The Malaysian Grand Prix is expected to be exciting with the starting grid already defined after the withdrawal of Jorge Martín. This event, corresponding to the nineteenth round of the MotoGP 2026 season, will take place at the Sepang circuit.
Alex Márquez, from Gresini Racing, has secured the pole position after clocking the best time in Saturday’s qualifying session, recording 1’56.493. Márquez is looking to add another consecutive victory after winning last year’s GP in Malaysia.
His brother, Marc Márquez, a Ducati rider, will start the race from second position, maintaining a 19-point lead in the championship. The withdrawal of Jorge Martín, who had attempted to compete after an injury, has been a significant blow to his title ambitions. He has returned home for treatment, focusing on his recovery ahead of the next Grand Prix in Qatar.
The third position on the grid will be occupied by Pedro Acosta from KTM, who recently achieved his second victory in a sprint race at Sepang. Ai Ogura will lead the Aprilia team from the fourth place, followed by Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio di Giannantonio, who will complete the second row.
The riders Enea Bastianini and Johann Zarco will be in seventh and eighth position, respectively, while Franco Morbidelli and Francesco Bagnaia will start from ninth and tenth places. The absence of Raul Fernández, who also traveled to Malaysia following an injury, adds to Martín’s.
The Gresini and Pramac teams will have to replace their injured riders with Iker Lecuona and Augusto Fernández, who will serve as substitutes for this race.
Starting Grid for the Malaysian GP of MotoGP:
| Position | No. | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 73 | Alex Márquez | Ducati | 1’56.493 | – |
| 2 | 93 | Marc Márquez | Ducati | 1’56.563 | 0.070 |
| 3 | 37 | Pedro Acosta | KTM | 1’56.577 | 0.084 |
| 4 | 79 | Ai Ogura | Aprilia | 1’56.617 | 0.124 |
| 5 | 72 | Marco Bezzecchi | Aprilia | 1’56.668 | 0.175 |
| 6 | 49 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | Ducati | 1’56.842 | 0.349 |
| 7 | 23 | Enea Bastianini | KTM | 1’56.970 | 0.477 |
| 8 | 5 | Johann Zarco | Honda | 1’57.016 | 0.523 |
| 9 | 21 | Franco Morbidelli | Ducati | 1’57.268 | 0.775 |
| 10 | 63 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati | 1’57.287 | 0.794 |
| 11 | 36 | Joan Mir | Honda | 1’57.343 | 0.850 |
| 12 | 12 | Maverick Viñales | KTM | 1’57.737 | 1.244 |
| 13 | 10 | Luca Marini | Honda | 1’57.623 | 1.130 |
| 14 | 11 | Diogo Moreira | Honda | 1’57.733 | 1.240 |
| 15 | 33 | Brad Binder | KTM | 1’58.127 | 1.634 |
| 16 | 43 | Jack Miller | Yamaha | 1’58.148 | 1.655 |
| 17 | 42 | Alex Rins | Yamaha | 1’58.155 | 1.662 |
| 18 | 20 | Fabio Quartararo | Yamaha | 1’58.219 | 1.726 |
| 19 | 27 | Iker Lecuona | Ducati | 1’58.456 | 1.963 |
| 20 | 47 | Augusto Fernández | Yamaha | 1’58.855 | 2.362 |
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
