The 2018 MotoGP title belonging since Motegi to Marc Márquez, the battle now focuses on that of vice-champion between Andrea Dovizioso, Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales.
15 points separate Andrea Dovizioso, 2nd, from Valentino Rossi 3rd, and 15 points separate the latter from Maverick Vinales 4th, while with two Grands Prix to contest a maximum of 50 points is still attributable.
Obviously, on paper, Andrea Dovizioso seems the favorite, not only because he precedes the two Yamaha riders, but also because last year Sepang gave rise to a magnificent Ducati double ahead of Johann zarco, the official Iwata drivers having settled for 7th and 9th places at the finish.
But the past remains the past and, today, Maverick Vinales came back like a spring after his victory in Phillip Island, while certainly Valentino Rossi is very keen to forget his lackluster Australian performance due to skating problems.
The Italian champion won the Malaysian Grand Prix in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, and achieved second places in 2002, 2005, 2014 and 2016, and third places in 2009 and 2015.
Sepang is not his favorite circuit and it is not that of the Yamahas either, even if the winding part of the track generally allows the M1s to at least partially compensate for the two main straights, including that of the finish after a reverse hairpin.
Once again, the extreme heat and thunderstorms which frequently occur during the afternoons could play an important role in the course of the weekend: in Malaysia, you have to ensure a good place from FP1 and FP3 to have every chance of starting on the first 4 lines.
Valentino Rossi : “Unfortunately, in Australia, I lost important points for the championship and I am very disappointed, but I am happy for Maverick and for Yamaha. We now need to focus on the third and final overseas race at Sepang, and it will be important to have a good weekend. We have to continue to work hard because we have to be competitive in every race. Sepang is not one of our favorite tracks, but we will always do our best to achieve the best possible results.”
