Marc Marquez Leads Sepang Practice as Jorge Martin Fights Through Injury
Marc Marquez set the pace during practice at the Sepang International Circuit ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix, clocking the fastest time despite an early crash while his title rival Jorge Martin competed with a previously fractured wrist, Sky Sport reported. Marquez posted a 1:58.912 to top the timesheets in a session complicated by changing track conditions and high temperatures. During a turn in the opening phases, Marquez went to ground due to a slide under braking.
Title Contenders Face Contrasting Fortunes in Malaysia
Marquez heads into the weekend holding a 10-point lead over Martin in the MotoGP world championship standings. Motorsport.com noted that Marquez was the only rider to break the 1:59 threshold during the opening sessions, distancing his direct pursuer by nearly half a second. Meanwhile, Martin arrived at Sepang with a fractured right radius sustained during a crash at the previous round’s Sprint in Phillip Island. According to Motorsport.com, Martin completed 12 laps in the opening practice session after receiving pain-reducing infiltrations and medical clearance, finishing 20th with a time of 2:00.747 before conserving energy in the afternoon. Team manager Paolo Bonora stated that the Spaniard’s conditions were better than expectations and that the rider tried to save some energy for the afternoon session.
Marc Marquez expects Jorge Martin to be fast at Sepang despite fractureMarc Marquez says Jorge Martin will be at a very high level at the Malaysian GP after being cleared to ride with a fractured wrist, citing new medical protocols.https://t.co/kO2ButmuIh pic.twitter.com/SI1Qe3C8Dj
Top Ten Riders Secure Direct Entry to Q2
Behind Marquez, the times grew increasingly competitive as riders fought for automatic qualification into the Q2 session. Alex Marquez finished second for BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP, followed by Ai Ogura in third on the Aprilia of the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team. Pedro Acosta finished fourth for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, matching Marco Bezzecchi’s exact thousandth-of-a-second time recorded on the Aprilia of 1:59.386, while also pulling off a massive save at Turn 15 near the end. Enea Bastianini took seventh for Red Bull KTM Tech3, while teammate Maverick Vinales claimed eighth to secure his first direct Q2 appearance in several rounds. Franco Morbidelli finished ninth for VR46, and Joan Mir rounded out the top ten in tenth place for Honda HRC Castrol upon returning from a health-related absence. Further down the order, the highest-placed Yamaha was ridden by Alex Rins in 11th position with a 1.3-second gap, followed by teammate Jack Miller. Fabio Quartararo placed ahead of Luca Marini, who returned after sitting out Phillip Island due to a severe bout of flu and finished 18th. Ai Ogura placed 19th with a 1.7-second gap, while Iker Lecuona caused a brief red flag as a replacement for the injured Fermin Aldeguer, who finished at the tail of the group after a front mudguard detached on a Ducati, shattered under the wheel, and covered the track in debris.
Weather Concerns and Weekend Schedule
F1ingenerale reported that high temperatures between 33 and 34 degrees Celsius and a significant probability of afternoon thunderstorms threaten to disrupt proceedings throughout the weekend at Sepang. La Gazzetta dello Sport confirmed that the 19th round of the season, taking place on the 5,543-meter clockwise Sepang International Circuit featuring 15 turns and four straights, will feature the Sprint race on Saturday, October 31, followed by the full Grand Prix on Sunday, November 1, 2026. The full event is broadcast live on Sky Sport MotoGP and streamed on Now, with qualifying and the Saturday Sprint also shown live on TV8 and Sunday races broadcast in delayed free-to-air coverage.
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