Bagnaia sprint crash puts MotoGP title within Martin's reach

Jorge Martin took a pivotal MotoGP sprint win at Sepang as title rival Pecco Bagnaia crashed out in pursuit.

A third-lap tumble for Bagnaia dealt a serious blow to his aspirations of a third successive premier-class riders' title, leaving Martin with a 29-point lead and a chance to clinch the championship already on Sunday.

Bagnaia had defeated Martin in a blow-for-blow qualifying battle earlier on Saturday, but this was negated immediately by Martin getting a better getaway off the front row.

They drew side by side coming into Turn 1, and Bagnaia's attempt to hang around the outside of Martin came to naught as he surrendered the lead.

Bagnaia shadowed Martin over the next two laps, seemingly primed to capitalise on a potential advantage in the final sector - but that theory was never put to the test as he fell off while going through Turn 9 on lap three.

Martin and Bagnaia had been class of the field through the weekend, but Marc Marquez unexpectedly managed to stay with them in the early going after powering through into third at the start.

Once that third became second thanks to Bagnaia's crash, Marquez briefly threatened to reel in Martin but ultimately settled for second place.

It means the Gresini Ducati rider extended his lead for third in the championship by two points over Enea Bastianini, who completed the podium after - like Marquez - gaining two places at the start.

Alex Marquez fought off Franco Morbidelli in an early duel to score a comfortable fourth in the end, while Fabio Quartararo's sprint pace lived up to the promise of practice as he scored fifth on a much more competitive-looking Yamaha.

Morbidelli was briefly shuffled down to ninth, but recovered to an eventual sixth place, followed by the lead KTM of Brad Binder.

Behind him, Binder's team-mate Jack Miller fought off his 2025 replacement Pedro Acosta to hold on to eighth.

MotoGP returnee Andrea Iannone finished second-to-last in 19th, 26 seconds off the win.

Bagnaia was the only rider to crash out of the race, but Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) did join him among the retirements, his RC213V seemingly blowing an engine as he ran as the lead Honda in 13th.

RESULTS

1 Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati)
2 Marc Marquez (Gresini Ducati)
3 Enea Bastianini (Ducati)
4 Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati)
5 Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha)
6 Franco Morbidelli (Pramac Ducati)
7 Brad Binder (KTM)
8 Jack Miller (KTM)
9 Pedro Acosta (Tech3 GasGas)
10 Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Ducati)
11 Alex Rins (Yamaha)
12 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia)
13 Augusto Fernandez (Tech3 GasGas)
14 Maverick Vinales (Aprilia)
15 Luca Marini (Honda)
16 Joan Mir (Honda)
17 Taka Nakagami (LCR Honda)
18 Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia)
19 Andrea Iannone (VR46 Ducati)
20 Lorenzo Savadori (Trackhouse Aprilia)
DNF Johann Zarco (LCR Honda)
DNF Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati)