Pedro Acosta stole the headlines on a wild Friday at Sepang, leading an unexpected top three ahead of Johann Zarco and Jack Miller after a rollercoaster MotoGP Practice session. The rookie KTM star clocked a 1:57.559 to top the timesheets by just 0.019s over Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR), while Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) grabbed third.
It was a day of drama and surprises — and not just at the sharp end. Despite a fast start, Alex Márquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) barely held onto an automatic Q2 spot after suffering his second crash of the day. Meanwhile, the last three Grand Prix winners — Francesco Bagnaia, Fermín Aldeguer, and Raúl Fernández — will all have to battle through Q1. Marco Bezzecchi joins them, adding even more star power to Saturday’s first qualifying session.
Early Chaos: Acosta Crashes, Aldeguer Leads
The session kicked off with trouble for Acosta, who hit the deck at Turn 10 just minutes in. For the first 20 minutes, the #37 KTM had no time on the board as he regrouped in the box. Meanwhile, fellow Spaniard Aldeguer took full advantage, firing his Gresini Ducati to the top with a 1:58.279 — leading Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) and Bagnaia in the early running.
The Final Half Hour Turns Frantic
As the clock ticked down to the final 30 minutes, the leaderboard remained largely unchanged. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) held top-five pace, followed by Márquez, Bezzecchi, Fabio Quartararo, Zarco, and Ai Ogura — all in provisional Q2 territory.
Then came a twist: rain flags appeared around the circuit. Just as Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) jumped into P5, the red-and-white flags warned of spots of rain on track. Zarco responded brilliantly, launching himself into P1 and shuffling Quartararo out of the top ten — though only briefly, as the Frenchman bit back with a 1:58.113 to retake the lead.
Moments later, Márquez suffered his second crash of the day at Turn 2, underlining just how tricky the conditions were becoming.
Rain Threat Tightens the Fight
With light rain falling on parts of the track, urgency went through the roof. Acosta — still shaking off his early fall — delivered when it mattered, putting in a 1:57.559 that rocketed him to P6 and bumped Di Giannantonio into the Q1 danger zone.
As riders hustled back to the pits with just over 10 minutes to go, it looked uncertain whether conditions would allow any further improvement. Márquez, who’s chasing second in the championship, sat a disappointing 14th, while Bezzecchi and Bagnaia were on the bubble in fifth and tenth.
But with seven minutes left, the skies held, and the pack poured back out for one final assault. Márquez nailed a lap to grab P3 — a clutch effort that pushed Bagnaia to the edge of elimination in P11. Then Acosta struck again, improving to a 1:57.559 — half a second clear of anyone.
Bagnaia, Aldeguer, and Bezzecchi Stuck in Q1
Bagnaia dug deep but fell short by just 0.048s of a Q2 place. Zarco and Miller both improved late to lock down second and third, sealing their automatic passes to Q2.
Pecco mounted one last charge, running strongly through three sectors, but he lost four-tenths in the final split — and with it, any hope of a top-ten finish. The same fate hit Aldeguer, Bezzecchi, and Fernández, leaving all three recent race winners consigned to Q1 duty.
Once again, MotoGP proved just how unpredictable it can be — with the biggest names on the back foot and a fearless rookie on top.
Friday’s Top 10
Behind Acosta, Zarco, and Miller, Mir finished a strong fourth. Quartararo completed the top five after an encouraging afternoon. Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli locked down sixth and seventh for VR46 Racing, while Pol Espargaró impressed with another solid P8 for the Tech3 KTM outfit. Márquez held ninth after his eventful session, and Rins hung onto tenth despite crashing late in the session.
Eyes on Saturday: Qualifying and the Tissot Sprint
All signs point to another unpredictable day ahead. With so many top contenders in Q1, expect fireworks in Saturday morning’s qualifying battles before the Tissot Sprint later in the day. Friday was fast, chaotic, and full of shocks — and it’s set the stage perfectly for a thrilling weekend in Malaysia.
Moto2™: González Grabs Control, Moreira Holds P10
In Moto2™, championship leader Manuel González (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) ended Friday fastest with a late push, setting the pace with under five minutes to go. The Spaniard — nicknamed “Manugas” — will be eyeing a strong weekend as he tries to stretch his points lead after Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) trimmed it down in recent rounds.
Moreira secured direct Q2 entry in tenth, joining his title rival in the top group. Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) completed the top three behind González.
Fantic Racing’s Barry Baltus and Aron Canet were both inside the top seven alongside Daniel Holgado and David Alonso (CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team), with just two-tenths separating the top group — proof of just how tight the class remains.
Australian GP winner Senna Agius could only manage 15th, meaning the young Australian will have to fight through Q1 on Saturday.
Moto3™: Rueda Sets the Pace, Quiles Faces Q1 Challenge
In Moto3™, reigning World Champion José Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) continued his form, topping the times with a 2:11.152 during a delayed Friday session. His rookie teammate Álvaro Carpe was just 0.035s behind, giving Red Bull KTM Ajo a perfect one-two start to the Malaysian weekend.
Brian Uriarte (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) impressed with third, standing out again as the reigning Red Bull Rookies Cup champion continues to sub for David Muñoz. Ángel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) and David Almansa (Leopard Racing) rounded out the top five, with Taiyo Furusato, Joel Kelso, and Jacob Roulstone also inside the top eight.
Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) just missed out on a direct Q2 place, meaning he’ll need to fight through Q1 as he looks to secure Rookie of the Year honors this weekend. Fellow rookie Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) also found himself in Q1 — and wasn’t too happy with Carpe after a heated exchange on track at the end of practice.
The Stage Is Set
Friday’s sessions across all three classes reminded everyone why Sepang never fails to deliver drama. From Acosta’s comeback charge to Moto3’s rookie battles, every category looks poised for more fireworks in qualifying.
Stay tuned — Saturday’s shaping up to be one for the books.
