Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix

FIM MotoGP World Championship

Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia

October 27, 2017

Free Practice Two Results (wet conditions, all on Michelin tires):

1. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), 2:11.640

2. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 2:12.166

3. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (DUCATI), 2:12.695

4. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (YAMAHA), 2:12.878

5. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), 2:13.048

6. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), 2:13.071

7. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (DUCATI), 2:13.291

8. Alex RINS, Spain (SUZUKI), 2:13.416

9. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (SUZUKI), 2:13.483

10. Sam LOWES, UK (APRILIA), 2:13.561

11. Johann ZARCO, France (YAMAHA), 2:13.648, crash

12. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), 2:13.740

13. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (DUCATI), 2:13.760

14. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), 2:13.872

15. Scott REDDING, UK (DUCATI), 2:14.281

16. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (KTM), 2:14.287

17. Bradley SMITH, UK (KTM), 2:14.543

18. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), 2:14.574

19. Michael Van Der MARK, Netherlands (YAMAHA), 2:14.938

20. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), 2:15.163

21. Tito RABAT, Spain (HONDA), 2:16.280

22. Loris BAZ, France (DUCATI), 2:17.627

More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS:

Miller and Rabat make headway in soaked Sepang

Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS riders Jack Miller and Tito Rabat had to call on their wet weather riding skills again today, as rain disrupted yet another day of MotoGP action at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

For the fifth race in succession this season, Michelin’s rain tyres were utilised after torrential rain fell during the lunch interval to completely drench the 5.5km track ahead of FP2.

The weather played a pivotal role too this morning when rain spots disrupted the opening exchanges of FP1 to limit the time Miller and Rabat could attack on Michelin’s slick rubber.

Miller can count himself unfortunate not to have secured a crucial place in the top 10 when a near high-side crash on his final lap this morning denied him what looked like being a comfortable passage into the top six.

A best lap of 2’01.803 in less than ideal conditions was still just over a second off the 2015 Sepang race record, but this afternoon’s downpour now means Miller is praying for a dry FP3 session tomorrow morning to give himself another opportunity to clinch a place in Q2.

Wet conditions have posed a tough challenge for Rabat throughout 2017 and today there were small glimpses that his recent hard work to improve is starting to pay off.

He is still lacking front-end feeling to attack with full confidence on a wet track and he found himself 20th on the combined standings.

Jack Miller: 14th – 2’01.803

“It’s a pity I missed the top 10 this morning because I had to save a massive high-side on my last lap. It was still my best lap but without the big moment I feel I was going to be fast enough to squeeze into the top six, let alone the top 10. I’m happy with how the bike is feeling in the wet and I spent the whole of FP2 out on the same set of tyres. They were pretty worn by the end but I was still able to lap at a consistently fast pace. I hope it is going to be dry for FP3 in the morning to get another crack at Q2. I feel I’ve got the pace to break into that top 10 but it’s out of my hands and I’m relying on Mother Nature to do me a favour!”

Tito Rabat: 20th – 2’03.531

“This morning was very difficult to understand the condition of the track. I tried to push but didn’t have a good feeling and you must be careful because it is so easy to make a mistake. The track was wet this afternoon and unfortunately it was difficult again for me to find a good feeling. I’m trying everything I can to be more competitive but I am still so far away from the top, so we must try and find some answers tomorrow if we get more rain. I am trying at 200% to improve and maybe I should relay information to my crew chief better because it is hard to understand why I am so far behind in these conditions.”

Diego Gubellini: Tito Rabat Chief Engineer

“Today’s conditions have made it a complicated start here in Malaysia. This morning we didn’t use a soft slick tyre when the track was in reasonably good condition because we wanted to have a reference with the medium compound option. We know we have a margin to improve so we are not so concerned about the lap time but in the wet this afternoon we were concentrating on improving our base set-up. Even with a lot of water on the surface the asphalt is hot because of the heat and humidity and we tried a different set-up to what we ran when it was much cooler in Japan in these conditions. We have made a step with rear grip but we need to gain more performance and feeling from the front to improve our corner speed.”

