Sepang MotoGP: Vinales takes crushing win from Marquez
Yamaha MotoGP rider Maverick Vinales led every lap of the Malaysian Grand Prix to take a dominant win ahead of Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso.

The victory was as straightforward as they come for Vinales, the Yamaha rider taking the lead on the opening lap and never looking back.
His final margin was three seconds over Marquez, the world champion using a sublime opening few laps to recover from his lowly 11th grid spot.
Polesitter Fabio Quartararo, meanwhile, put in an unexpectedly subdued performance, slipping back to eighth at the start before finishing seventh.
As expected it was a fast start from the Ducatis, Jack Miller leading into Turn 1 as Dovizioso slid into third behind Vinales.
Marquez was swiftly among the action too, immediately grabbing onto the back of the lead train in fourth.
As Vinales breezed by Miller on the opening lap, Marquez briefly moved into second with a move up the inside of the final corner, only to be re-passed by Miller down the front straight.
It wasn't until Lap 3 that Marquez was finally able to make a move on the Pramac rider stick, by which point Vinales was already 1.3s down the road.
That was as close as Marquez would get, too, Vinales dominating the race to cruise home to a three-second win.
The battle for third was livelier, Valentino Rossi glued to the back of Dovizioso for the second half of the race. The Yamaha rider did his best to find a way past, even getting next to his fellow Italian a couple of times. But ultimately he had to settle for fourth.
Alex Rins wasn't far behind in fifth, the Suzuki rider lucky to escape serious damage after clattering into Miller early in the race.
Petronas Yamaha pair Franco Morbidelli and Quartararo failed to turn their rapid practice and qualifying pace into anything better than sixth and seventh, neither factoring in the top three at any stage of the race.
Miller dropped back to eighth on a Ducati that continued to shed bodywork after the Rins contact, while Johann Zarco – putting in a brilliant Top 10 performance on the LCR Honda – was taken out of the race three laps from the end after being hit by Joan Mir.
The Suzuki rider received a long-lap penalty for his troubles, which dropped him to 10th behind Danilo Petrucci.
Race results:
Cla | # | Rider | Bike | Laps | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 12 | | Yamaha | 20 | |
2 | 93 | | Honda | 20 | 3.059 |
3 | 4 | | Ducati | 20 | 5.611 |
4 | 46 | | Yamaha | 20 | 5.965 |
5 | 42 | | Suzuki | 20 | 6.350 |
6 | 21 | | Yamaha | 20 | 9.993 |
7 | 20 | | Yamaha | 20 | 12.864 |
8 | 43 | | Ducati | 20 | 17.252 |
9 | 9 | | Ducati | 20 | 19.773 |
10 | 36 | | Suzuki | 20 | 22.854 |
11 | 44 | | KTM | 20 | 24.821 |
12 | 63 | | Ducati | 20 | 30.251 |
13 | 41 | | Aprilia | 20 | 30.447 |
14 | 99 | | Honda | 20 | 34.215 |
15 | 82 | | KTM | 20 | 34.461 |
16 | 55 | | KTM | 20 | 44.319 |
17 | 17 | | Ducati | 20 | 47.343 |
5 | | Honda | 16 | 4 Laps | |
35 | | Honda | 14 | 6 Laps | |
29 | | Aprilia | 11 | 9 Laps | |
View full results |

Previous article
Sepang MotoGP: The race as it happened
Next article
Mir calls out race direction for "unfair" penalty

About this article
Series | MotoGP |
Event | Malaysian GP |
Sub-event | Race |
Author | Andrew van Leeuwen |
Sepang MotoGP: Vinales takes crushing win from Marquez
Trending
Repsol Honda Team - Pol Espargaró Q&A
Repsol Honda Team - Marc Marquez Q&A
Why Alex Marquez doesn't care about 'shutting up' MotoGP critics
Alex Marquez's form was one of MotoGP 2020's biggest surprises and, by firmly stepping out of his six-time world champion brother Marc's shadow, he proved a few people wrong. Not that he cares about this, as he tells Lewis Duncan
How Yamaha's new MotoGP era can unchain Vinales
After the electrifying start to his Yamaha MotoGP career in 2017, Maverick Vinales has struggled for consistency. Many anticipate that the arrival of Fabio Quartararo could spell disaster, but the departure of Valentino Rossi could be just the impetus he needs.
Does KTM really need 'super engine' for MotoGP title challenge?
Fears from rival MotoGP manufacturers that KTM would build a 'super engine' for 2021 have ultimately come to nothing with the revealation that the RC16 hasn't been radically changed over the winter. But does it really need that to win the title?
How Ducati's latest Aussie union can return it to MotoGP glory
Australians on Ducatis is an iconic partnership, the marque's last one yielding its sole MotoGP crown to date. But its latest Aussie union with the often underestimated Jack Miller can end this drought.
The "balls out" battle between MotoGP's true greats
Senna vs Prost is regularly cited as motorsport's greatest rivalry. But it can easily be argued Rainey vs Schwantz can stake that claim. That rivalry was in full swing during the 1991 500cc season, remembered fondly by both stars 30 years on...
The "warrior" MotoGP rookie KTM was right to back
The 2020 MotoGP campaign featured a standout pair of rookies, but one flew under the radar as he adjusted to a shock step-up armed with very little racing experience. However as his veteran team boss explains, the faith shown in him was not misplaced
Why Suzuki's Brivio replacement must come from within
With its charismatic leader Davide Brivio leaving for Formula 1, the Suzuki MotoGP squad he turned into a world championship-winning force in 2020 has a major recruitment headache that it needs to resolve carefully.
Why Alpine's latest signing could be its best hope of F1 glory
The return of Fernando Alonso to the renamed Alpine team is a sure sign of the team's ambition. But its latest appointment from MotoGP could be an even bigger coup as it seeks to end a barren run stretching back to Alonso's 2006 world title