The Malaysian Grand Prix pre-qualifying offered a thrilling spectacle with Ducati dominating. Pecco Bagnaia set the fastest time, narrowly ahead of his main title rival, Jorge Martin.
The tension was palpable on the international circuit of Sepang, where the MotoGP class riders took part in thrilling pre-qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix, the 19th round of the 2024 season. It is Pecco Bagnaia, iconic pilot of Ducati, who emerged in the lead with a time of 1'57.679, despite a chaotic start to the session caused by an electronic problem on his Desmosedici GP24.
bagnaia was able to pull itself together to get ahead George Martin, his direct rival for the championship, by just 0,050 second. Martin, nicknamed "Martinator", has unfortunately crashed at turn 1 at the end of the session, after losing the front of his bike due to depression. This fall, fortunately without consequences, underlines the pressure he is under in this battle for the title.
The prequalification podium is completed by Enea Bastianini, who, in his penultimate race with Ducati, achieved a time of 1'57.877, 0,198 seconds behind his teammate. Maverick Vinales, with theAprilia, ranked fourth, whileAlex Marquez et Fabio Quartararo took fifth and sixth place respectively, with the Frenchman demonstrating a certain competitiveness regained from the Yamaha .
Huge effort coming in from the Yamahas too! @FabioQ20 4th and @Rins42 7th as it stands! 👏#MalaysianGP 🇲🇾 pic.twitter.com/aUxRS7hE8x
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) November 1, 2024
Franco Morbidelli, in seventh position, and alex rins also showed great performances, while drivers such as Jack Miller et Marc Marquez have directly validated their place for Q2. However, the road to qualification will not be easy, with drivers like Peter Acosta et Marco Bezzecchi, both of whom have encountered difficulties.
Andrea Iannone, replacing Fabio Di Giannantonio, has been somewhat delayed, highlighting the challenges of returning after a long absence from the MotoGP. Five years apart, finding your bearings again with carbon brakes and advanced electronics is no easy feat.
Qualifying is set to be intense, and every second will count for these drivers determined to fight for the title and glory. To live the moment intensely, here is the busy schedule for this Saturday in Malaysia:
MotoGP, Malaysia: timetables
Saturday, November 2
FP3 Moto3 01:40-02:10
FP3 Moto2 02:25-02:55
FP2 MotoGP 03:10-03:40
Q1 MotoGP 03:50-04:05
Q2 MotoGP 04:15-04:30
Q1 Moto3 05:50-05:05
Q2 Moto3 06:15-06:30
Q1 Moto2 06:45-07:00
Q2 Moto2 07:10-07:25
MotoGP Sprint Race 08pm