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini:

GOOD FEELING IN THE WET AT SEPANG FOR SAM LOWES

It was a good start for Sam Lowes on the first day of practice at Sepang. The sole Aprilia rider, with Aleix Espargaró’s absence, the English rider demonstrated an excellent pace, especially on the wet track.

Cautious in FP1 with the asphalt practically dry but still treacherous, Sam took on the second session with determination, this time in “full wet” setup. The best of his 16 laps, done in 2’13.561, placed him in the top 10 in FP2. The standings, not counting title contenders Marquez and Dovizioso, show a very even playing field and close gaps: Lowes is just 0.5 seconds outside the top 5.

SAM LOWES

“The session this morning was strange. I only used one set of tyres, going out several times. The track conditions were not ideal and I didn’t push to the limit, avoiding any pointless risks. In the wet, on the other hand, I felt very good straight away. We continued fine-tuning a rather different setup that we had already tested at Phillip Island and it seems to work here too. On Sunday the conditions could be extremely variable so I am happy with the speed demonstrated in the wet. Tomorrow we’ll keep working so that we’ll be ready for any conditions.”

More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:

Zarco begins hard work at Sepang – Van der Mark makes positive start

Johann Zarco leapt into action today in the searing heat at the Sepang International Circuit. The French star began the weekend with a strong run to 3rd in the opening shakedown on the wet but drying track. In the afternoon, the rain fell again, but Zarco powered onwards to complete FP2 in 11th. His morning time saw him conclude the day as the leading Yamaha rider, plus only 0.136 back from the top and he fully intends to continue the positive momentum tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Michael van der Mark made his MotoGP debut today as he confidently began his work in Malaysia. The young Dutchman completed his first laps on the Yamaha YZR-M1 and impressed immediately as he diced with, and outpaced, some of the MotoGP regular riders. Van der Mark rounded out the day in 19th, and he will return to the track tomorrow at 09:55 local time, or 03:55 in central Europe, for FP3.

The entire Monster Yamaha Tech3 team would like to send condolences to the friends and family of Moto2 team manager Stefan Kiefer, who tragically passed away last night in Malaysia.

Johann Zarco

Position 3rd – Time: 2’00.807 – Laps: 29

“After the first day of action, I feel good even if I fell in FP2 this afternoon. The track was slippery and we had a small issue with the rear of the bike. It was starting to dry more and more but I pushed a bit too much and fell. Nevertheless, I am happy about the first practice. The conditions were tricky, but neither the team nor the riders knew if it was fully dry so we had to take it step by step. Yet, at the end of the session, it was totally clear and possible to push. Lap after lap the grip improved and my feeling was positive. In the end, I have finished Friday in 3rd so we can be pleased with our work on day 1 in Malaysia.”

Michael van der Mark

Position 19th – Time: 2’03.473 – Laps: 28

“It has been an amazing day. This morning the weather was not ideal so I had to wait for a bit before my first outing on the MotoGP bike. Then, when I took to the track, I immediately felt quite good and I was comfortable so this morning I stayed out and enjoyed the opening session. Then, in FP2, with the rain, I felt positive and I improved step by step. For my first day, it has been a great experience but the thing that I need to work on the most is the braking because, for me, this is the biggest difference between MotoGP and WorldSBK. The brakes are really powerful and it’s more difficult to find the limit of the braking point. I will focus on this, but tomorrow I hope we have some dry track time and I just want to enjoy and improve in every session. I think I can be very happy about my first day on the YZR-M1 and I want to keep progressing.”

Hervé PONCHARAL

Team manager

“I would like to say that today, it doesn’t matter what happened on the track and how good the performances of our riders were because it is a sad and dark day. Stefan Kiefer passed away last night, and we have lost a true friend, one of us and a very competitive team manager who won the Moto2 World Championship in 2011 with Stefan Bradl. He was full of passion and energy, and his death is a huge loss for all of us. I would like the whole paddock to remember him for the man he was.”

More, from a press release issued by Octo Pramac Racing:

Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix – Free Practices

Petrux very fast in the wet (5th) but is 11th in the combined times. Scott 18th debilitated by flu

Malaysia’s usual unpredictable weather shuffles the cards on the first day of free practice for #MalaysiasnGP, forcing riders to go out on track in wet conditions in the afternoon after the morning sun.

Danilo Petrucci starts FP1 well: his race pace – medium tyre – is good and his Top Speed is the highest (328.4 km/h). When he tries to return on track for the time attack with the soft rubber, however, he has only one lap available and is unable to take that step forward to conquer the Top 10 (11th place). Petrux’s performance is better in wet FP2 as the rider from Terni ends up 5th, three tenths of a second from the front row.

Scott Redding has to deal with physical conditions that are not excellent, forcing him to go to the Mobile Clinic after FP1. In FP2 the feeling is better but the gap from the Top 10 is still wide (6 tenths of a second).

11th – Danilo Petrucci – 2’01.560

“Mixed feelings on this first day. This morning I wasn’t going badly but I came back on track too late to make the best of the time attack. As a result and I couldn’t stay in the Top 10. This could be a problem. In the wet we are more competitive even if there are things to solve. I hope, however, that tomorrow it will be dry to stay in the Top 10”.

18th – Scott Redding – 2’03.056

“It was a very difficult day. Unfortunately, I am not in good condition and during the FP1 I have had difficulty breathing. The weather helped me a little bit in the afternoon and things improved. I hope to be able to make the most of it tomorrow because if I have to be honest the feelings are quite positive”.

More, from a press release issued by Reale Avintia Racing:

Eighth place for Hector Barbera on the opening day at Sepang

Once again the weather played a crucial role on the opening day of practice for the Malaysian Gran Prix at the Sepang circuit. Just before FP1, a light shower left the track too damp to use slicks and not wet enough to use Michelin’s rain tyres. When the surface finally dried out, Reale Avintia Racing rider Hector Barbera got quickly on the pace and set a fast lap of 2’01.147 to finish eighth overall.

Things were more difficult for his teammate Loris Baz, who finished 16th in dry conditions, 1.7s behind the fastest pace.

In the afternoon, torrential rain hit Sepang and the session was held in full wet conditions. Barbera started with an early crash in the last corner, when Iannone, trying to get towed by Viñales, got inside and left Hector without space. Trying to avoid a collision with the Italian, the Spaniard went straight, touching the Yamaha rider and crashing out. He went back on track and he finished 20th, without ever finding the feeling from last year, when he was fourth in the race,.

For Loris Baz, the wet session was like a nightmare. The Frenchman wasn’t able to find the feeling to push and although he tried everything with his crew to improve, nothing worked. He was last and far away from his usual performance in wet conditions.

Hector Barbera | 2’01.147 | P8

“It was a strange first day. In the morning, the feeling in dry conditions was very good, despite the chatter. I think the three days of testing we did in the winter were really useful for us, as the bike is the same and the settings have worked well from the start. But this afternoon in wet conditions, we had no feeling at all. As soon as I started, I crashed and then I switched to my second bike, which didn’t give me good feelings either. We will see what the weather brings tomorrow. We are okay in dry conditions, but we must improve in the rain, because the feeling in wet conditions wasn’t good today and it’s likely the race on Sunday will be wet again.”

Loris Baz | 2’02.416 | P16

“I’m not happy about how things went on the first day and I don’t really find the reason. In the winter testm we were much better, but nothing worked today. In dry conditions, things were more or less okay, but this afternoon with the rain, we ran into a complete disaster. I had no grip on the rear and I had big moments in every corner. We have to analyze with Michelin what is going on, because the feeling is not good at all. I’m six seconds slower than in last year’s race. Since rain ist forecasted for the race on Sunday, we need to improve.”

