Marquez extends his lead in the MotoGP World Championship

Italian Marco Bezzecchi succeeded in clinching third place after a fierce battle in the final stages at the Sepang circuit.

Seven-time world champion Marquez extended his lead to 19 points over his closest challenger, Martin, who withdrew from the competition earlier today after failing to recover from a broken wrist.

Marquez survived a dangerous moment at the start of the race when he almost collided with Japan's Ai Ogura at a sharp turn, while his younger brother, Alex Marquez, maintained the lead after starting from pole position.

However, Alex Marquez crashed and retired on the third lap after sliding off the track at a fast corner, leaving Ogura to take the lead.

Championship leader Marquez moved up to third place behind Acosta, having dropped back from his starting position in second place.

The circuit experienced light rain, and the race dynamic changed when Acosta overtook Ogura on the seventh lap to take the lead for the third time, before Marquez snatched second place from the Japanese rider.

Marquez had to rely on his experience to fend off attempts by Ogura, with whom he swapped positions more than once, before the Spaniard succeeded in overtaking him at a tight corner and pushed on to chase Acosta until the finish line.

Marquez said he did not enjoy the race, despite his relatively comfortable position in the title battle with Martin: "I didn't enjoy it at all. Today was real work, and we did what we had to do."

He continued: "This is a circuit where I have suffered a lot in some years, but we are managing things well... I will be fully focused tomorrow."

Martin's early withdrawal from the Sepang round dealt a heavy blow to his title hopes, with only three races remaining after this round.

The Aprilia rider fears that his chances of reclaiming the title he won in 2024 may have evaporated.

The Spaniard said: "Maybe I can win the title, but for me, I feel like I've already lost it."

He added: "That is why I will continue to fight until the end. Not just for me, because at the end of the day I am already a world champion, but for my team and the people around me, and I will fight until the end."

The main race is scheduled to take place today, Sunday.