Marco Bezzecchi is refusing to abandon his 2026 MotoGP title challenge. The Italian is now third in the standings, 52 points from the lead, but his third-place finish in the Sepang Sprint kept his campaign alive. Bezzecchi says he still believes the championship is within reach; without that belief, he said, continuing to turn up for the races would make little sense.

The situation is especially significant for Aprilia because Jorge Martin withdrew from the Malaysian Grand Prix due to injury. Bezzecchi is therefore the team’s last remaining hope in the riders’ title fight. Marc Marquez leads the standings by 19 points, and Sunday’s race could have a direct effect on the championship’s momentum.

A difficult third place at Sepang

Bezzecchi started the Sprint from fifth and moved into third late in the race by passing Ai Ogura. Light rain made the task more complicated, and the Aprilia rider used the bike ahead as a reference once the conditions began to change. He described the performance as a good one and felt third was probably the best position available as the race developed.

The Italian did not believe he had the pace to challenge Marc Marquez for second. Marquez, he explained, became slightly faster as soon as he found clear track ahead. The Sprint was still useful for Sunday: Bezzecchi watched how Marc Marquez, and Alex Marquez alongside him, approached the circuit in order to take ideas into the main race.

Marc Marquez could secure his first match point of the season in Qatar next week if he wins Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix. For Bezzecchi, the immediate task is to turn what he learned at Sepang into a strong result and keep the title fight open for as long as possible.