SEPANG: Gresini Racing's Alex Marquez proved his pace in yesterday's afternoon practice was no fluke after winning the MotoGP sprint race at the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia today.
Marquez took the flag in 19 minutes and 58.713 seconds, crossing the line comfortably ahead of Prima Pramac Racing's Jorge Martin (+1.589s) who came in second at Sepang Circuit.
Championship Leader Francesco Bagnaia (3.034s) and his Ducati Lenovo teammate Enea Bastianini (+3.242s) crossed the line third and fourth respectively.
Bagnaia, who started from pole, led the race for the first five laps but struggled to hold off the hard-charging satellite Ducati duo.
Marquez and Martin passed Bagnaia on the sixth lap and held on to their advantage until the flag.
Martin now trails Bagnaia by only 11 points in the overall premier class standings.