Francesco Bagnaia strikes back to claim pole, disaster for Aprilia
Francesco Bagnaia came through Q1 to score a surprise pole position for the Malaysian Grand Prix on Saturday, as Aprilia endured a difficult day at Sepang. Opting for a single run midway through the session to preserve a set of soft tyres, the factory Ducati rider made the most of a clear track to post […]
Yamaha’s V4 progress stalled by ‘safe mode’ engine in Malaysian GP
Yamaha’s second wildcard outing with its new V4-powered MotoGP bike offered little fresh insight at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Friday, as the manufacturer opted to run the bike in a conservative “safe mode”. Yamaha’s 2026 prototype returned to action for the first time since last month’s Misano test, with Augusto Fernandez completing 26 laps […]
Joan Mir celebrates “easy” day at Sepang as Honda trio lauds bike
Honda’s leading three MotoGP riders were all glowing with praise for the RC213V following the first day’s action at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Friday. After a form dip in Australia last weekend, the Japanese marque rediscovered its recent upward trajectory in Practice at Sepang, with LCR’s Johann Zarco second-fastest and factory rider Joan Mir fourth-quickest. […]
“We were fast in all conditions”
Gresini Ducati rider Fermin Aldeguer has hinted that he might be a dark horse for this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix, despite failing to make it directly into Saturday’s Q2 session. Although things went awry for the Spaniard when he couldn’t adapt to the unpredictable conditions late in Practice, Aldeguer finished Friday quietly confident after showing […]
Pedro Acosta tops frantic practice, Marco Bezzecchi 15th
Pedro Acosta topped a chaotic practice session for the Malaysian Grand Prix on Friday, as both Marco Bezzecchi and Francesco Bagnaia were relegated to Q1. Rain briefly struck the Sepang Circuit with around 15 minutes remaining, prompting riders to retreat to the pit lane and seemingly bringing the session to an early close. However, the […]
“Maybe I wanted it too much”
KTM factory rider Pedro Acosta reckons he may have been trying too hard aboard the RC16 before he found consistency in recent races. Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix, the Spaniard expanded on his recent improvements as a rider, particularly on the mental side. He had already touched on the subject in Indonesia […]
Why Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez’ Sepang ‘kick’ still divides fans 10 years later
They say time heals all wounds. Well, not if you are Valentino Rossi or Marc Marquez. Their rivalry helped make the 2010s one of MotoGP’s golden eras, even if, ironically, the two never truly battled for a championship head-to-head. You would think the pair – and their loyal supporters – would be willing to turn the […]
Espargaro «burned his hands» as Aprilia heat issues strike again
Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro says he «burned his hands» during a hot MotoGP race in Malaysia where he struggled to 13th place. The Aprilia RS-GP is infamous for its overheating problems, with both Espargaro and team-mate Maverick Vinales having repeatedly expressed concerns about its adverse effects during some of the flyaway races in Asia. According […]
Bagnaia’s mistake or Martin’s success?
Last Saturday, after crashing out on the third lap of the sprint race at Sepang while fighting his rival for the win and the championship crown, Francesco Bagnaia was both hurt and bewildered. The reigning world champion was unable to find a rational explanation for the five zeroes he has accumulated so far in the […]