MotoGP season is scheduled for November 9 at the Algarve International Circuit (AIA) in Portimão, Portugal.