At the end of the Malaysian MotoGP Grand Prix in Sepang, a press conference was held welcoming Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP).
Pedro Acosta's P2 is his seventh MotoGP Grand Prix podium in 2026 and his 17th podium overall in the category.
He finished second in Sepang for the second year in a row , after winning the Sprint on Saturday.
Pedro Acosta also set the fastest lap in the race on Sunday , in 1'59.261.
As is our custom , we reproduce his words here in full without any formatting, even though they are translated from English.
(I.e. Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon and welcome to this post-Grand Prix press conference, here at the end of the Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix, at the Sepang International Circuit.
Congratulations to our top 3 after what was probably one of the toughest races of the season!
Congratulations once again to Ducati Lenovo Team rider Marc Márquez. Marc's seventh victory this season means that next weekend he could make his seven MotoGP world titles an eighth in Qatar.
Congratulations, Marc. Another fantastic job from you today.
A brilliant weekend also for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Pedro Acosta: a front-row start, a Sprint victory and now a podium here in the Grand Prix.
Completing today's podium is the winner of the 2025 Malaysian Grand Prix, Alex Márquez, who started from pole position in that Grand Prix.
Gentlemen, congratulations! Well done to all three of you.
(I.e. Let's move on to second place with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Pedro Acosta. Pedro, I imagine you're leaving Malaysia very, very satisfied. A front-row start. You already had a double podium here last year, of course, but this one feels much better, much more solid. You won the Sprint yesterday in difficult conditions, then finished second in the Grand Prix today. Tell us about your feelings as you head back to your home race.
Peter Acosta “Yes, it was a very good weekend. It’s true that I struggled all weekend with the front tire, and the race wasn’t much different. But regardless, we have to be satisfied. I think we’re getting the most out of the current package, and for my part, I’m gaining valuable experience for the future.”
So, from that perspective, I think we're doing a good job as a team, even if we struggle in certain situations.
🎤 There were some great battles at the start, especially with Alex. Marc had already opened up a gap ahead. Do you think that if you had managed to overtake Alex a little sooner, you could have stayed closer? Maybe not necessarily challenged Marc for the win, but do you think you could have made things a bit more difficult for him?
"Well, maybe I could have been slightly closer, but as I said before, Marc was unbeatable today. So being a little closer or a little further away wouldn't have made a big difference."
So I am satisfied with the race we had, and with this new podium finish in Malaysia after last year's.
We should be happy.
🎤 Explain that crucial overtake at turn 9 to us. You came back from way, way back on Alex. A great move to secure second place…
“Yes. I mean, I didn’t have many other opportunities to try and overtake him. The two Aprilias behind were pushing incredibly hard, and I wasn’t really fast in a straight line today. So the only place I really had a chance to try something was there.”
I simply seized my opportunity and, clearly, it worked. So yes, I'm happy.
(I.e. Pedro, in your interview at Parc Fermé, you said that you and the team are coming back very strong at the end of the season with good results. Can you explain a little bit what's happening? Is it a question of mentality? A question of process? How do you find this good speed and this good approach?
“No. In the end, the overseas tour is usually quite good for KTM. We have good races without making many mistakes, like the ones we had in Japan.”
We're doing a good job. Even when we're struggling, we're able to stay close to the podium. As I said, we're having a good end to the season.
That was my goal after the summer break: to end this story with KTM in the best possible way.
(I.e. Of the three remaining circuits, which one do you think offers the best chance of securing another victory?
"It's hard to say. At the moment, we're not at the level of Ducati and Aprilia."
Marco is my closest rival, let's say, in the fight to try and challenge for the championship, but it looks like Qatar will be a circuit that suits Aprilia. He won in Portugal and Valencia last year.
Let's see what happens. Let's try to bring a few more podium finishes to the factory.
And if we can't manage that, let's try to get as close as possible.
🎤 Jack Miller just told us that he doesn't think MotoGP should go to Qatar next week, that 19 riders on the grid don't want to go, and that essentially, he believes you're being pressured, with sporting and financial threats, to go. Can I get the three of you're thinking on this?
Negative hand gesture…
Results of the Malaysian MotoGP Grand Prix at Sepang:
Ranking credit: motogp.com
Malaysia MotoGP Pedro Acosta Malaysia MotoGP Pedro Acosta
