Malaysian MotoGP - Warm-up Results: Title contenders 8th, 12th, 15th, 17th

* Rookie

Official Sepang MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Jorge Martin ITA Ducati 1m 57.790s (2022)
Fastest race lap:
Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha 1m 59.661s (2019)

Johann Zarco leads a damp warm-up for the 2022 Malaysian MotoGP at Sepang.

Rain flags waved throughout the 20-minute session, but track conditions were still good enough to switch from wets to slicks for the closing stages, with Zarco finishing 0.692s clear of Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez.

Younger brother Alex Marquez completed the top three (+1.175s) with KTM's Miguel Oliveira and Suzuki's Alex Rins the only other riders within two seconds of Zarco, who has excelled on a drying track at recent events.

A dramatic Saturday for the world championship leaders saw Francesco Bagnaia, Fabio Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro suffer a combined four accidents and qualify just ninth, twelfth and tenth respectively on the grid.

Quartararo, riding with a fractured left middle finger from the Saturday spill, was fastest on medium wets during the middle stages of warm-up but did only one lap on slicks and slipped to 17th.

Bagnaia - who can win the MotoGP title this afternoon if he scores at least 11 points more than Quartararo and loses no more than two points to Espargaro - climbed to eighth on slicks for Ducati, with Espargaro 15th for Aprilia.

Clear frustration from @AleixEspargaro!

He's had trouble engaging his holeshot device for the 2nd time this weekend! #MalaysianGP pic.twitter.com/U0t1Ci4q9V

— MotoGP (@MotoGP) October 23, 2022

A furious Espargaro again had a problem engaging his front holeshot device for a practice start at the end of warm-up, while team-mate Maverick Vinales had a technical issue early on.

Four Ducatis will start ahead of Bagnaia this afternoon. Asked by Dorna's Simon Crafar about team orders, Ducati Corse sporting director Paolo Ciabatti said: "Unless they are fighting to win the race, we just expect them [other Ducati riders] to understand and use their brain [with Pecco]. We expect them to think about Ducati and not only themselves."

Thunderstorms remain a threat for the race with riders practicing flag-to-flag bike swaps at the end of warm-up.

Flag-to-flag practice!

There's already enough for the riders to worry about today! #MalaysianGP pic.twitter.com/Rc0tod86EI

— MotoGP (@MotoGP) October 23, 2022

Alex Marquez has a long lap penalty to serve in the race for colliding with Jack Miller at Phillip Island last weekend.

Franco Morbidelli received a double long-lap for disturbing Bagnaia and Marc Marquez in FP3: "This is now the third time this season you have been observed riding slow on line and disturbing other riders," read a statement from the FIM MotoGP Stewards.

Pol Espargaro will have a three-place grid penalty for 're-joining the track unsafely and creating a dangerous situation for another rider' (Johann Zarco) in FP1.

• Malaysian MotoGP, Sepang - Full Qualifying Results
• Malaysian Moto2 Grand Prix, Sepang - Qualifying Results
• Malaysian Moto3 Grand Prix, Sepang - Qualifying Results
• What result does Francesco Bagnaia need to be MotoGP champion at Sepang?

After more title chase drama in Phillip Island, Francesco Bagnaia not only leads the MotoGP standings for the first time but can be crowned champion this weekend.

A 14-point advantage over Fabio Quartararo and 27-point lead over Aleix Espargaro means Bagnaia will become Ducati’s first champion since Casey Stoner if he scores at least 11 points more than Quartararo on Sunday and loses no more than 2 points to Espargaro.

That means Bagnaia must at least finish in the top five, which would also automatically rule Enea Bastianini (42 points behind and the final rider still in mathematical contention) out of the championship fight with only the Valencia finale to go.

Takaaki Nakagami is again absent due to hand injuries from Aragon and is replaced at LCR by Honda test rider Tetsuta Nagashima.

Pol Espargaro will have a three-place grid penalty on Sunday for 're-joining the track unsafely and creating a dangerous situation for another rider' (Johann Zarco) in FP1 at Sepang.

Covid restrictions forced the cancellation of the Malaysian MotoGP in 2020 and 2021, meaning ten of the full-time riders have no premier-class race experience at Sepang: Brad Binder, Alex Marquez, Jorge Martin, Enea Bastianini and Luca Marini, plus this year’s rookies Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio di Giannantonio, Darryn Binder, Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez.

However, all riders and teams took part in official pre-season testing at the track in February.

Malaysian MotoGP full schedule (UK time)

Friday October 21

2am - Moto3 FP1

2.55am - Moto2 FP1

3.50am - MotoGP FP1

6.15am - Moto3 FP2

7.10am - Moto2 FP2

8.05am - MotoGP FP2

Saturday October 22

2am - Moto3 FP3

2.55am - Moto2 FP3

3.50am - MotoGP FP3

5.35am - Moto3 Q1

6am - Moto3 Q2

6.30am - Moto2 Q1

6.55am - Moto2 Q2

7.25am - MotoGP FP4

8.05am - MotoGP Q1

8.30am - MotoGP Q2

Sunday October 23

3am - Moto3 warm-up

3.20am - Moto2 warm-up

3.40am - MotoGP warm-up

5am - Moto3 race

6.20am - Moto2 race

8am - MotoGP race