Marc Marquez won the Malaysian Grand Prix and moved closer to his eighth MotoGP world title

Marc Marquez took an important step toward his eighth world title in the premier MotoGP class after winning the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday at the Sepang circuit. The Spanish Ducati rider also benefited from the absence of his main rival, the injured Jorge Martin.

Marquez claimed his seventh victory of the season in a time of 40 minutes, 14 seconds and 236 thousandths. He was followed by fellow Spaniards Pedro Acosta, 4.172 seconds behind, and Alex Marquez, 5.955 seconds behind. Italy's Marco Bezzecchi, third in the world standings, finished the race in sixth place.

As a result, Marc Marquez reached 399 points and leads the world championship standings, while Jorge Martin remains on 355 points. The Spanish Aprilia rider did not participate after fracturing his right radius in the Australian Grand Prix.

Marquez can mathematically secure the title at the next round, scheduled to take place in Qatar, if the event goes ahead. The race is uncertain due to the security situation in the Middle East, which has led to reluctance among the riders and tensions with the organizers.

To become champion, Marquez must score at least 30 more points than Martin in Qatar. After the Qatar round, the season will conclude with two races, in Portugal and Valencia, Spain. The former champion has six MotoGP titles and nine world titles overall.