David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) made history at the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia after racing to an unbelievable 13th victory of the season.
It was Alonso’s sixth consecutive win, but he was made to work hard by second place Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) after the #72 missed out by a mere 0.088s at the line. Comeback King Furusato produced a fine ride to beat the hard-charging third place finisher Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo), as the Spaniard stood on the box for the first time since Aragon.
Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) claimed the holeshot on the run to Turn 1, snatching P1 after an incredible launch. The #48 was chased by David Almansa (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team) on the opening lap, with the #22 charging from ninth to second.
P2 hunting Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) suffered some early drama as the #96 crashed, which also saw Alonso drop to outside the top 10. Meanwhile, Leopard Racing’s Adrian Fernandez and Angel Piqueras also had a disappointing end to their weekends as both retired due to mechanical issues.
Furusato had his opportunity in P1, with the recovering Alonso in pursuit. The gloves were off, with Alonso and Ortola pouncing on Furusato’s mistake at Turn 14. The #72 responded, finding a gap in the #48’s armour as he returned to second place.
Tension was high at the front, with Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) entering the podium fight as the Dutchman began to duel for P3. However, the #95 had Rueda on his tailpipes, with the #99 showing an incredible late-race pace to get into the podium frame.
On the final lap, Alonso was under pressure from Furusato, with the #80 aiming to create further history at Sepang. Alonso held onto P1, crossing the line to claim a stunning 13th victory of the season. The Colombian crossed the line ahead of Furusato as Rueda was able to fend off Ortola, increasing his margin to 0.996s at the chequered flag.
Ortola took fourth, finishing less than one second adrift from victory and crossing the line in front of Veijer. The Dutchman rounded out the top five and is now tied on points with Holgado for P3 in the Championship. Meanwhile, Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) was sixth, bagging solid points and placing ahead of Ryusei Yamanaka, who completed a strong day for the MT Helmets – MSI squad. Meanwhile, Stefano Nepa secured eighth.
Further back, Matteo Bertelle (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team) and Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) rounded out the 10 as Almansa finished in 11th. The #22 was 10 seconds adrift from P1, with Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), Filippo Farioli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Xabi Zurutuza (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Honda Team Asia’s Tatchakorn Buasri securing the final points.
Alonso continues to prove why he’s the 2024 World Champion. Now, there’s just one race to go. Make sure you keep up to date on motogp.com to get the latest news regarding the final round of the season, as we continue to send our love and support to Valencia.
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