08:16
That's all from our live coverage today, but keep your eyes fixed on Crash.net across the rest of Friday for all of the latest from the Sepang paddock.
Join us again on Saturday from 2:10am GMT for final practice and qualifying.
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Corse, 2024 Malaysian MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
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2024 Malaysian MotoGP: Friday Practice - LIVE!
Follow live updates from Friday practice at the 2024 Malaysian MotoGP.
Two riders, two rounds and 17-points.
That’s the MotoGP title situation with reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia reducing Jorge Martin’s advantage heading into this weekend’s Malaysian MotoGP at Sepang.
Beaten to third in the Buriram Sprint, Bagnaia responded in style to claim his ninth grand prix victory of the season in last Sunday’s soaking Thai MotoGP.
The Italian now arrives at one of his favourite circuits eager to take another bite out of Martin’s lead ahead of the Valencia finale.
Bagnaia, winner of the 2022 Malaysian GP and third behind team-mate Enea Bastianini and Gresini’s Alex Marquez last season, was fastest in February’s Sepang pre-season test.
However, Martin, fourth at Sepang last season, was just 0.172s behind.
Wet weather could again add to the title drama with rain forecast to make an appearance throughout the weekend.
This weekend will also see the MotoGP return of Andrea Iannone, who joins VR46 in place of the injured Fabio di Giannantonio.
Iannone, who won a race in his debut WorldSBK campaign this season, will be riding at the same track where his failed anti-doping test in 2019 eventually led to a four-year ban.
FP1 starts at 10:45am local time (2:45am UK) followed by Practice, which decides the top ten riders with direct Qualifying 2 access, at 3pm.
08:15
practice report
08:01
Marquez gets pushed to 10th, Acosta out. Bagnaia leads Martin by 0.050s.
08:01
Big lap from Marquez. He's ninth, with Acosta 10th. That has knocked Binder out of the Q2 places.
08:00
chequered flag
Chequered flag is out. Some vital laps still to be completed.
07:59
Marc Marquez is in the danger zone. He's dropped out to 11th with just a few seconds left.
07:57
incident
Jorge Martin has crashed at Turn 1. He's ok. But that's session over.
07:56
Bagnaia finds a massive last sector to take over top spot with a 1m57.679s.
07:53
Just under 10 minutes to go, the top 10 is currently:
- Martin
- Bastianini
- Bagnaia
- Quartararo
- Morbidelli
- Acosta
- Rins
- M.Marquez
- Miller
- A.Marquez
07:51
Martin finds yet more tim to a 1m57.729s to move 0.532s clear. Four GP24s inside the top five, with Fabio Quartararo - on the older Yamaha engine - breaking them up in fourth.
07:49
Martin takes over top spot again with a massive 1m57.829s to go 0.432s clear of the field.
07:48
Alex Rins has gone third on the Yamaha fitted with the new engine spec.
07:47
Bagnaia goes fastest with a 1m58.280s, with team-mate Bastianini following him.
07:46
Nakagami jumps up to third on the Honda. Good lap!
07:45
More riders have headed out on fresh rubber, including Bagnaia, who has slipped out of the top 10 after Nakagami jumped up to ninth.
07:42
Only a handful of riders on track right now. Nakagami on the LCR Honda is the first to go to brand new rubber.
07:34
Incident
Bezzecchi has crashed at the final corner. He's ok.
07:31
incident
A second crash for Espargaro at Turn 9. Pretty much the same as his first one at T9 at the start of the session.
The Aprilia rider hasn't had much luck at Sepang. Last year he crashed five times across the weekend.
07:31
We haven't seen Andrea Iannone so far in this session on screens, but he's currently 21st having completes 11 laps.
07:30
Half an hour to go in this session. The top 10 is currently:
- Martin
- Miller
- Acosta
- Morbidelli
- Zarco
- Bastianini
- Quartararo
- M.Marquez
- A.Marquez
- Bagnaia
07:28
Martin makes his first mistake of the session. He's run off at the last corner into the gravel, but no harm done.
07:25
Bagnaia improves his lap time, but stays ninth. He is on a 12-lap-old medium rear, so it will be a while before we see what pace he's really got over a single lap.
07:23
Bagnaia goes up to ninth, but is 0.584s off the pace right now, which is still being set by Martin.
07:22
Binder goes up to 19th, but that didn't look like a comfortable ride for the South African. A lot of work to do to get the bike to where stablemates Miller and Acosta have it in second and third right now.
