MotoGP returns to Sepang for the 2026 Malaysian Grand Prix from October 30 to November 1, with fans set to fill the grandstands for one of Southeast Asia’s biggest race weekends.
Ahead of the event, which will be shown live on SPOTV NOW, here are five interesting things to know.
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Ducati’s stronghold
Sepang has become one of Ducati’s most successful venues, with the Italian manufacturer having nine premier-class Grand Prix wins, more than any other manufacturer since the circuit joined the calendar in 1999.
Their dominance has emerged more recently as they have won six of the eight Malaysian Grands Prix held since 2016 – the race was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic – through Andrea Dovizioso (2016 & 2017), Francesco Bagnaia (2022 & 2024), Enea Bastianini (2023) and Alex Marquez (2025).
Their strength has extended beyond the race winners. Ducati occupied the top four positions in both 2023 and 2024, while they also won all Sepang Sprints thanks to Alex, Bagnaia and Jorge Martin.
Vinales’ three-class hat-trick
The last rider to deny Ducati a Malaysian Grand Prix victory was Maverick Vinales, whose 2019 success also completed a personal Sepang hat-trick.
The Spaniard had already won there in 125cc in 2011 and Moto2 in 2014, making his Yamaha victory eight years after his first success a third win across three different categories. His intermediate-class victory came during his only Moto2 season, while his first was in the final year of the 125cc championship before Moto3 replaced it.
Malaysia’s wait for a home winner
While visiting riders have built successful records in Malaysia, the hosts are still waiting for a World Championship winner on home soil. The Malaysian Grand Prix began at Shah Alam in 1991, moved to Johor in 1998 and settled at Sepang the following year. Across those three venues, no Malaysian has won in any class.
Zulfahmi Khairuddin came within touching distance in the 2012 Moto3 race. He started from pole and challenged Sandro Cortese to the finish, missing victory by just 0.028 seconds as the German secured the world title.
Malaysia shares that wait with Qatar, Thailand and Indonesia, but all three began hosting Grands Prix later.
A stand of his own
Hakim Danish will attempt to change that home record with a dedicated section of supporters behind him. Sepang has introduced the Hakim Danish Tribune for his first Malaysian Grand Prix as a full-time Moto3 rider, with the section already sold out.
His rookie season has shown why there is such interest. Hakim claimed his maiden Moto3 victory at Brno after starting 14th, becoming Malaysia’s first Grand Prix winner since Khairul Idham Pawi at the Sachsenring in 2016.
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A familiar detour to Qatar
Sepang usually comes near the end of MotoGP’s Asian travels, but this year the championship will head to Qatar before returning to Europe. The Lusail round was moved from April to November because of the situation in the Middle East, placing it a week after Malaysia.
It is an unusual sequence with a familiar precedent. Qatar also followed Malaysia in 2023, when circuit upgrades delayed the Lusail event until November. The same order appeared in 2005, but that turnaround was even shorter. Sepang raced on Sunday, September 25, before Qatar held its Grand Prix the following Saturday.
This year’s Malaysia-Qatar double-header will be followed by Portugal and the Valencia finale.
