Quartararo on lap record pace to lead in FP1

Full Malaysian MotoGP FP1 results at Sepang

Fabio Quartararo leads team-mate Franco Morbidelli to provide a perfect start to the Malaysian MotoGP for Petronas Yamaha, as Maverick Vinales also impressed in the opening practice at Sepang.

Quartararo on lap record pace to lead in FP1

Full Malaysian MotoGP FP1 results at Sepang

Fabio Quartararo leads team-mate Franco Morbidelli to provide a perfect start to the Malaysian MotoGP for Petronas Yamaha, as Maverick Vinales also impressed in the opening practice at Sepang.

The MotoGP rookie of the year has produced a late 1m 59.027s using fresh soft tyres in a late time attack to notch up lap record pace in FP1 and duly edged out Petronas Yamaha team-mate Morbidelli by 0.083s to complete a stunning session for the Sepang-based team ahead of its home race debut in the premier class.

Despite leading for the majority of the morning session, Vinales could only reach third place during the new soft tyre runs – albeit just 0.191s off Quartararo – as the trio of Yamaha riders dominated ahead of the rest.

Marc Marquez had an eventful FP1, producing a customary save on his elbow at Turn 2 before suffering a technical issue with his Repsol Honda which lost him 10 minutes of track time, but the 2019 MotoGP world champion fought back to take fourth place during his qualifying-style run.

Marquez’s effort saw him beat Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso by 0.010s with the Italian exactly half a second slower than Quartararo.

Alex Rins was another to be shuffled back late on with the Suzuki rider in sixth place at the chequered flag ahead of Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro.

Valentino Rossi initially showed promising pace before fading to eighth place for Monster Yamaha as Australian MotoGP podium pair Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) and Jack Miller (Pramac Ducati) rounded out the top 10.

Joan Mir just missed out in 11th place for Suzuki but ahead of Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci as Karel Abraham impressed as the solo Avintia Ducati with 13th place. The Czech Republic rider’s team-mate Tito Rabat has been ruled out by a hand injury.

Pol Espargaro led the Red Bull KTM charge in 14th place in front of Francesco Bagnaia on the Pramac Ducati, with Johann Zarco in 16th place and two seconds off the outright pace as he continues to stand in at LCR Honda.

With Aprilia’s Andrea Iannone in 17th place, Jorge Lorenzo’s struggles continued for Repsol Honda down in 18th place and almost 2.5s off.

Tech3 KTM’s Hafizh Syahrin and Red Bull KTM’s Mika Kallio completed the representative timesheet with Miguel Oliveira effectively out of the action for Tech3 KTM due to his hand and shoulder injuries as the Portuguese rider lapped over six seconds slower than his rivals.

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