Marc Márquez, the season’s most dominant rider with six victories, can strengthen his grip on the 2026 MotoGP title this Sunday, November 1, at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit. The 19th race of the season comes without Jorge Martín, who has withdrawn from the Grand Prix, with three rounds still to follow in Qatar, Portugal and Valencia.
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Martín’s absence at Sepang due to injury offers Márquez a prime opportunity to extend his championship lead.
Schedule and race distance
The Malaysian GP will start at 08:00 CET (15:00 local time), a schedule shift designed to accommodate European fans despite the seven-hour time difference. Before the main event, riders will tackle a 10-minute warm-up session at 03:40 CET, setting the stage for a critical day of racing under challenging conditions.
The Sepang race will stretch over 20 laps, reflecting the circuit’s status as one of the longest on the calendar. This lap count is seven fewer than the planned laps at Phillip Island, which was canceled, and also fewer than those run at Mandalika.
Season standings and Sepang history
Márquez’s six wins this year, secured in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Germany, Aragón, San Marino and Japan, place him firmly at the top of the leaderboard, followed closely by Marco Bezzecchi with five victories. Other race winners include Jorge Martín, Pedro Acosta, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Ai Ogura, Raúl Fernández and Alex Márquez, each with one triumph apiece.
Historic context looms large at Sepang, where Valentino Rossi holds the record for most premier-class wins with six (one in 500cc in 2001 and five in MotoGP between 2003 and 2010). Dani Pedrosa follows with three victories.
Marc Márquez and Pecco Bagnaia have each triumphed twice at Sepang, Márquez in 2014 and 2018, and Bagnaia in 2022 and 2024. Last year’s winner was Alex Márquez, while Enea Bastianini claimed victory in 2023.
Moto2, Moto3 and how to watch
Moto2 and Moto3 also feature prominently on Sunday’s agenda. The Moto2 race will start at 06:15 CET over 17 laps, with Manu González leading the championship by 5.5 points over Izan Guevara following Australia’s cancellation.
In Moto3, the 15-lap contest kicks off at 05:00 CET, with Max Quiles already crowned world champion, leaving the battle for the runner-up spot as the category’s main storyline.
Fans in Spain can watch the Malaysian GP live on DAZN, the official broadcaster holding the rights, accessiblevistar+ and Orange TV. Alternatively, the MotoGP VideoPass offers streaming with English commentary
As Márquez looks to leverage Martín’s absence and the demanding Sepang circuit, the stakes are sky-high in this penultimate showdown of the 2026 season.
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