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More MotoGP records tumbled at the weekend as Spain’s Marc Marquez fought back from a horrifying crash to claim second place at the Malaysia GP.

The Honda rider’s 395 points scored after finishing runner-up to fellow Spaniard Maverick Vinales (Yamaha) on Sunday meant Marquez became the highest points scored in a single MotoGP season.

After the unfortunate loss of Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup rider Afridza Munandar on Saturday, the MotoGP Championship rallied together to remember him with fantastic racing at the Sepang International Circuit.

There was no stopping Marquez who bounced back from his biggest crash of the year to put in a champion’s performance. Lightning off the line, the 55-time MotoGP race winner gained six positions in the first two corners alone and ended the first lap in second place.

With nine places gained, the reigning World Champion settled in behind Jack Miller for a short while. After muscling past the Australian, Marquez began to work on closing the 1.6 second gap to Viñales.

With the gap not reducing after several laps in the 1’59s, Marquez eased his pace to take a well-earned second place in the blazing Malaysian heat.

Returning to Europe with 395 points, Marquez now holds the record for most points scored in a single season and passes Jorge Lorenzo’s record of 383 World Championship points from the 2010 season.

The result in Malaysia also earns Marquez the honour of being the first rider in history to score 17 MotoGP class podium finishes in a single season, extending his unbroken run of top-two finishes to 15. Marquez’s last finish outside of the top two came at the Czech GP in 2018 when he was third.

“It was an incredible race, a great first lap,” said Marquez afterwards.

“Maybe it was the best of my career, alongside Mugello 2015 – I watched this lap last night to see what I did! It was a very nice first lap but unfortunately the tyre dropped a lot in those first three laps and I lost a little time with Miller. Viñales was faster than us today and the target was the podium.

“I tried to do like in Phillip Island and stay right behind him but the gap was too big at 1.1 seconds and I made a mistake and dropped back. I’m happy with my race, but you can’t imagine how happy I am for my brother’s victory – he deserves it so much. It’s an incredible day but we also have to remember Munandar, a young and talented rider who we unfortunately lost. A big hug to his family and friends.”

The final round of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship begins in Valencia on November 14.

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