Fermín Aldeguer locked in the first top time for the final flyaway round at the Malaysian Grand Prix in the MotoGP Free Practice 1 session. He inherited first place after a heavy downpour slowed riders’ return to the track, which was quickly filling with standing water. Find out how the rain affected the session and other observations at the Sepang circuit.
Unfortunate News As the Season Nears the End
Before the session began, it was announced that the 2025 MotoGP World Champion, Marc Márquez, would not be returning for the rest of the season. The Spaniard has chosen to focus on recovery from surgery after his crash at the Indonesian GP.
There had been speculation on whether he would return for the final race of the year in Valencia, along with other significant rider exemptions. However, this official confirmation means we won’t see M.Márquez back on a Ducati until MotoGP returns to Sepang for testing in 2026. There is still no word as to whether Jorge Martín or Maverick Viñales will be returning for the final two races of the year. Replacing all three missing riders again were Lorenzo Savadori, Michele Pirro, and Pol Espagaraó.
Data Drives the Grid For the First Weekend Session
For the second competitive race weekend, we saw Augusto Fernández with a wildcard ride on the V4-powered Yamaha. The prototype was tested to the limits, attempting to improve on the somewhat questionable performance results so far. Unfortunately, the current M1, which debuted at last year’s Malaysian GP, suffered issues that have persisted for the majority of 2025. Jack Miller had a technical error that sent him off track, forcing the Australian to push his Pramac Yamaha.
Both the 2024 and 2025 Ducati spec bikes were lined up in the Ducati Lenovo box for Francesco Bagnaia. The #63 stated that his recent DNFs have nothing to do with his confidence, but he wasn’t sure much more could be done to improve.
“Right now, Aprilia, with Bezzecchi, is working much better. So we just need to accept that is a possibility to finish fourth or fifth. So we just need to focus and to try to improve a bit.”
However, he returned to the box with eyebrows raised. Despite being the second fastest on the track, the gremlins still appear to be giving the Italian grief.
First Crashes as the Sky Darkens
Pedro Acosta took a slow slide into Turn 2 early in the session, before standing up the KTM machine and returning to the pit lane. Álex Marquez was the first victim at Turn 7, catching the lip of the curve before barrel-rolling into the gravel. Miller came off track for the second time, slowly tipping the bike into Turn 15. It was then that the heavens opened and rain poured down. The menacing clouds had been building into a potential torrent for most of the session, and finally arrived with a little over ten minutes of FP1 remaining. Acosta ran wide into Turn 1, but kept upright to join the rest of the riders returning to the pit lane. The deluge continued to flood the Sepang circuit, with Fabio Quartararo and Espagaró almost coming undone as they ventured out along with a few other brave riders. With no more opportunities to set another flying lap, it left Aldeguer to the top of the board.
The Top Ten
- Fermín Aldeguer
- Francesco Bagnaia
- Joan Mir
- Pol Espargaró
- Marco Bezzecchi
- Luca Marini
- Álex Márquez
- Fabio Quartararo
- Jack Miler
- Pedro Acosta
What Will Happen in Sepang?
A win at the Sepang International Circuit is wide open for anyone to take the opportunity. Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini are the only riders on the grid this weekend who have previously won the Malaysian GP. But with another chance to claim second in the championship for Á.Márquez and Rookie of the Year almost certainly in Aldeguer’s grasp, could the BK8 Gresini Racing team make it a memorable race weekend? Let’s not forget the maiden winning performance of Raúl Fernández at the Australian GP, adding his name to the number of different riders we’ve had on the top step of the podium this year. Tune in for an unpredictable Malaysian GP weekend.