Ducati and Honda Lead as Rain Cuts Short Sepang FP1
SEPANG, Malaysia (October 24) – A promising first practice session for Ducati and honda riders at the Malaysian Grand Prix was abruptly halted by heavy rainfall, leaving Francesco Bagnaia second onyl to Fermín Aldeguer at the close of FP1.The session showcased competitive pace from multiple manufacturers, including KTM, before the downpour forced riders back to the pits with just twelve minutes remaining.
The opening session at Sepang saw Aldeguer setting the pace with a 2:00.199, followed closely by Bagnaia (+0.256). Joan Mir of Honda and Pol Espargaro on a KTM rounded out the top four,demonstrating early strength from the Japanese and Austrian manufacturers. This practice is crucial for establishing a baseline setup for the weekend, with qualifying and the race expected to be run in varying conditions. The results will dictate which riders automatically advance to Q2, impacting their starting grid position for Sunday’s race.
At the halfway point, the top ten consisted of Aldeguer, Bagnaia, Mir, Espargaro, Marco Bezzecchi, Luca Marini, Alex Marquez, Fabio Quartararo, Pedro Acosta, and Marco Bezzecchi. Notably, no rider had yet broken the 2:00 minute barrier, with Pecco Bagnaia’s 2024 track record standing at 1:56.337.
the session wasn’t without incident; Alex Marquez crashed in Turn 7 twenty minutes before the end, while Jack Miller fell in the final corner five minutes later, both riders escaping injury. As the clock ticked down, a sudden downpour ended the session prematurely. A handful of riders, including Quartararo, espargaro, and Bezzecchi, briefly ventured out on rain tires, but conditions quickly deteriorated.
Raul Fernandez struggled in 19th, 1.5 seconds off the pace, while Augusto fernandez was further back in 22nd, 2.7 seconds behind.
Results MotoGP Sepang, FP1 (October 24)
- Aldeguer (E), Dukes, 2:00.199 min
- Francesco Bagnaia (I),Ducati,+0.256 sec
- Joan Mir (E), Honda, +0.349
- Pol Espargaro (E), KTM, +0.382
- Marco Bezzecchi (I), Aprilia, +0.392
- Luca Marini (I), Honda, +0.403
- Alex Marquez (E),Ducati,+0.521
- fabio Quartararo (F), Yamaha, +0.534
- Jack Miller (AUS),Yamaha,+0.607
- Pedro Acosta (L), KTM, +0.664
- Franco Morbidelli (I),Ducati,+0.964
- Brad Binder (ZA), KTM, +1.062
- Ai Ogura (J), Aprilia, +1.076
- Johann Zarco (F),Honda,+1.114
- enea Bastianini (I),KTM,+1.139
- Miguel Oliveira (P),Yamaha,+1.200
- Fabio Di Giannantonio (I), Ducati, +1.266
- Alex Rins (E), Yamaha, +1.380
- Raul Fernandez (E), Aprilia, +1.558
- Michele Pirro (I), ducati, +2.197
- Lorenzo Savadori (I), Aprilia, +2.649
- Augusto Fernandez (E), Yamaha, +2.753
- Somkiat Chantra (T), Honda, +2.786
