Márquez tops both Friday sessions at Sepang; Ducati Lenovo teammate Bagnaia is twelfth and must tackle Q1
Marc Márquez led both of Friday's sessions at the Grand Prix of Malaysia despite an early crash, while Ducati Lenovo teammate Francesco Bagnaia ended Practice twelfth and must go through Q1.
- 1:57.000
- 12th
- 19th
- 10 laps
What Happened
The Ducati Lenovo Team completed the opening day of the Grand Prix of Malaysia, the nineteenth event of the season, with Marc Márquez topping both sessions. Alex Márquez finished second on the Ducati of Gresini Racing MotoGP. Francesco Bagnaia was thirteenth in FP1 and ended Practice twelfth after crashing at Turn 1 in the closing stages, so he will have to tackle Q1 instead of going directly into Q2.
Márquez tucked the front and crashed at Turn 15 during the first part of Practice. He was then very effective in his first time-attack attempt later in the session, setting a lap of 1:57.000 with 15 minutes remaining, which put him first position at the chequered flag. He described the crash as limiting the team's track time and said he feels good through almost the entire track.
1:57.000
Set with 15 minutes remaining and enough to finish first at the chequered flag.
“The crash made me a little upset, as it ended up limiting our track time. It's true that it was our first lap with the soft rear tyre, which made the front push a little more. Once we figured that out, we made a few small changes to the set-up and my riding style, and kept our concentration high. I'm happy because I feel good through almost the entire track. The pace is excellent, but the important thing is not to overdo it. The time attack is where I struggle a little more, but when the tyre grip drops, I feel really good.”
“We made the decision to start with the same bike configuration as in winter testing, and I certainly had different expectations in terms of performance. I mainly struggle in the faster, more flowing sections, namely T2 and T3, while in the first and fourth sectors, where there are heavier braking areas, I'm among the quickest riders. It's really difficult to carry corner speed right now because the front tucks and I end up running wide. The lack of grip doesn't help either. We must keep working to regain the right feeling with the bike and the track, where I've always been strong.”
- Free Practice 2 at 10:10
- Q1 at 10:50
- Q2 at 11:15
- Sprint over ten laps from 15:00, the nineteenth Sprint of the season
Previously from Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.
Ducati arrived at Sepang with nine wins there for its Desmosedici GP, chasing a tenth, and with Marc Márquez leading the championship after his Phillip Island Sprint win. At Phillip Island, teammate Francesco Bagnaia had been forced to retire after three laps.
- Ducati Lenovo Team targets tenth Sepang win as Márquez leads title race
- Marc Márquez wins Phillip Island Sprint to retake the Riders' lead as Bagnaia retires on lap three
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.'s official releases.
Why this matters
Márquez's Friday pace puts him in a strong position for the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend, while teammate Bagnaia faces the extra hurdle of Q1 to reach the fight for grid positions. The contrast between the two Ducati Lenovo riders is the story for the team and its fans, with Bagnaia saying he still lacks the right feeling with the bike and the track.
Terms in This Story
- Q1
- The first part of qualifying, from which riders must set a fast enough time to progress to Q2 and fight for the front grid positions.
- Sprint
- A shorter race held on Saturday at some Grand Prix weekends, run over a reduced number of laps and scoring its own championship points.
- Time attack
- A single push lap or short run aimed purely at setting the fastest possible lap time rather than simulating race pace over many laps.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.