Sepang Shakedown: Alex Marquez Triumphs as MotoGP's Contenders and Pretenders Emerge in Malaysia

Sepang, Malaysia – Under the sweltering Malaysian sun, the 2025 Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit delivered a mixed bag of fortunes, showcasing stellar performances and stark disappointments across the MotoGP grid. Just days after Marc Marquez’s announcement to prematurely end his season due to a persistent shoulder injury, his younger brother, Alex Marquez, seized victory for Gresini Ducati, marking a significant moment for the satellite team and the Marquez family.

The race, held on a Sunday where rising temperatures accentuated the disparity between soft and medium compound tires, unfolded with a series of surprises. While the battle for the win was essentially decided in the early laps, the ripple effects were felt throughout the field, impacting championship aspirations and team strategies.

Alex Marquez: A Dominant Display

Alex Marquez entered the Sepang weekend as a pre-race favorite and lived up to the expectations, securing his third Grand Prix victory of the season. His path to victory was paved with a calculated and aggressive approach, highlighting his growing confidence and comfort on the Gresini Ducati.

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Marquez’s weekend started strongly, securing second place in Saturday’s sprint race behind Francesco Bagnaia. This result lifted a weight off his shoulders, solidifying his runner-up spot in the championship standings. This newfound freedom from championship pressure allowed Marquez to ride with unrestrained aggression on Sunday.

After briefly conceding a position to the up-and-coming Pedro Acosta at the start, Marquez swiftly retaliated, reclaiming the spot and setting his sights on race leader Francesco Bagnaia. A daring move on lap two saw Marquez snatch the lead, a pivotal moment that would dictate the remainder of his race.

From that point onward, Marquez demonstrated exceptional tire management and pace control, maintaining a consistent rhythm while Bagnaia and Acosta engaged in their own battle for position. By the time Acosta had overtaken Bagnaia, Marquez had established a considerable lead, leaving his rivals to fight for the scraps.

The victory served as a perfect showcase for the 29-year-old Spaniard, who is evidently thriving on the competitive Ducati machinery. With the championship pressure alleviated, Marquez is poised to be a formidable contender in the remaining races of the season. His performance underscores the potential of satellite teams when provided with competitive equipment and a talented rider.

Fermin Aldeguer: A Weekend of Missed Opportunities

While Fermin Aldeguer clinched the Rookie of the Year title in Malaysia, the weekend was ultimately a tale of missed opportunities for the 20-year-old Spaniard. Despite showing flashes of brilliance, a series of setbacks and errors prevented him from realizing his full potential.

Aldeguer’s weekend began with a failure to secure a direct entry into Q2 on Friday, a setback attributed to late drama that disrupted practice. His subsequent crash in Q1, while excusable given the session’s competitiveness, further compounded his troubles. A pit-lane incident following a rushed return to the garage added to the mounting challenges.

These cumulative setbacks left him starting from sixth on the grid, his lap time slower than his Q1 effort. A charging ride to third place on Saturday was undone by a tire pressure penalty, relegating him to seventh at the finish.

Despite these setbacks, many still considered Aldeguer a dark horse for Sunday’s race. However, the anticipated challenge never materialized, as he remained mired in the lower regions of the top 10. After narrowly avoiding a crash at Turn 9, Aldeguer’s race came to an abrupt end with a fall at the final corner with five laps remaining.

KTM: A Resurgence Against the Odds

Considering the performance during practice and the sprint race, the Malaysian Grand Prix was expected to be a disaster for KTM, whose bikes have historically struggled with tire management. The soft compound was deemed too soft for the long race distance, while the medium compound lacked the necessary grip to be competitive.

However, against all expectations, KTM riders defied the odds, delivering a remarkable performance that highlighted the team’s progress and adaptability. Pedro Acosta, in particular, showcased his exceptional talent, clinging to Bagnaia in the opening laps and seizing second place when the Italian encountered a puncture.

