MotoGP Malaysian GP Pre-Qualifying: Márquez Crashes, Then Takes Charge; Martin Raises Concerns

The Marquez brothers put two Ducatis at the top at Sepang, Ogura was the fastest Aprilia rider, while Martin was forced to retire from Practice.

Marc Marquez was fastest again in MotoGP qualifying practice for the Malaysian Grand Prix. After topping FP1, the reigning champion also set the fastest time in the afternoon. He even crashed at Turn 15 early in the session, but it did not discourage him in the slightest. His brother Alex was close behind, putting the BK8 Gresini team’s Ducati Desmosedici GP26 just 109 thousandths of a second back.

There was great anticipation to see Jorge Martin in action after he successfully passed his medical check at the end of FP1. But the Aprilia rider’s Practice session lasted just two laps before he returned to the garage, where he and Dr Angel Charte decided to end his track activities for the day. The two-time world champion was told to rest, and his condition will be reassessed tomorrow morning.

Martinator’s decision not to continue in qualifying practice seems to be a clear sign that his fractured radius is causing him significant problems. To preserve his condition for the rest of the weekend, resting is probably the wisest decision, even if it means having to contest Q1 and risking a low starting position on the grid. Aprilia are holding their breath, hoping their rider can

Piero Taramasso, Michelin’s Two-Wheel Motorsport Manager, spoke to Sky Sport MotoGP about the tyres: "We brought three different rear tyres because, after the winter tests, we were told that the track would be resurfaced from Turn 5 to Turn 12. They didn’t end up doing it, but by then we had already made and shipped the tyres. In agreement with the teams and the organisers, we decided to keep all three options".

Taramasso explained in detail which rear tyres Michelin brought to Sepang: "The soft rear is the same as last year, while the hard rear is the 2025 medium. Between those two, we’ve introduced a specification called the medium, which is a symmetrical tyre that is resistant to wear. Some riders tried it this morning, and a few will try it this afternoon. There’s often a significant performance gap between the medium and the soft at Sepang".

Could the fact that the track wasn’t resurfaced, although the straights were milled, have an impact? Taramasso replied: "The asphalt is a little worn, and we’ll understand tonight or tomorrow what effect it has on the tyres. It can certainly affect tyre wear and degradation, and we expect it to. As for the choice, I think the riders will work with the soft rear for both the sprint and the race; it’s the tyre they used in both 2025 and 2024. If you can make it last, it offers the most performance. I think we could see a soft-soft choice for both Saturday and Sunday".

The fastest Aprilia was Ai Ogura’s SuperFile Trackhouse bike, in third place, 167 thousandths of a second behind Marquez senior. Pedro Acosta put in a good performance to take fourth on the KTM, ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio’s Ducati and Marco Bezzecchi’s Aprilia.

There are three KTMs in the top 10, with Tech3 riders Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales doing well in seventh and eighth place respectively. Franco Morbidelli and returning rider Joan Mir also go straight through to Q2, with Mir’s Honda the only Japanese bike in the top ten in MotoGP Practice at Sepang.

Pecco Bagnaia will have to contest Q1: he could manage no better than 12th and also crashed at Turn 1 with just over two minutes remaining in the session. Another disappointment for the Ducati rider, who had hoped to be more competitive in Malaysia. Fabio Quartararo is struggling, down in 19th on the Yamaha.

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