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MotoGP Malaysian GP: Full Moto2 and Moto3 results

John McPhee the Moto3 Malaysian Grand Prix as victory went the way of Tony Arbolino in the Moto2 class as the title race took a dramatic turn.

Tony Arbolino, Marc VDS Racing Team

Tony Arbolino, Marc VDS Racing Team

Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Sunday’s race action began with the 17-lap Moto3 contest, with Max Racing’s McPhee recovering from 22nd on the grid to take a stunning victory at the end of a hugely difficult season for the Scotsman.

McPhee will have to undergo a crew chief change this weekend after his current one, Maurizio Cambarau, was fired after an investigation into an assault incident from 2019 found him guilty – though this won’t take effect until Valencia.

The Scotsman has also endured numerous injury problems and currently does not have a ride in any series for 2023 in his pocket.

Poleman Dennis Foggia led in the early stages of a hectic Moto3 race and led the pack as the final lap got underway.

But McPhee pulled off a daring move on the inside of several riders at the penultimate corner to lead onto the back straight.

His Max Racing team-mate Ayumu Sasaki tried to take the lead away from McPhee at the final corner, but the latter cut back to the inside as Sasaki ran slightly wide to score his first win since 2020 by just 0.048 seconds.

Sasaki held onto second ahead of Aspar GasGas rider Sergio Garcia, which moves him eight points clear of Foggia in their fight for second in the standings heading to the Valencia finale next month.

Ajo KTM’s Jaume Masia was fourth from MT Helmets KTM rider Diogo Moreira and Foggia, with Dani Holgado (Ajo KTM), Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets KTM), MTA KTM’s Ivan Ortola and Tech3 KTM’s Deniz Oncu rounding out the top 10.

New Moto3 world champion Izan Guevara took the chequered flag in 12th after contact with Sasaki exiting the final corner in the closing stages sent him off track.

John McPhee, Husqvarna Max Racing

John McPhee, Husqvarna Max Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Moto3 results

Cla Rider Laps Gap Points
1 United Kingdom John McPhee 17   25
2 Japan Ayumu Sasaki 17 0.048 20
3 Spain Sergio García 17 0.146 16
4 Spain Jaume Masia 17 0.245 13
5 Brazil Diogo Moreira 17 0.319 11
6 Italy Dennis Foggia 17 0.371 10
7 Spain Daniel Holgado 17 5.817 9
8 Japan Ryusei Yamanaka 17 6.034 8
9 Spain Iván Ortolá Díez 17 6.230 7
10 Turkey Deniz Öncü 17 6.732 6
11 Spain Xavier Artigas 17 6.789 5
12 Spain Izan Guevara 17 9.148 4
13 Elia Bartolini 17 13.416 3
14 Italy Andrea Migno 17 13.682 2
15 Mexico Adrian Fernandez 17 14.659 1
16 Syarifuddin Azman 17 14.812  
17 Japan Kaito Toba 17 14.990  
18 Joel Kelso 17 20.530  
19 France Lorenzo Fellon 17 28.240  
20 Italy Nicola Fabio 17 28.285  
21 Indonesia Mario Suryo Aji 17 43.055  
22 Spain Ana Carrasco 17 43.250  
23 United Kingdom Joshua Whatley 17 54.110  
  Japan Taiyo Furusato 15 2 Laps  
  Italy Riccardo Rossi 12 5 Laps  
  Spain Carlos Tatay 12 5 Laps  
  Italy Alberto Surra 8 9 Laps  
  Japan Tatsuki Suzuki 4 13 Laps  
  David Muñoz 3 14 Laps  
  Italy Stefano Nepa 1 16 Laps  
  United Kingdom Scott Ogden 1 16 Laps  

Drama struck the 18-lap Moto2 race as the championship battle between Ai Ogura and Augusto Fernandez took another massive twist.

Poleman Ogura trailed MarcVDS’ Tony Arbolino for much of the first half of the race before taking the lead at the start of lap 13.

A mistake for Ogura under braking for Turn 1 next time around allowed Arbolino back through, though Honda Team Asia’s Ogura would rally over the final few laps.

Ogura went for an overtake up the inside of Arbolino at Turn 9 but lost the front as he edged ahead and crashed out.

Ajo KTM’s Fernandez took the chequered flag in fourth to steal a crucial 9.5-point lead over Ogura to set up a final-round showdown in Valencia next month.

Arbolino eased to the chequered flag 11.4 seconds clear of Speed Up’s Alonso Lopez and Aspar GasGas rider Jake Dixon.

Yamaha VR46 Master Camp rider Manu Gonzalez completed the top five ahead of Intact GP’s Marcel Schrotter and American Racing’s Cameron Beaubier.

Aron Canet recovered to eighth for Pons after getting caught up in a Turn 1 tangle between Honda Team Asia’s Somkiat Chantra and Ajo’s Pedro Acosta. Intact GP’s Jeremy Alcoba and Speed Up’s Fermin Aldeguer completed the top 10.

Tony Arbolino, Marc VDS Racing Team

Tony Arbolino, Marc VDS Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Moto2 results

Cla Rider Laps Gap Points
1 Italy Tony Arbolino 18   25
2 Spain Alonso López 18 11.411 20
3 United Kingdom Jake Dixon 18 11.802 16
4 Spain Augusto Fernandez 18 13.206 13
5 Spain Manuel Gonzalez 18 14.770 11
6 Germany Marcel Schrotter 18 17.166 10
7 United States Cameron Beaubier 18 20.222 9
8 Spain Arón Canet 18 24.279 8
9 Spain Jeremy Alcoba 18 24.407 7
10 Spain Fermin Aldeguer 18 24.482 6
11 Czech Republic Filip Salač 18 30.636 5
12 Italy Lorenzo Dalla Porta 18 33.595 4
13 Spain Albert Arenas 18 34.448 3
14 Netherlands Bo Bendsneyder 18 34.927 2
15 Japan Taiga Hada 18 43.757 1
16 Keminth Kubo 18 44.940  
17 Spain Marcos Ramirez 18 45.182  
18 United States Sean Dylan Kelly 18 48.818  
19 Malaysia Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin 18 53.121  
20 Borja Gomez 18 54.465  
21 Italy Niccolo Antonelli 18 54.812  
22 Thailand Azroy Anuar 18 55.685  
  Japan Ai Ogura 17    
  Spain Pedro Acosta 9    
  Italy Alessandro Zaccone 9    
  United States Joe Roberts 8    
  Italy Celestino Vietti Ramus 5    
  Thailand Somkiat Chantra 1    
  David Sanchis 0    

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