MotoGP Riders Complain About Sepang Track Surface Following Formula 1 Race

Pulse Sports Team 13:19 - 30 October 2026

Several MotoGP riders have voiced their frustrations over the track surface at Sepang, which was significantly deteriorated following the Formula 1 race held at the Malaysian circuit earlier this month.

The venue on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur was scheduled to be resurfaced this year, but those plans fell through due to the outbreak of war in Iran, which prevented necessary materials from being delivered. Formula 1's subsequent staging of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia further disrupted the timeline, pushing resurfacing plans back to 2027 at the earliest.

"In terms of track conditions, I think they are worse compared to testing. Grip seems to have dropped, and the tyres begin to lose a significant amount of performance after just a lap or two. On such a long lap, if you push too hard early on, you pay the price in the final sector. The lack of grip seems to affect the entire circuit, so we'll have to keep working and see how conditions develop tomorrow," commented Yamaha test rider Augusto Fernandez, who spends extensive time testing at Sepang throughout the year. His Pramac Yamaha stablemate Jack Miller, in typical blunt fashion, described the Malaysian surface as "f***ing awful."

"It feels like the condition of the asphalt gets worse with every passing year. There aren't many bumps around the lap, but the truth is that edge grip makes things very difficult. In fact, chunks of the surface are actually breaking off. The main issue is that it just continues to deteriorate year after year," noted Pedro Acosta.

"The track is starting to resemble a motocross circuit. We might need to start wearing chest protectors. There are a lot of small stones chipping off the asphalt. A few of them hit me when I did a practice start behind another rider," said Fabio Di Giannantonio. "For motorcycle riders, it is never a good situation when the asphalt begins to break apart. But it is what it is, and I don't know what can really be done between today and tomorrow. The conditions are the same for everyone," the VR46 Ducati rider added.