Bagnaia and Ducati dominate Sprint
Francesco Bagnaia made a clear statement at Sepang on Saturday. After a sharp time in Q1, he grabbed pole and set off from the best position for the 10-lap Sprint. Bagnaia had an excellent start, held the lead and increased his lead lap after lap to the finish. It is his second win of the season on Saturday. Teammate Michele Pirro, starting from the back rows, battled his way to 20th place, providing useful data for Sunday's race.
This win is for the team, which works tirelessly. We alternate top performances with difficult moments this season, and together we are looking for the cause of those fluctuations.
Podia, championship places and rookies
Gresini had a strong day. Alex Marquez grabbed another podium spot, consolidating his second place in the championship. Teammate Fermín Aldeguer was named Rookie of the Year; he was initially on the podium in the Sprint but later received a penalty which adjusted his ranking. For Gresini, it remains a season to be proud of.
At Monster Energy Yamaha, it was mainly damage control. Fabio Quartararo rode a solid Sprint and moved to P5 in the final results after a post-race penalty for Aldeguer. Álex Rins struggled with the tyres and lost a lot of ground in the middle stages; he finished 15th. Team principal Massimo Meregalli stressed that today's data will be used to better cope with Sunday's longer race distance.
Combination of comeback attempts and setbacks
Aprilia had a small upturn: Marco Bezzecchi climbed strongly to the front from P14 and finished on P6. Lorenzo Savadori tested parts for the RS-GP25 and finished near the points on P18. Aprilia is working emphatically on development steps for future races.
Red Bull KTM Tech3 had two solid performances: Enea Bastianini fought his way from P19 to P9, earning another sprint point. Pol Espargaro rode consistently and finished 11th, despite a small contact with Luca Marini that cost him positions.
For Honda HRC Castrol, the day ended disappointingly. Joan Mir looked to be on his way to a result but lost the front end and made a DNF after crashing in the podium battle. Luca Marini was on his way to a strong comeback but got involved in contact with Pol Espargaro and also had to retire. Honda stressed that the team will take today's lessons to Sunday.
Prima Pramac Yamaha had a tricky Sprint: Jack Miller crossed the line in 14th, while Miguel Oliveira crashed out early due to a fall on the sixth lap. CASTROL Honda LCR saw Johann Zarco on form; he rode controlled to P8 and praised the regained feeling on the machine. IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Somkiat Chantra worked his way to P17 from P20 and gathered useful information for the race setup.
Brief overview of notable results
- 1st - Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team)
- 2nd - Alex Marquez (Gresini)
- Fabio Quartararo finished on P5 after penalty change
- Enea Bastianini knuckled down to P9 (10 places gain)
- Joan Mir and Luca Marini: both dropped out (DNF)
- Jack Miller P14; Miguel Oliveira dropped out
- Michele Pirro P20; Somkiat Chantra P17
Sepang remains a hot and demanding track, where tyre management and braking are crucial. Tomorrow's warm-up is scheduled at 09:40 local time, followed by the 20-lap Malaysian Grand Prix at 15:00 local time (UTC+8). Many teams returned to the paddock with new parts and data - Sunday will be the real measure of who can actually turn developments into race pace and consistency.
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