Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales has staved off a spectacular charge by MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez to win the Malaysian Grand Prix for his second victory of the season.
Australian rider Jack Miller finished eighth on his Ducati after starting from fourth on the grid.
A week after crashing out in the final lap at Phillip Island to allow Marquez to win the season’s second-last race in Australia, Vinales made sure there was no repeat.
The 24-year-old built an early lead and put on a near-flawless race to stay clear of fellow Spaniard Marquez, who finished second after beginning 11th.
“I felt I had a big potential just passing the first lap,” Vinales said.
“I took the lead in the first … and kept pushing, pushing, pushing. I’m so happy. The team did a great job.”
Vinales dedicated his victory to Indonesian rider Afridza Munandar, who died on Saturday after a crash in the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup (IATC) race at Sepang.
Marquez surged through the clutter to break into the top four on the first lap after a late switch to a soft rear tyre, although Vinales continued to elude him.
The Respol Honda rider said his strategy was not different from the one that paid dividends in Australia.
“It was an incredible race,” said Marquez. His points haul of 395 breaks the season record, eclipsing Jorge Lorenzo’s 383 in 2010.
“Vinales was faster than us today and I saw that the chance was only like in Phillip Island – stay just behind him.
“Once he took (a lead of) one-second-and-half, I tried to keep there but then I did a mistake and it got to two-seconds-and-half. I’m happy for my race.”
Marquez also reflected on Munandar’s death.
“We cannot forget Munandar – he was a young rider. I met him once, he was a nice guy but, unfortunately, for (the) motorcycle (world), sometimes these things happen.”
Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso finished third, denying Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi a spot on the podium.
Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo crossed a disappointing seventh, failing to reproduce Saturday’s speed which earned him pole position.
Last month in Thailand, Marquez secured his sixth MotoGP title and fourth in a row.
The final race of the season is on November 17 in Valencia.