More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:

MOVISTAR YAMAHA START TO FIND FORM IN FRIDAY’S FP SESSIONS IN SEPANG

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team started the race weekend at the Sepang International Circuit with a solid pace. A mixed FP1 and wet FP2 gave Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi lots of setting options to test. They finished the day in 4th and 12th place respectively in the combined timesheets.

Sepang (Malaysia), 27th October 2017

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi faced the hot and especially humid conditions on the first day of the Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix weekend. The riders had to show some patience in the morning, waiting for the track to dry, before getting fully immersed into FP1. In the afternoon, they had to cope with completely different circumstances at a full wet Sepang International Circuit. The teammates ultimately finished 4th and 12th in the combined Friday free practice results.

Viñales bided his time at the start of the morning session, keeping a close eye on the live timing screens to get an understanding of the conditions. Twenty-five minutes into the session, the track had tried sufficiently and he was on his way to clock a time on slick tyres. He set the provisional 14th time on his first try but saved the best for last. He steadily worked his way up to fourth place in the FP1 rankings, with a 2’00.903s lap, 0.232s from the front.

The Spaniard had the opposite tactic in the wet afternoon session. He quickly left the Movistar Yamaha box as the pit lane traffic light turned green, keen on proceeding with the work on the wet setting of his YZR-M1. He was showing a positive pace, but a small collision with Héctor Barberá in turn 15 meant he had to make an unplanned pit stop, with 35 minutes remaining. Lucky to have escaped a crash, he was able to rejoin the action soon, eager to make up for lost time. He wrapped up the session with a 2’12.878s best lap for fourth, 1.238s from the top of the standings. With none of the MotoGP riders improving in the afternoon on the results of their morning stint, he also holds fourth place in the combined FP classification.

With the conditions being uncertain at the start of the morning session, Rossi was one of only five riders to start FP1. However, as he headed out on slicks with half of the circuit still presenting wet stretches, he came back in after his first lap. The Italian sat out some time in the pit box waiting for the tarmac to dry, until there were 20 minutes of the session remaining. Back on track he improved on his time consistently, before shifting his attention to working on the bike‘s set-up. He dropped a 2’01.662s best lap to finish the first 45-minute session in 12th place, 0.991s from first.

The wet conditions really suited the Doctor in the FP2 session. He was a man on a mission from the moment he kicked his bike in gear. He soon featured at the top end of the provisional standings and was in a good place to fine-tune the base wet setting – knowing he would not be able to better his morning dry lap time in the wet. The nine-time World Champion ended the afternoon practice session posting a 2’13.071s best time, for sixth position, with a 1.431s margin to the leading rider. Rossi‘s faster FP1 time earned him 12th place in the combined practice results.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

The start of the Friday was a bit tricky because this morning the track was half dry and half wet. In these circumstances it‘s never easy for the riders. Luckily, we were still able to put the last 20 minutes of FP1 to good use, working on the dry bike set-up. In the afternoon we switched to working on the wet base setting. Maverick and Vale are progressing on the wet, which verifies the step we made in Australia and confirms that we are working in the right direction, even if there’s still a margin for improvement. Maverick got clipped by Héctor Barberá but, fortunately, he didn‘t crash. He had a good pace and was feeling confident. Though the wet conditions in FP2 didn‘t help Valentino better his morning time and he suffered from a lack of rear grip, he showed consistent speed and will be competitive, should it rain in the remainder of the weekend. So far, we‘re feeling positive that we will be able to make another step tomorrow in FP3, regardless of the conditions.

