The World Championship leader soars to top spot honours on the opening day of action in Sepang as his chief title rival rests up for a bumper Saturday.

An early crash couldn’t throw Championship leader Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) off course as the #93 made up for his final-corner practice error to lead the MotoGP charge on Friday afternoon. He was able to pip brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) by 0.109s with a stellar 1:57.000 time attack lap, whilst a late lap from Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP) put the Dutch GP winner in third. Completing just three laps, injured Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) ended Practice early in order to save energy for Saturday’s bumper schedule.

FIRST ENCOUNTERS: Martin pulls in, Marc Marquez crashes

Before the session had even reached a third of the way to being done, the top two in the Championship were making headlines. Martin’s day was done after three laps and the decision was taken that the #89 will sit out the remainder of Practice, although he’ll hit the track tomorrow morning for FP2 to see how he is on Sprint Saturday. Should he take part for the rest of the weekend, then the 2024 World Champion will find himself in Q1. Then, at Turn 15, Marc Marquez crashed, tucking the front and sliding through the gravel, although he was soon back on his feet.

BOUNCING BACK: the #93 asserts authority

Into the second half of the session and it was Di Giannantonio leading the way ahead of Alex Marquez and Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR). All of the fastest lap times were being set early on with riders opting for long runs in the first 40 minutes or so. After his fall, Marc Marquez was back out on track and provisionally P8 with just over a quarter of an hour remaining. However, not for long, as the Championship leader blasted in a 1’57.000 to go top of the timesheets by nearly four tenths of a second.

CHANGES APLENTY: Ogura into the top 3, Zarco and Bagnaia fall

There were a whole load of changes in the top ten with just over ten minutes remaining, with Acosta, Bezzecchi and Bastianini all moving into the top five whilst Ogura, Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) also found improvements. Three minutes on the clock and Ogura continued to improve with a move up to P3 whilst the yellow flags were out at Turns 7 and 8 for a late fall for Zarco. Then, Turn 1 caught out double World Champion Bagnaia, who tucked the front; the crashes confirmed both riders’ presence in Q1 tomorrow.

FRIDAY’S TOP 10: Q2 spots bagged

Nobody could get on terms with Marc Marquez though as the reigning World Champion led a Marquez 1-2 ahead of Alex in second and looked good not only on one lap but with race pace too. Ogura’s late improvement brought the Japanese to third by the end of play, ahead of Acosta and Di Giannantonio. Bezzecchi had a steady start to bag a Q2 spot in sixth ahead of a strong showing from Red Bull KTM Tech3 duo Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales, with three KTMs going directly into Q2 for the first time since Hungary last year. Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and a returning Mir who was welcomed back with P10.

MISSING THE CUT: Bagnaia headlines, Martin back on track in FP2

Zarco’s crash late on cost him as he missed out by 0.187s, just 0.002s ahead of Pecco in 12th. Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) had a big front-end save at Turn 15, which cost him any improvement and thus finds himself in Q1, whilst the best Yamaha was Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) just behind him in P14. Martin sitting out the rest of the session after three laps leaves him in Q1 and he hopes that he can be competitive on Saturday.

Moto2: Gonzalez collects Friday P1 as big hitters miss Q2 cut in Sepang

After a fast crash in Free Practice 1, World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) bounced back in style in the all-important Moto2 Practice session to top the timesheets on Friday at the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia. Gonzalez’s 2:03.737 was good enough to see off the Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) threat by 0.144s, with Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team) completing the top three.

Holgado was another rider to crash this morning, but like Gonzalez, didn’t show any ill effects from the tip-off in the afternoon stint. Fourth place went to Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2), who was the only other rider to get below 0.7s away from his title rival’s table-topping time. The exact gap between the title-chasing duo? 0.234s.

2022 Moto2 Malaysian GP winner Tony Arbolino (REDS Fantic Racing) rounded out the top five ahead of the rider third in the overall standings, Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – MSI). And it was double delight in the MSI box because Ortola’s teammate Angel Piqueras finished P7 to front the rookie charge in Moto2 Practice.

Some of the big headlines came further down the order, though. Two of our 2025 Moto2 Malaysian GP podium finishers, David Alonso (CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team) and Barry Baltus (REDS Fantic Racing), ended the session in P18 and P19 to face Q1, and they’ll be joined in Q1 by British GP winner Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team) after the Czech star missed out on the top 14 because his second fastest lap was slower than Adrian Huertas’ (Italtrans Racing Team) – the duo both setting 2:04.735.

Moto3: Almansa soars to Sepang P1 on Friday, home star Danish fourth

After a tricky start to the day, David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) paved his way to P1 to draw first blood in Moto3 in Malaysia. Aiming to consolidate P2 overall in the standings, the #22 set the fastest time of the day to head the field whilst the homecoming tour is well underway for Hakim Danish (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) with the Malaysian fourth at the chequered flag.

A 2’11.427 saw the Spaniard clear by less than a tenth of a second from rookie star Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3), taking to Sepang for the first time. 0.069s split the top two whilst less than a tenth covered the top three with Phillip Island polesitter Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) continuing his form in third and taking top Honda honours. Danish was a star in fourth ahead of Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) whilst, like Almansa, Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP-MTA) turned around a tricky FP1 to round out the top six in Practice.

Heavyweight names are scattered further back with the likes of Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in P7, teammate Brian Uriarte in P9 and David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) in P10. 2026 World Champion Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) was only 11th whereas big names missed the cut all together. US GP winner Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) will face the Q1 music in 15th, along with Argentinean pairing Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Marco Morelli (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team).

More from We Speak Media

Media Day Dispatch: The Scene Is Set Ahead of Seismic Sepang WeekendMotoGP Title Fight Heads to Sepang: Marquez Leads Martin by 10 With Milestones in PlayFirestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Returns March 5-7, 2027 to Open the INDYCAR SeasonChampionship Weekend Comes Home: After Seven Years Away, NASCAR’s Titles Return to HomesteadThe World/Inferno Friendship Society Releases 20th Anniversary Reissue of Red-Eyed Soul on Ernest Jenning Record Co.Pizzapocalypse: A Slice of Hope Demo Launches on Steam as Kickstarter Campaign NearsRat Game Out Now on PC: 1 Chef vs 2-7 Rats in Aran Koning’s Viral Asymmetrical Co-opROLLA’s Halloween Update Unleashes Atomic Time Attack