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Late Charge Secures Malaysian Grand Prix Pole
Álex Márquez secured pole position for the Malaysian MotoGP Grand Prix, edging out his older brother Marc Márquez by a margin of 70 thousandths of a second. Álex emerged as the only rider able to halt his elder sibling during qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix, seizing the opportunity on his final flying effort. Late in Q2, after Aprilia mounted an attack with improved lap times, Marc responded authoritatively to retake control, leaving the fight for pole position seemingly over. However, a final attempt from the younger sibling saw him snatch pole from his brother with a lap of 1:56.493, capturing his first pole position since the 2025 Catalan Grand Prix. The result raises questions over whether Álex will genuinely pose an obstacle to Marc in the race. During the Sprint in Australia, Álex chose not to attack him, prompting speculation over whether he would let him through at the expense of a victory to assist his brother in the title fight.
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Acosta Joins Front Row as Martín Withdraws
Behind them, Pedro Acosta completed the front row aboard his KTM after spending all of his qualifying laps tucked directly in the wheel tracks of Marc Márquez, his future teammate in the factory Ducati team. Nicknamed the Shark of Mazarrón, Acosta promises to present another problem for Aprilia in the race, demoting the only two RS-GP machines remaining in action this weekend, ridden by Ai Ogura and Marco Bezzecchi, to fourth and fifth positions in a top five covered by barely two tenths of a second. Aprilia was already operating without Raúl Fernández following his withdrawal, and Jorge Martín also had to concede defeat. Although taking to the circuit for two laps during Free Practice 2, Martín opted to withdraw from the remainder of the Malaysian Grand Prix to focus on rehabilitating his right wrist, fractured during a sprint crash at the Australian Grand Prix. He is targeting an immediate return home to Spain to heal effectively ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix on 8 November.
Zarco Advances from Q1 as Bagnaia Qualifies Tenth
Johann Zarco recovered by recording the eighth-fastest time in Q2, slotting onto the third row of the starting grid between Enea Bastianini's KTM and Franco Morbidelli's Ducati at half a second from Márquez. Zarco had advanced through the repechage by setting the quickest time in Q1 with a lap of 1:57.341, finishing two tenths clear of second-placed qualifier Pecco Bagnaia. Bagnaia, who continues to hold the lap record and had claimed the last three consecutive pole positions at Sepang, briefly appeared to be a candidate for the front two rows before rivals found improvements, leaving him tenth on the starting grid for 2026. Directly behind him, Joan Mir took eleventh place on his return following an absence spanning four Grands Prix, with Maverick Viñales alongside him on the fourth row.
Quartararo Restricted to 18th Amid Yamaha Struggles
Fabio Quartararo battled to the end aboard his Yamaha in an attempt to secure a strong grid slot. Struggling in every corner and forced to push the M1 beyond its limits, Quartararo had to settle for the 18th-fastest time in qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix, finishing behind fellow Yamaha riders Álex Rins and Jack Miller.
Sources: GP de Malaisie – Qualifications : Álex Márquez s’offre la pole devant Marc.