MAVERICK VIÑALES

Today I felt good in both the dry and the wet conditions. I think we have good potential here in Malaysia. We still have to work on the set-up of the bike. Sepang is a completely different track to the one in Australia. We have to understand the tyres really well, even if the weather changes so much. We have to understand the tyres to be able to choose the best option for the race. I don‘t know exactly what happened with Barberá, I tried to make the corner and saw him go straight. We were lucky we didn‘t hit each other, only my clutch lever broke off, but I didn‘t see all the action, I just felt it on the bike. I was able to pick up my bike a little bit and didn‘t crash. Anyway, I was feeling good in FP2, I’m happy and let‘s see tomorrow. I have good confidence that we can do well in both conditions.

VALENTINO ROSSI

It was a difficult day, but this morning we were lucky because we were able to do some kilometres, some laps, on the dry. The conditions weren’t fantastic, because it was a bit humid, but at the end I could push a bit and my feeling was not so bad. In the last minutes a lot of riders put in the soft rear to stay in the top-10, so I’m just 12th, but my pace was quite good. In the afternoon we could work on the wet, because the conditions were good, it was full wet. We improved compared to Motegi, and I’m in sixth position, but I still don’t feel comfortable with the bike because we don’t have enough rear grip. We need to improve if we want to be competitive in wet conditions.

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Repsol Honda start Sepang weekend facing typical Malaysian mixed weather conditions

After setting the fifth quickest time in today’s FP1 dry session at Sepang, 0.279 tenths of a second down on Title contender Andrea Dovizioso, Marc Marquez made the best of the fully wet track in the afternoon’s FP2 session by trying his RC213V rain settings, finishing second fastest just behind the Italian.

Dani Pedrosa started his Malaysian campaign setting the ninth best lap time in the dry, less than half a second off the top, but in the afternoon he struggled to find a good feeling in the wet and closed the session in 18th place. Nonetheless, his best effort in the combined free-practice times could put him straight into Q2 if rain should disrupt proceedings in tomorrow’s FP3 session.

Marc Marquez 93

2ND (FP2) – 5TH (COMB) 2’12.166 (FP2) – 2’00.950 (COMB)

“All in all I’m happy with today, as it wasn’t perfect but wasn’t bad either. We had two different weather conditions and in both cases we weren’t far from the top, even if we must improve some aspects of the setup as we look to find more rear grip. It’s still a bit difficult to understand where we really are in the dry because this morning some riders put on a new tyre in the end, while some others, myself included, did the entire session on the same tyres. Anyway, even if Dovi was a bit faster than us, we were able to stay there with the top guys. We know this is one of the tracks where we struggle most during the season, but at the moment we’ll try and keep working well for the rest of the weekend in order to be ready for Sunday.”

Dani Pedrosa 26

18TH (FP2) – 9TH (COMB) 2’14.574 (FP2) – 2’01.162 (COMB)

“This morning we weren’t able to do many laps because we had an issue on one of our bikes and had to spend some time in the garage to fix it, as the other one was set for the wet. Actually, I was really only able to use the last five minutes of the session. In the afternoon, unfortunately we struggled again to find grip with the rear tyre in the wet. We tried three different tyres with no improvement. It’s a bit difficult for us to understand why that was the case, as this situation has also occurred at other tracks in the past. Sometimes I’m able to put heat into the tyres and ride fast, but other times I’m not, even if the conditions are the same. We’ll see what the weather conditions are like tomorrow and keep working to try and improve.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:

TOUGH DAY IN TRICKY CONDITIONS IN SEPANG

The first day at the Malaysian Grand Prix was dominated and affected by the weather. Rain poured early in the morning which left the track slippery, with riders uncertain about the best setup. Later in the afternoon the situation became more consistent with steady rain. In these unsettled conditions the combined classification left Andrea Iannone in 13th and Alex Rins in 22nd.

At the beginning of the morning session, Iannone decided to wait a while to better evaluate the track conditions, and then took to the track with a dry setup. Under those conditions he was able to set his GSX-RR in the top ten in classification, with a best lap of 2’01.740. At the end of the first practice session he slid back to 13th position effectively exiting the “Q2” zone. Getting a better feeling with the bike in the afternoon in full wet conditions, he worked out a more effective setup that helped establish a consistent presence in the top part of the timesheet. His best time of 2’13.483 was worthy of the 9th place in the session, although it did not change the combined classification.

