Ducati heads to Sepang chasing a tenth win in red as Marc Márquez defends the championship lead
Ducati's Desmosedici GP has won nine times at Sepang and arrives at the 19th round of 2026 with Marc Márquez back on top of the Riders' standings and Francesco Bagnaia chasing a rebound.
- 9
- 365 points, 1st
- 166 points, 9th
- 5.54 km
What Happened
Sepang International Circuit hosts the 19th round of the 2026 MotoGP season, a demanding track where a scorching, very humid climate will put everyone to the test. Ducati's Desmosedici GP has a great tradition there with nine victories to its name. Marc Márquez returns to first place in the general standings after the Phillip Island Sprint and is ready to be a key player in a crucial weekend for the Championship, while Francesco Bagnaia arrives in Malaysia after a tough weekend in Australia, keen to bounce back on one of his favourite overseas circuits.
Loris Capirossi takes the first Ducati victory at Sepang.
Andrea Iannone sets the circuit's maximum speed on a Ducati at 339.6 km/h.
Pecco Bagnaia sets the Sepang circuit record of 1:56.337 on the Ducati.
Bagnaia wins the Saturday Sprint and Alex Márquez wins Sunday's Grand Prix, with Acosta (KTM) second and Mir (Honda) third; Bagnaia takes pole in 1:57.001 and A. Márquez sets the fastest lap in 1:58.873.
Sepang hosts the 19th race of the season with Márquez leading the standings.
- Loris Capirossi — 1 win, the first in 2005
- Casey Stoner — 2 wins
- Andrea Dovizioso — 2 wins
- Pecco Bagnaia — 2 wins
- Enea Bastianini — 1 win
- Alex Márquez — 1 win, in 2025
“Sepang is a completely different track compared to Phillip Island, and the weather here always makes everything more challenging. Saturday's race in Australia gave me a great boost, but we must stay focused: the goal is to keep playing a leading role and manage every session and effort as best we can.”
“In Australia it wasn't an easy weekend, but Sepang is one of the overseas tracks I love the most. Here the Desmosedici GP has been able to make the difference, and we have wonderful memories. We will work hard right from Friday to immediately find the right feeling and play our cards over the weekend.”
Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia measures 5.54 km with 15 turns, 10 right and 5 left; the Sprint race runs 10 laps and the Grand Prix 20. Bagnaia holds the circuit record at 1:56.337, set in 2024, and the highest top speed recorded there is Andrea Iannone's 339.6 km/h from 2015. Márquez arrives with 301 Grand Prix starts, 105 wins, 171 podiums, 24 Sprint wins, 105 pole positions and nine world titles, while Bagnaia has 252 starts, 41 wins, 86 podiums, 14 Sprint wins, 35 pole positions and three world titles.
- 365 points, 1st
- 166 points, 9th
- Ducati 503 points, 2nd; Ducati Lenovo Team 531 points, 2nd
Previously from Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.
A few days before Sepang, Marc Márquez won the Australian Sprint at Phillip Island to move back on top of the Riders' standings, while Ducati Lenovo teammate Francesco Bagnaia was forced to retire after three laps. Earlier that same weekend, Márquez had closed the first day at Phillip Island third, 0.126s off the top, while Bagnaia finished fourteenth and had to tackle Q1.
- Marc Márquez wins Phillip Island Sprint to retake the Riders' lead as Bagnaia retires on lap three
- Márquez third for Ducati on Friday at Phillip Island as Bagnaia must tackle Q1
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.'s official releases.
Why this matters
Sepang is one of Ducati's strongest venues with nine wins, and the 2026 visit falls at a crucial stage of the championship. Márquez leads the Riders' standings on 365 points after retaking first place in Australia, while teammate Bagnaia is ninth on 166, so factory results here directly shape the title fight for both riders, the Ducati Lenovo Team and Ducati's constructors' position.
Terms in This Story
- Desmosedici GP
- Ducati's factory prototype racing motorcycle used in the MotoGP class.
- Sprint
- A shorter race held on the Saturday before the main Grand Prix, scoring fewer championship points.
- Pole position
- First place on the starting grid, awarded to the fastest rider in qualifying.
- Constructors' standings
- A championship table that scores points for each manufacturer based on its best-placed bike at every round.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.