This weekend the contest for the 2013 MotoGP World Championship moves from its European heartland to the tropical heat of Malaysia, where the spectacular Sepang circuit hosts round 14 of 18.

Remarkable rookie Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V) leads the charge, breaking records at every race. Earlier this year the 20-year-old became the youngest winner of a premier-class motorcycle Grand Prix and he has now won a total of six races, the most victories ever recorded by an apprentice in the class of kings.

With four rounds remaining – including a gruelling run of three races on consecutive Sundays in Malaysia, Australia and Japan – Marquez leads reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) by 39 points. He has won five of the last seven races and hasn’t finished lower than second since June’s Catalan Grand Prix where he took third place.

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) travels to Asia following a luckless race at Aragon where he crashed out after Marquez made contact with his machine. Although the two bikes barely connected, the impact was enough to sever the cable that connects the rear-wheel speed sensor on Pedrosa’s bike to its engine-management system. The freak incident disabled Pedrosa’s traction-control system, which caused the former 250 and 125 World Champion to crash moments later. Both riders are due to meet Race Direction at Sepang on Thursday to review the incident.

Pedrosa’s first non-finish of the year gives him a mountain to climb in the battle for the title. Going into Aragon he was equal on points with Lorenzo and 34 behind Marquez. Now he languishes 59 points behind the leader, through no fault of his own.

Pedrosa won last year’s rain-lashed Sepang race (as well as the 2003 125 GP and the 2004 250 GP at the track) and will be out to win again and keep himself in the title game, despite some pain from the hip he injured at Aragon.

Between them, Marquez and Pedrosa have won eight of the 13 races so far, putting Honda ahead in the constructors’ World Championship and the Repsol Honda Team at the top of the team championship.

Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V) enjoyed a great battle with nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) and Alvaro Bautista (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini RC213V) at Aragon, eventually finishing fifth, just one second from the podium. The 2011 Moto2 World Champion – who in July became the first German to start a MotoGP race from pole position – regained a lot of confidence in that race and is in the mood to keep attacking at Sepang.

Bautista arrives in Malaysia determined to continue his impressive form that has seen him in the thick of the battle for the final podium place on several occasions. The hard-riding Spaniard has finished six of the last seven races in the top six, including fourth-place finishes at Laguna Seca and last time out at Aragon. He knows that if things go his way he can make the top three for the first time this year.

Bryan Staring (GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda) is delighted to be embarking on the trio of ‘flyaway’ races that brings him to Sepang and then next week to his home race at Phillip Island. The Australian rookie has had a tough first season in bike racing’s biggest championship, fighting to get into the points-scoring positions on his CBR1000RR-powered CRT bike. So far he has scored two points and he will be out to score more at Sepang this Sunday.

Sepang is usually the hottest race of the MotoGP season, which makes it one of the toughest events of the year. High temperatures and sweltering humidity at the track outside Kuala Lumpur demand a great deal from riders, motorcycles, tyres and pit crew.

The circuit, which has been on the calendar since 1999, is popular with riders because it features a challenging mix of mostly medium- and high-speed corners and two long straights where they can fully use the horsepower of their MotoGP machines.

Race day at Sepang is immediately followed by the Australian GP on October 20 and then the Japanese GP at Motegi on October 27. The 2013 season finale takes place at Valencia, Spain, on November 10.


Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda:

“Now we head to Malaysia for the first of the flyaway races and I’m ready to get there! Sepang is a circuit I like, it’s the first track where we were really able to test the Honda at so it will be nice to go back there and regain the feeling, and to see what we have learned over the season! I know there is a hearing set for Thursday with Race Direction to discuss the incident with Dani in Aragón. There is not much we can do, we need to wait and see what they say.”

Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda:

“I felt good in the last race riding at the front, and I look forward to finding the same feelings on the bike again in Sepang. The track has a little of everything, fast and slow corners, hard braking and long straights and the weather conditions make it hard work. Physically it’s been a hard week, I couldn’t walk for three days due to the pain in my hip, but it’s getting better every day so I’m hoping to be in perfect condition for the weekend.”

Stefan Bradl, LCR Honda MotoGP:

“Aragon proved that our performance is getting stronger and stronger. Also, I gained a lot of confidence during that race, which gives me the motivation to continue improving at Sepang. I know that I still need a little more experience to help me manage the drop in the tyres during the last few races, but hopefully I can get on top of that soon. Sepang is always a real challenge, for which I’m fully ready.”

Alvaro Bautista, Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini:

“Aragon confirmed the good form we have been in during the second half of the season and proved that Misano was nothing but a blip. At Alcañiz we got back to the level we had been showing in previous races and we took another step forward with the material we introduced in the test on the Monday after Misano. We fought all race for a spot on the podium and it was a real shame to lose touch with Valentino [Rossi] on the last lap because of the battle with Bradl. Anyway, we achieved our goal of being the first non-factory bike across the line and that is a source of great satisfaction to us. We are really improving and we want to confirm our progress again at Sepang by reducing the gap to the winner. It won’t be easy because everybody is starting out with the data from preseason testing but I think we are at a relative advantage because our bike has improved a lot since then. I want to enjoy myself again like I have in the last few races. I have been working hard on my physical condition in readiness for the heat and humidity of this race and it is important to know when to use your energy and when to save it. The track is always fantastic and definitely amongst my favourites, with lots of different kinds of corners, hard braking zones, fast direction changes and some spectacular sliding. It is a wide track with some different lines and lots of opportunities to pass on the brakes. The weather tends to be changeable from the morning to the afternoon and the pace tends to drop as the day progresses because of the intense heat.”

Bryan Staring, GO&FUN Honda Gresini:

“Finally we are on the way home and I am looking forward to racing in Malaysia this weekend. I wasn’t too happy with the result at Aragon but it is important we make up for it this weekend in Malaysia and give ourselves a good platform to work from in my home Grand Prix the following weekend. I like Sepang and I want to give it my best shot before heading on to Australia. My feeling with the bike has improved and there is no reason why we can’t have a good race on Sunday. The heat will play a big part I am sure but I have done my best to prepare for it.”

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