Malaysian GP: Marquez earns 12th MotoGP win of season, tying record
The MotoGP race at the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix was won by World Champion Marc Marquez in the scorching afternoon heat at Sepang, with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo also on the podium.
A huge crowd of more than 80,000 fans witnessed a great MotoGP race with Marquez winning for the first time since Silverstone – riding superbly at round 17 and coming from behind after dropping back from pole on the first lap.
Lorenzo took the early initiative in the race after a first crash by Dani Pedrosa who lost the front around Turn 15 while in second place. Pedrosa recovered to 11th before suffering a second crash.
Rossi took the lead at the mid-race stage as he got in front of Lorenzo and was followed through by Marquez. Two laps later Marquez pushed in front of the Italian and he built up a sufficient gap to defend his lead.
Marquez’s victory is the 12th of his second season in MotoGP, equaling Mick Doohan’s record of most premier class victories in a single season. The result seals the premier class constructor’s title for Honda and ends a run of four Yamaha victories.
Stefan Bradl beat Bradley Smith to the line for fourth as the Englishman closed in on the last lap, only to run long on the final corner.
Pol Espargaro rode bravely to sixth place, having broken a bone in his foot in a big crash on Saturday.
Yonny Hernandez crossed the line seventh, staying upright having almost collided with Pol Espargaro’s rear wheel.
Andrea Dovizioso was on course fourth again before he dropped several positions to eighth in the final laps, apparently suffering from a technical issue.
The top 10 was completed by Hector Barbera and Scott Redding.
Aleix Espargaro and Alvaro Bautista both fell at Turn 1 on the second lap. A mechanical problem forced an early retirement for Cal Crutchlow - his third DNF in three races.
Turn 9 saw Nicky Hayden lose the front as he chased teammate Hiroshi Aoyama at the back of the top 10. Fellow Open Honda rider Karel Abraham crashed some laps later.
Danilo Petrucci retired with five laps to go, having been in a point scoring position. Hiroshi Aoyama also fell, but was able to remount and finish 11th. Alex De Angelis retired on the final lap.
For full MotoGP race results from Sepang click here.
