By Donovan Fourie | Guest Contributor | MotoGP Analyst
A Chaotic Start to the Weekend
Not for the first time, the Malaysian GP was beset with drama. During the Moto3 sighting lap, where the field rides around the track to line up on the grid to begin the grid ceremonies, championship leader Jose Rueda ran into the back of 20-year-old Noah Dettwiler.
It was the sort of accident that happens – Dettwiler was riding slowly down one of the straights when Rueda accidentally rode into him at speed. Reports suggest that Dettwiler was suffering a technical problem, but we have no official confirmation of that.
Rueda sustained a fracture to his hand but is otherwise all good, whereas Dettwiler was in a serious condition and had to be airlifted by helicopter from the circuit. Nothing has yet been confirmed apart from the fact that the Swiss rider is, at the time of publishing, stable after multiple surgeries. Unconfirmed reports suggest that he sustained injuries to his spleen and lungs, lost much blood and suffered multiple cardiac arrests.
MotoGP’s Unforgiving Nature
Motorcycle racing at the highest level is spectacular to behold. It’s also brutal and downright dangerous. Attempts are made to make it less so, and massive strides have been achieved in safety since the founding of the championship — a time when it was possible to win the title by default, having been the last rider still alive.
Nowadays, serious injuries and deaths are rare, but not completely ruled out. In a way, that’s perhaps a good thing. We admire the people circulating circuits on our TVs partially because of their talent and dedication, but also because of the courage and bravery required to put themselves on that line.
That’s what separates MotoGP and motorcycle racing from other sports that require mere ball kicking and running. These riders are heroes, and every now and then we are reminded of this.
No doubt, we wish Noah Dettwiler all the best. He is a hero of heroes.
Bagnaia’s Mixed Fortune
As far as the MotoGP race is concerned, it appeared that Pecco Bagnaia once again mysteriously returned from the doldrums of the back of the field to winning ways.
At Motegi, the Italian dominated after a year littered with troubles surrounding the 2025 Ducati race bike. While it seemed as though the troubles were solved in Japan, during the following Indonesian and Australian rounds, he found himself returning to the back of the field and generally struggling.
Then, Sepang happened — Bagnaia was on pole and walked away with the Sprint Race. Ducati is pretty hush about the goings on inside its pitbox, but the ever-vigilant Steve Appleyard spotted that Bagnaia had a 2025 model race bike next to what looked suspiciously like a 2024 machine. We can guess which one he used during the race.
Tyre Choices and Race Strategy
Sunday’s main race was intriguing. At every MotoGP round, Michelin brings three tyre options — Soft, Medium and Hard. While they might get the same description at every round, they are not necessarily the same tyre.
It was a hot, dry day at Sepang, and yet almost every rider, for the Main Race, chose Soft front and rear. That tells us Michelin got its tyre estimation very wrong.
Every rider chose a Soft rear for the race, and only a handful chose a Medium front. Generally, the Medium front riders were to be found either crawling through the gravel trap or towards the back of the field. That list includes Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi, who found himself miles from his usual spot at the front, all the way down in 11th spot.
The other notable Medium front rider was Luca Marini, who scratched out an eighth spot. His teammate, Joan Mir, took advantage of Honda’s increasing form to land on the podium. It seems Marini lost out.
A Costly Puncture Ends Bagnaia’s Race
The top-performing Medium front rider was the pole-sitter and Sprint Race winner, Pecco Bagnaia. His tyre choice left problems, as his lead off the start was quickly dismissed by Alex Marquez, who pulled a near one-second lead while Pedro Acosta on the KTM sat on Bagnaia’s coattails.
For 12 laps, Bagnaia maintained the near-second gap, despite the under-performing tyre. The goal was to maintain the deficit until the Soft fronts began to drop off. Then suddenly, Bagnaia experienced a sharp drop in rear grip. The gap grew to 1.4 seconds, then 2.2, and Acosta relegated him to third.
He kept dropping until he completely lost rear grip and realised it was a puncture. That was the end of what could have been an exciting race.
Alex Marquez took the win and secured his second place in the championship, making it a Marquez one-two — the first time brothers have done such a thing. Pedro Acosta finished second, and Joan Mir’s Honda rounded out the podium.
Brad Binder’s Resilient Performance
Brad Binder had a particularly tough weekend. Like Bagnaia, the South African has been struggling with this year’s KTM — either lacking rear grip or finding the front locking during hard braking.
He qualified a distant 18th and finished 16th in the Sprint. For the Main Race, he managed his usual Sunday form, going from 18th to 11th in the first lap before eventually crossing the line in ninth.
Again, his Sunday pace is incredible, but he’s let down by Friday and Saturday’s one-lap performance. Maybe Binder should appeal to organisers to adopt a “draw your grid slot” qualifying system. Mind you, with his luck, he might still start at the back.
Nonetheless, the stalwart South African continues his positive approach to everything he does — and that alone should be something to celebrate.