OMNISPORT/Dorna Communications

Marc Marquez claimed victory at the Malaysia Grand Prix after Valentino Rossi dramatically crashed out of the lead on Sunday.

Rossi looked set to see out a win at Sepang before incredibly going down with four laps remaining. That gifted Marquez – the world champion – the lead and the Repsol Honda rider closed out his ninth win of the season comfortably.

The grand prix win was the 70th of Marquez's career in all classes, sitting fifth on the all-time list and with Mike Hailwood (76) in his sights.

Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) and Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) made up the podium and Rossi finished 18th in the race, which was brought forward due to forecast rain.

Rossi got the perfect start from the front row, leading into turn one before quickly beginning to dominate.

Marquez – who claimed pole but was handed a six-place grid penalty – worked his way through from seventh before starting to pile the pressure on Rossi, with no other rider able to match the pace of the leading duo.

Just as Rossi appeared set for his first win of the season, the Italian Movistar Yamaha rider went down at turn one with four laps remaining to gift Marquez the lead and victory.

Moto2

Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46) clinched the 2018 Moto2™ World Championship at the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix after finishing P3 at Sepang. The Italian finished behind title rival Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) to seal the title, with teammate Luca Marini making it a memorable day for SKY Racing Team VR46 as he secured his maiden Grand Prix victory.

As the lights went out, both of the main in the Championship got off to a flyer. Marini it was who led coming out of Turn 1 after a messy opening corner for his fellow front row starters; Fabio Quartararo (MB Conveyors – Speed Up) and Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) both running in hot. This allowed Bagnaia and Oliveira to slip through up the inside to get into P2 and P3. Pretty much the perfect getaway for ‘Pecco’, who slotted in behind teammate Marini.

Marini then got himself into a rhythm at the front, with Bagnaia and Oliveira battling away for P2 – the title firmly in Bagnaia’s hands at this early stage of the race, even with Oliveira making a pass stick at Turn 4 with 12 laps to go. The Portuguese rider locked his radar on race leader Marini, who now had a second lead, with Bagnaia slipping into the clutches of compatriot Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team), with pole sitter Marquez and Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) also in hot pursuit of the Championship leader.

Oliveira had reeled in Marini 11 laps remaining, with a win for the KTM rider enough to take the title chase down to Valencia if Bagnaia dropped below the podium positions. With six to go, it seemed the battle for the win was between Marini and Oliveira, with both Baldassarri and Marquez losing touch in the battle for the final podium spot – Pasini though remained 0.4 behind countryman Bagnaia.

In sweltering Sepang conditions, Marini was being made to sweat by Oliveira as the continued to look strong for a first Grand Prix. But the Italian was on rails as he soaked up the pressure from the KTM behind and with two to go, a 0.7 gap had appeared. Going into the final lap, Marini had the biggest lead he’d had for a while, with Bagnaia sitting comfortably in a Championship clinching P3 – over a second was the cushion back to Pasini.

As the checkered flag was waved it was double delight for SKY Racing Team VR46 as Marini took a magnificent maiden Grand Prix victory, with Bagnaia coming home third to seal the 2018 Moto2™ World Championship. Oliveira didn’t go down without a fight as he took P2 at the Sepang International Circuit – his 11th podium of the season.

Pasini crossed the line in P4, with Quartararo rounding out the top five after getting the better of sixth place Baldassarri and seventh place Marquez in the latter stages. Australian GP winner Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took P8 in Malaysia, with Marcel Schrotter (Dynavolt Intact GP) and Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) rounding out the top ten in P9 and P10 respectively.

Iker Lecuona (Swiss Innovative Investors), Xavi Cardelus (Marinelli Snipers Team), Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing), Tetsuta Nagashima (Idemistu Honda Team Asia), Niki Tuuli (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Augusto Fernandez (Pons HP40) crashed out.

Just like the lightweight class, the 2018 intermediate class crown was decided in Malaysia and it went the way of ‘Pecco’. A stunning season for the Italian, with teammate Marini continuing his fantastic 2018. Valencia is next and with nothing to lose, who will take victory in the final race of 2018?

