MARC MARQUEZ DEFENDS ALEX’S CAUTION AS HE CHASES THE TITLE

Marc Marquez says his brother Alex was right to avoid taking unnecessary risks against him in Malaysia, as the Ducati Lenovo rider closes in on another MotoGP crown.

Marc won at Sepang after starting second and passing pole-sitter Alex at the first corner. Alex was later overtaken by Pedro Acosta, then secured third place ahead of Ai Ogura. It was his final race before shoulder surgery, which will rule him out of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix at Lusail. Marc can clinch his 10th world title there, with a 44-point advantage over Jorge Martin and 67 over Marco Bezzecchi. Three rounds remain, and Sepang was his first chance to secure the championship.

Alex has faced criticism this season over whether he races his brother as aggressively as he does other riders. At Sepang, he followed Marc for several laps before the championship leader pulled away. Marc, however, praised Alex’s recent form and the way he handled the race despite his physical condition.

“Alex has done a great job in this second part of the season, in the last few races,” Marc said in Qatar. “Especially considering how he was physically.” He added that Alex had been mindful of his own interests in Malaysia and managed the risks well: “That’s what brothers are for.”

Marc argued that caution was understandable with a world championship at stake. “If your brother is playing for a world championship, you don’t just throw your bike at him and see what happens,” he said. The fact that both brothers race for Ducati made a reckless move even less appropriate, he added.

“If you do that, then it means you’re a bad brother; you should call him and apologize,” Marc said, describing the sort of risky overtake he believes Alex should avoid. Alex’s third place at Sepang came in what proved to be his last appearance before surgery, while Marc heads to Qatar with the chance to secure the title.