There were more struggles for Rins who had difficulties in adapting to the unusual weather. Out at the very beginning with a wet setup, he tried to gain confidence on the circuit, without much success. His best time in the morning (2’04.381) set him in 22nd place, which is also his provisional position in the combined classification for the day. Feeling much better on the bike in the afternoon, he regained his confidence and effectiveness on the track. He was able to maintain a place in the top ten during the second session. His best lap time of 2’13.416 placed him 8th of the session, where he demonstrated an impressive pace.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager

“Yet another very complicated Friday due to the weather. This morning it’s been a shame that Andrea could not stay into the top ten, even if it was only by very little at the last minute of the session. In contrast, Alex struggled more in those conditions, a little dry a little wet. The afternoon went better on a completely wet track. Both riders were consistently in the top ten, and although this doesn’t help for the Q2, it’s a good sign that we can be competitive. We have to finalize the setup and electronics, but I’d say we are not bad in the wet. Anyway, this will be a entire weekend where we will need to keep an eye on the weather and be quick to adapt.”

Andrea Iannone

“I’m not satisfied at all with this first day because we struggled a lot; we couldn´t be as fast as we would like. These have been two difficult sessions, especially in the morning with the track in mixed conditions. We had troubles. We struggle in acceleration and we can’t take advantage of the power we have. There’s a lot of spin and this keeps us from being as fast as we’d like. We will try to figure out why and how to solve this. It’s a problem we suffer both in dry and wet conditions. I hope we will be able to make some improvements that could help us to reach our potential and get near the top.”

Alex Rins

“The first day in Sepang was a bit strange with tricky conditions. In the morning during FP1, the track was half wet and half dry, so it was difficult to set a good pace. I struggled a bit with my feel on the bike and I couldn’t ride as I would have liked to. In the afternoon we had completely wet conditions and the situation changed. I felt much better in the wet with the bike and we were able to take a step forward.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:

CRUTCHLOW SIXTH AFTER OPENING DAY IN DAMP SEPANG

LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow posted the sixth fastest time on day one of the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang on Friday as rain again complicated matters for the premier class riders. Once more, the Briton struggled to find much rhythm in the wet conditions, but nevertheless finds himself well-placed after a solid showing in the morning session riding his Castrol branded RC213V for the second time this season. (www.castrol.com)

The penultimate round of the MotoGP World Championship got underway on a drying Sepang track with riders pushing ever harder as FP1 drew to a close. Crutchlow finished in sixth place, just behind Honda colleague – and championship leader – Marc Marquez. But heavy rain ensured times would not be improved in FP2 and Crutchlow was left disappointed as he ended down in 14th spot with further storms forecast across the weekend.

Cal Crutchlow – 6th

(2’01.060 – lap 14 of 15)

“It was a very difficult day again in the rainy conditions, we are not really satisfied with the situation. I’ve always been a competitive rain rider but in this moment we are not competitive enough. Something is not clicking with regards to the setting of the bike and the tyre. I’m not the only rider to be struggling in the rain so we’ll see if tonight we can start to improve the bike again. On the other hand we have a good pace in the dry but we can not predict the weather because here it keeps changing every hour”.

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Rain or shine: Dovizioso supreme in all weather at Sepang

Title challenger tops the timesheets in the wet and the dry in Malaysia

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was fastest in FP1 at the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, heading to the top late in FP1 in the dry – and the Championship contender backed it up in a wet FP2 to again head the timesheets. Key rival Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), who goes into the weekend 33 points clear of the Italian, was fifth in FP1 in the dry and therefore overall – and second to Dovizioso in the wet. The reigning Champion had a number of moments on Day 1, but didn’t suffer a crash.

Second overall after a last dash in FP1 was Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team), followed by Rookie of the Year Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3). Zarco suffered a crash in the afternoon, but the Frenchman was soon on his feet. Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was fourth, ahead of Marquez.

