Overview
- On Friday Marquez topped both morning and afternoon practice at Sepang, recovering from a low-speed crash to post a 1:57.000 and secure a direct Q2 place.
- Martin was medically cleared after FP1 and completed 12 laps but withdrew from the afternoon session on doctors’ advice, leaving his championship weekend status uncertain and likely to require Q1 if he continues.
- Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez was declared unfit after FP1 with a painful broken right index finger and has been withdrawn from the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend.
- Marquez arrives at Sepang holding a 10-point lead over Martin, so Martin’s limited running and probable extra qualifying run create a realistic risk of lost points with only a few rounds left.
- Teams will weigh injury risk against reward across hot Sepang conditions and tyre choices, and the weekend’s practice order now shapes who avoids Q1 and who must fight for grid position on Saturday.