MotoGP Malaysia Sepang Warm-up: Joan Mir creates a surprise

This Malaysian MotoGP Grand Prix promises to be more interesting than ever, with the hierarchies somewhat shaken up. While Fabio Quartararo will start from pole position for the fifth time this season, Marc Márquez will only start 11th. The possibility of a first victory is therefore more than ever on the horizon for the Frenchman, but the race will not be easy however, because other drivers could come and disrupt his plans, starting with his teammates, Maverick Viñales and Franco Morbidelli, without forgetting Valentino Rossi who will start from the second row.

Number 93, however, has not said its last word, and has proven in the past its ability to come back extremely quickly in the race. All scenarios are therefore possible, while for his part, Johann Zarco achieved his best qualifying of the season and hopes to take advantage of his ninth place on the grid to have a good race.

While waiting for the outcome of this Malaysian GP, ​​time for warm-up and final adjustments and tire tests.

Here is the summary table of the times:

MotoGP Sepang™	2018	2019
FP1	1'59.697 Andrea Dovizioso (See here)	1'59.027 Fabio Quartararo (See here)
FP2	1'59.608 Alex Rins (See here)	1'58.576 Fabio Quartararo (See here)
FP3	1'59.231 Maverick Viñales (See here)	1'58.761 Franco Morbidelli (See here)
FP4	2'00.083 Marc Márquez (See here)	1'59.600 Franco Morbidelli (See here)
Q1	2'13.311 Álvaro Bautista (See here)	1'59.216 Cal Crutchlow (See here)
Q2	2'12.161 Marc Márquez (See here)	1'58.303 Fabio Quartararo
Warm-up	2'11.476 Maverick Viñales (See here)	1'59.516 Joan Mir
Course	Marquez, Rins, Zarco (See here)
All time lap record	1'59.053 Dani Pedrosa (2015)	1'58.303 Fabio Quartararo

It's 28 degrees in the air and 36 degrees on the track when the drivers set off for their 20-minute session. Red sets the reference time in 2'00.705.

From the next lap, the times drop below the 2'00 mark and it's Morbidely who takes first place ahead of Márquez et Quarterly. Petronas drivers also display a special livery for their team's home Grand Prix, made up of fan photos.

The Italian holds firm in the lead and still retains this first place at mid-session, ahead of his teammate Quartararo, Rossi et Casa Particular in Viñales for a 4% Yamaha top 100. Márquez is fifth while Pol Espargaró, Jack Miller, Álex Rins, Aleix Espargaró et Joan mir complete the top 10. John Zarco is 13th just behind Cal Crutchlow. Andrea Dovizioso is only 14th.

However, the Ducati rider did not take long to progress and come to second position. In the last minute, Mir takes the best time and further improves his own time on the next lap, ahead of Morbidely, Marquez, Dovizioso, Quartararo et Red, and no one can do better.

Standings for the MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang:

1	36	Joan Mir	Suzuki	1'59.516
2	12	Maverick VIÑALES	Yamaha	1'59.784	0.268
3	21	Frank MORBIDELLI	Yamaha	1'59.832	0.316
4	93	Marc MÁRQUEZ	Honda	1'59.857	0.341
5	4	Andrea Dovizioso	Ducati	1'59.913	0.397
6	20	Fabio QUARTARARO	Yamaha	1'59.916	0.400
7	46	Valentino ROSSI	Yamaha	2'00.013	0.497
8	43	Jack Miller	Ducati	2'00.023	0.507
9	44	Pol ESPARGARÓ	KTM	2'00.172	0.656
10	35	Cal Crutchlow	Honda	2'00.174	0.658
11	42	Alex RINS	Suzuki	2'00.249	0.733
12	63	Francesco Bagnaia	Ducati	2'00.339	0.823
13	41	Aleix ESPARGARÓ	Aprilia	2'00.359	0.843
14	9	Danilo PETRUCCI	Ducati	2'00.460	0.944
15	29	Andrea Iannone	Aprilia	2'00.525	1.009
16	5	johann zarco	Honda	2'00.667	1.151
17	17	Karel ABRAHAM	Ducati	2'01.124	1.608
18	82	Mika Kallio	KTM	2'01.238	1.722
19	99	Jorge Lorenzo	Honda	2'01.504	1.988
20	55	Hafiz Syahrin	KTM	2'02.224	2.708