A subdued end to a tricky weekend for the Repsol Honda Team as Marc Marquez returned to the points and Joan Mir suffered an unfortunate early crash after a promising start.
Threats of rain throughout the weekend would ultimately remain at simply that, the circuit staying dry during the entire weekend of premier class running. The brief ten minute Warm Up session offered the Repsol Honda Team a final chance to assess their setup before diving into the race later in the afternoon.
From 20th, Marc Marquez made another aggressive start to the race and found himself fighting for points from the first lap. As the processional Malaysian Grand Prix unfolded, Marquez briefly battled with his teammate before settling into a largely lonesome race. Avoiding risks, the #93 was able to bring his Honda RC213V home in 13th place and leave Malaysia ready for the final two races of the year.
Joan Mir had made a similar start to the 20-lap race as his Repsol Honda Team teammate and the pair were running together on track in the early stages. A moment at Turn 4 would see the #36 fall from the race, avoiding injury, but unable to continue. Disappointment for the 2020 MotoGP World Champion, his pace from the early laps certainly strong enough to score points. As always, Mir remains focused on the positives – pleased to have been able to match his teammate’s speed.
Now the Repsol Honda Team will pack the garage and move onto the next challenge: Qatar – the penultimate GP of the year.