Acosta’s decision to use the soft compound tire proved to be a masterstroke, as he managed to maintain a consistent pace throughout the race, securing a fourth podium finish in the last nine Grands Prix. His ability to "remove all the controls" from the bike and manage the tires purely by feel demonstrated his exceptional riding prowess and adaptability.

Beyond Acosta’s heroics, KTM’s other riders also found unexpected form. Enea Bastianini and Brad Binder, who had endured a difficult run of races, bounced back to finish inside the top 10. Their recovery rides, starting from 19th and 18th respectively, were nothing short of exceptional, highlighting the team’s collective effort and determination.

Pol Espargaro could have joined his teammates in the top 10 had it not been for an early crash, further underscoring KTM’s strong performance at Sepang.

Aprilia: A Reality Check

Aprilia’s dominant performance in Indonesia and Australia had led many to believe that the Italian manufacturer had finally developed a versatile bike capable of performing at every track. However, the Malaysian Grand Prix served as a reality check, revealing that Aprilia still has work to do before it can consistently challenge Ducati.

Conditions at Sepang were far from normal, with lower temperatures and sporadic rain adding to the unpredictability of the weekend. The main race on Sunday took place before the Moto2 race, eliminating the usual rubber and debris left by the intermediate class bikes.

Marco Bezzecchi, who gambled on the less-favored medium tire after the temperature rose on Sunday, was unable to showcase his full potential. However, even with these caveats, the Malaysian Grand Prix was one of the toughest weekends of the season for Aprilia.

The Italian manufacturer failed to get a single bike into Q2, and its best runner, Ai Ogura, finished 10th, almost 20 seconds behind race winner Marquez. Raul Fernandez crashed out of 14th place, further compounding Aprilia’s woes.

Aprilia’s struggles at Sepang suggest that the team still has work to do to improve the versatility of its bike and ensure consistent performance across a range of track conditions.

Francesco Bagnaia: A Champion’s Grit

Francesco Bagnaia’s season has been characterized by wild performance swings, and the Malaysian Grand Prix was no exception. Despite struggling to find a comfortable setup with his Ducati, the reigning MotoGP champion demonstrated his grit and determination, delivering a strong performance against the odds.

Under pressure in Q1, Bagnaia delivered when it mattered, securing a spot in Q2, where he pieced together a brilliant lap to claim an unlikely pole position. In the sprint race, he was rapid from the beginning, knowing that dropping even a single position could expose him to the same issues that plagued him while racing in a pack at previous rounds.

On Sunday, he held his own against Acosta, and the revelation that he suffered a puncture on lap 12 – not lap 17, when he retired – makes his performance even more impressive. It’s hard to say how he would have fared on the more durable medium rubber in the final laps, given that all other riders struggled on that compound.

Regardless, both Bagnaia and Ducati took an important step toward understanding their long-running issues, even if a few questions remain unanswered. Bagnaia’s ability to perform at a high level despite not being fully comfortable with his bike is a testament to his champion mindset and skill.

Yamaha’s V4 Project: A Long Road Ahead

After its public debut and wildcard outing at Misano, Yamaha’s new V4 prototype returned for another test run at Sepang, a last-minute entry aimed at accelerating the bike’s development ahead of its expected 2026 debut.

However, from the very beginning of the weekend, something felt off about its plan. While there were some minor upgrades on the bike, Yamaha chose to run the engine in "safe mode" to prioritize reliability over outright performance. Granted, the Sepang appearance was more than just about testing the engine, as Yamaha has built an entirely new bike around the V4, but the decision was always going to compromise it on the track’s long straights.

Finishing more than two seconds off the pace in every session, test rider Augusto Fernandez couldn’t help but think how easier his task would have been if he had more power. The Misano test was bad enough (compared to private testing), but the Spaniard felt the feeling on the bike was even worse at Sepang.

Engine issues aside, Yamaha is still struggling to establish a strong base for the bike, and it has its work cut out before the next tests in Aragon and Valencia. The Sepang test highlighted the challenges that Yamaha faces in developing its new V4 engine and integrating it into a competitive chassis.