Alex Marquez Snatches Sepang Pole as Injured Martin Withdraws

Gresini Racing's Alex Marquez stormed to pole position for the Malaysian MotoGP on Saturday, denying his elder brother and reigning champion Marc Marquez with his final flying lap at the Sepang International Circuit. Alex clocked 1:56.493 to finish 0.070 seconds clear of Marc, who had surged from fifth to briefly hold top spot in the closing moments of Q2. Pedro Acosta completed the front row with another impressive qualifying performance for KTM. Aprilia's Ai Ogura and Marco Bezzecchi qualified fourth and fifth respectively, with Fabio Di Giannantonio sixth in a tightly contested session, while Francesco Bagnaia endured a frustrating afternoon after advancing through Q1. The pole was only the third of Alex's MotoGP career and his first of the season. The session was overshadowed by the withdrawal of 2024 champion Jorge Martin, who cut short Friday's practice and briefly took part in Saturday morning's session before deciding, together with his doctors, not to continue as he recovers from a wrist fracture suffered in a sprint-race crash at Phillip Island last weekend. Aprilia team manager Paolo Bonora said Martin was unable to force it under braking, and the team will now focus on the Doha Grand Prix.