Marc Marquez fastest as Martin finishes 20th in opening Malaysian GP practice

World champion Marc Marquez set the pace in the opening free practice session ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix, while his chief MotoGP title rival Jorge Martin could only manage 20th.

'The Martinator' was the center of attention throughout the opening 45-minute session at Sepang due to his physical condition. The Spaniard took part just six days after fracturing his right wrist in a high-speed crash exceeding 200 km/h during the Australian sprint.

The factory Aprilia rider completed a total of 12 laps during the session, recording a personal best of 2:00.747. That was good enough for 20th place, leaving him 1.835 seconds adrift of Marquez, who topped the timesheets with a 1:58.912.

Marquez was the sole rider to break the 1:59 barrier in FP1 at Sepang. Marco Bezzecchi and Pedro Acosta finished second and third respectively, setting identical lap times 0.474 seconds off the top spot. Enea Bastianini claimed fourth (+0.776s), while Brad Binder rounded out the top five, 0.825 seconds off Marquez's benchmark.

Bastianini and Binder posted their fastest laps in the closing stages after fitting fresh tyres, as did Franco Morbidelli, who slotted into sixth. Last year's Malaysian GP winner Alex Marquez ended up seventh, with the Gresini Ducati rider being the final competitor within a second of the leader. Johann Zarco, Fabio Di Giannantonio, and Diogo Moreira completed the top 10.

The first free practice at Sepang was entirely crash-free, with the only notable incident occurring with 12 minutes remaining. Iker Lecuona's front mudguard disintegrated under braking into the final corner, scattering debris across the track and triggering a brief red flag while marshals cleared the surface.

Despite the lack of falls, it became clear during the session that the Malaysian weekend was over for Raul Fernandez. The Trackhouse Aprilia rider completed five laps with a best time of 2:00.581 to finish 17th, but severe pain in his right arm proved insurmountable, forcing his withdrawal from the remainder of the event.

The Malaysian Grand Prix weekend, round 19 of the 2026 MotoGP season, continues with the crucial 60-minute Practice session, which will determine the top 10 riders who secure direct entry into Saturday's Qualifying 2.