The Aprilia rider acknowledged that his chances of winning the title could be over but vowed to continue fighting.

SEPANG: Marc Marquez strengthened his position at the top of the MotoGP standings on Saturday by finishing second in a thrilling Malaysian Grand Prix sprint race, behind Pedro Acosta, while title rival Jorge Martin withdrew from the weekend due to injury.

Acosta crossed the finish line in 20 minutes and 4.098 seconds, with Ducati rider Marquez finishing 0.578 seconds behind. Italy’s Marco Bezzecchi secured third place after a late challenge at the Sepang circuit.

Marquez extended his championship advantage over Martin to 19 points after the Spaniard withdrew earlier in the day, having failed to recover from a broken wrist.

Dramatic Opening and Changing Race Leaders

The seven-time world champion survived an early scare shortly after the start when he nearly collided with Ai Ogura at a sharp turn.

His younger brother, Alex Marquez, initially maintained the lead after starting from pole position but crashed on the third lap while navigating a sweeping corner. The incident allowed Japan’s Ogura to take the lead.

Marc Marquez, who started second before dropping back, moved into third place behind Acosta.

Light drizzle later swept across the circuit, adding another challenge to the race. Acosta overtook Ogura on the seventh lap to take the lead, before Marquez moved past the Japanese rider into second.

Marquez and Ogura exchanged positions during an intense battle, but the Spaniard eventually pulled ahead at a tight corner and set his sights on Acosta. He was unable to catch the race leader before the finish.

Marquez Says Race Was Hard Work

Despite strengthening his championship position, Marquez said he did not enjoy the race.

“I enjoyed zero. Today was real work, we did what we needed to do,” he said.

He added that Sepang had been a difficult circuit for him in previous years but said his performance was encouraging.

“Will be super concentrated for tomorrow,” Marquez said.

Martin’s Title Hopes Suffer Major Setback

Martin’s withdrawal dealt a significant blow to his hopes of reclaiming the championship he won in 2024, with only three race weekends remaining after the Malaysian round.

The Aprilia rider acknowledged that his chances of winning the title could be over but vowed to continue fighting.

“Maybe I can win it, but for me it’s already a loss,” Martin said.

“So for sure I will fight till the end. Not only for me, because at the end of the day I’m already champion, but for my team, for my people, I will fight till the end.”

The Malaysian Grand Prix main race is scheduled for Sunday.