MotoGP: Alex Marquez on top as Michelin revels in Malaysia heat
The Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia (Round 20 of the 2025 MotoGPTM World Championship) produced BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP's Alex Marquez third win of the year, ahead of Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol). Michelin's Power Slicks overcame track temperatures in excess of 50°C to deliver yet another strong display and help three different bike manufacturers finish on the podium. Read on for more about what happened at the Malaysian GP...
Marquez got away to a good start from second on the grid and grabbed the lead on the second of the race's 20 laps thanks to a lap time that remained the afternoon's best (1m58.873s). Having chosen Michelin's soft slick front and rear, he took advantage of their grip to pull out an early gap and reach the finish 2.5 seconds clear of Acosta.
The previous day, second place in the sprint race behind Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) had sufficed for Gresini rider to secure the year's silver medal and conclude an exceptional campaign for the Marquez family after brother Marc (Ducati Lenovo Team) wrapped up the title-chase in Japan.
Acosta had a tough time finding a way past pole-sitter Bagnaia but managed to squeeze through on Lap 13. He went on to bag second spot ahead of factory Honda rival Mir who inherited third place when the Italian dropped out with a puncture three laps from home.
Mir had qualified sixth and spent the first half of the grand prix in the immediate wake of fifth-placed Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). His pressure eventually paid off on Lap 10 and the Spaniard went on to collect his second top-three finish of the season.
Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Quartararo rounded out the Malaysian top-five .
The entire Michelin range was used over the weekend, including the Wet after rain swept over Sepang on Friday. For Sunday's grand prix, all the riders chose the soft rear slick, paired mostly with the soft front, although all three options could be seen on the grid. As the track temperature soared to 54°C, Michelin's tires rose to the challenge and contributed to numerous overtaking maneuvers, while Marquez established a new race-lap record second time around.
With Marc and Alex Marquez sure to come first and second in the 2025 Riders' standings, all eyes will now be on the scrap for bronze. With two rounds remaining, Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing/291 points) has a narrow edge over Bagnaia (286).
Next round: Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Portugal, Autódromo Internacional do Algarve (November 7-9).