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) took sixth in the dry, ahead of an impressive first day for Karel Abraham (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) and Hector Barbera (Reale Avintia Racing). Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) took ninth after an early problem that significantly dented track time for the Little Samurai, ahead of Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) completing the top ten. Lorenzo was third in the wet in the afternoon, the same half second off Marquez as Marquez was off Dovizioso at the top.

Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) was eleventh ahead of compatriot Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), with Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) locking out the fastest fifteen.

It was a notable first day for Michael van der Mark as he rode a MotoGP™ bike for the first time, putting the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine in P19 in both sessions. In the dry, the 2014 World Supersport Champion was only 2.8 seconds off Dovizioso at the top of the timesheets in FP1.

As direct entry to Q2 is decided in FP3, Valentino Rossi will be the big name praying for the skies to remain dry on Saturday morning – before qualifying begins from 14:10 local time (GMT +8).

Oliveira heads the title challengers on Day 1

Portuguese rider follows up his first win with KTM by taking to the top on Friday

Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was quickest out the blocks at the Malaysian GP, topping FP1 in the dry and FP2 then wet with slower laptimes. Oliveira was only 0.073 seconds ahead of points leader Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), with title challenger Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Interwetten) within the same tenth in third.

Tight at the top was a similar story in the afternoon in the wet, as Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took P1 – 0.034 ahead of Lorenzo Baldassarri (Forward Racing Team) and 0.065 ahead of Oliveira.

Overall however, Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) was fourth quickest, with Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) completing the top five. Isaac Viñales (BE-A-VIP SAG Team) took an impressive sixth, with Marquez in seventh. Fabio Quartararo (Pons HP 40) was top rookie, ahead of Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP) and Baldassarri as the Italian showed good pace in both the wet and dry.

Simone Corsi (Speed Up Racing) took P11, ahead of the first of the home heroes with Hafizh Syahrin (Petronas Raceline Malaysia) taking twelfth. Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) – winner at the venue in Moto3™ last season – was P13 on Day 1, ahead of Axel Pons (RW Racing GP) and Xavi Vierge (Tech 3 Racing), who locked out the fifteen fastest. Vierge was also notable in the wet in FP2, taking P5.

Moto2™ qualify on Saturday from 15:05 (GMT +8).

Norrodin chases Mir in Malaysia

Fresh from taking the title, Mir retains his momentum to top Day 1 at Sepang – with the local hero taking second

Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) was quickest on the combined timesheets on Day 1 of the Malaysian GP, with FP1 dry and FP2 a complete turnaround to full wet. The Majorcan was quickest in FP1 and with the weather changing remained unthreatened, with home hero Adam Norrodin (SIC Racing Team) the next man in line in second. It was an impressive opening day for the Malaysian rider – riding for the Sepang International Circuit Team – as he also showed top pace in the wet in FP2; then just ahead of Mir.

Fellow Malaysian rider, wildcard Daniel Kasmayudin, was another to impress in the afternoon – taking seventh in the wet despite a late crash.

On combined timesheets however, Livio Loi (Leopard Racing) made it two Leopard Racing machines in the top three as he took third, ahead of Romano Fenati (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers) in fourth. Enea Bastianini (Estrella Galicia 0,0) completed the top five after a solid first session – and good pace in the wet.

Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was sixth overall and second in the rain, with Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46) eighth overall ahead of Bendsneyder’s teammate Niccolo Antonelli. Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) took P9, with Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Racing Team) completing the top ten.

John McPhee (British Talent Team), Marcos Ramirez (Platinum Bay Real Estate), Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46), Manuel Pagliani (CIP) and Jakub Kornfeil (Peugeot MC Saxoprint) rounded out the fastest fifteen – with Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) having a tough morning just off the top fifteen, but going fastest in the wet in FP2.

Day 2 sees the lightweight runners qualify on Saturday, before race day could make history once again for Mir or Fenati as they chase the all-time win count.