Moto3

Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) was crowned the Moto3™ World Champion at the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix after claiming a stunning Sepang International Circuit victory, with main Championship rival Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP) slipping down to P5 on the final lap to hand the title to the Spaniard.

It was Martin who got the best launch off the line from pole position but with a long run down into Turn 1, Bezzecchi was able to get in his slipstream and brake later to get the holeshot. A tentative lap followed for Martin who dropped down to P5 by the end of the first lap and at the end of lap 2, the Championship leader was P8. Bezzecchi, meanwhile, was heading the pack.

The latter then lost the lead of the race at the start of lap 4, fellow KTM rider Darryn Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – after getting a good start from P11 – was arguably a little too aggressive heading into Turn 1, forcing Bezzecchi out wide as the latter dropped to sixth, just ahead of Martin. Meanwhile, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) had got past his teammate as the duo battled for P8 – Martin was P9, which soon changed to P10 at the end of lap 5.

You could cut the tension with a knife and on Lap 6 there was a nerve-wracking moment between Bezzecchi and fellow Italian Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Snipers Team) came together on the exit of Turn 6, both – thankfully - staying upright. Then, with 10 laps to go, Martin started to make progress and at the final corner, a phenomenal late lunge underneath race leader Bezzecchi from P6 almost paid off. The slipstream down the straight did pay off as Martin took the lead of the race – was this Martin pulling the pin?

The answer was yes, but he couldn’t break away. Bezzecchi was back through with nine to go at the final corner and then, with eight laps to go, contact between the two main title leaders at Turn 1. Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) then took over the baton and started to create a gap but then, at Turn 1, the Spaniard tucked the front and crashed out of contention – rider ok. To put it simply, the gloves were now off at the front with a huge seven laps remaining.

The hustle and bustle at the front kept on going in true Moto3™ style. But then in true Martin style, with three laps of the race to go and the Championship firmly in the balance, the pin was definitely pulled this time. The Spaniard hit the front and suddenly there was a 0.8 second lead appearing, with Bezzecchi unable to get past Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) and Arbolino. This gap continued to grow as it looked increasingly difficult for Bezzecchi to get the better of Martin, with the Italian’s attention now firmly on keeping his title aspirations alive.

On the prowl behind Bezzecchi were a gaggle of hungry Moto3 riders. Di Giannantonio, Dalla Porta, Arbolino, Albert Arenas (Angel Nieto Team), Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing) and Binder were all the in the hunt for P2. The last lap started and at Turn 4, Bezzecchi was out on the curb and down to P5 – a Championship losing position. Could the Italian recover? The answer was no, Bezzecchi would cross the line P5 to hand Martin the title with a race to spare. Despair for Bezzecchi, jubilation for Martin who took victory by 3.5 seconds.

Dalla Porta crossed the line in P2 for his fifth podium of the season, with teammate Bastianini recovering in the latter stages to grab a podium that means he becomes the most successful Moto3™ rider in history. Australian GP winner Arenas missed out on a podium by 0.038, with Bezzecchi pipping ‘Diggia’ on the line – the duo now have P2 in the Championship to fight for in Valencia. Binder ends P7, Arbolino was eighth, with Suzuki P9 and teammate Niccolo Antonelli secured a top ten on his injury return.

Starting from the pitlane, home hero Adam Norrodin (Petronas Sprinta Racing) produced a stunning comeback rider to get himself into the lead group. But with little over two laps to go, the Malaysian rider crashed out at the final corner. John McPhee (CIP – Green Power), Dennis Foggia (SKY Racing Team VR46) and Alonso Lopez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) all crashing at Turn 9, with Celestino Vietti (SKY Racing Team VR46) crashing in a separate incident at Turn 9.

So that’s it, Martin becomes the Mart1nator to take the Moto3 World Championship in Malaysia. A wonderful season capped off in sensational style. Bezzecchi and Di Giannantonio now battle for P2 in the Championship in Valencia.