British riders had a notable presence during the second free practice session at the MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix, with Brad Binder from South Africa ultimately setting the fastest time in the session on his KTM RC 16. He edged out Spaniard Alex Rins on the Suzuki GSX RR and Marc Márquez aboard the Repsol Honda RC 213 V, as the field demonstrated a mix of high pace and evolving setups in tricky conditions.
Pol Espargaró of Spain, riding the Repsol Honda RC 213 V, drew a penalty after the second round of free practice, costing him three starting positions in the upcoming race. A separate incident involved another rider avoiding the French rider’s bike, creating a tense moment on the track and a cautionary situation for fellow competitors, including Johann Zarco on the Ducati Desmosedici GP22, who was navigating the dash area at reduced speeds.
As the second practice began, track conditions were far from ideal. Rain had ceased, but the surface retained moisture in places, making the dry strip of track a critical focus for teams evaluating tire choices and bike setup during the session’s longer stretches.
At the top of the standings, the session featured performances from a group of remarkable names, including Franco Morbidelli on the Yamaha YZR M 1. He was soon challenged by skilled wet-weather specialists like Johann Zarco and the Italian Marco Bezzecchi on the Ducati Desmosedici GP22, as well as George Martin on the same Ducati and Alex Márquez on the Honda RC 213 V, with Miguel Oliveira from Portugal also pushing the pace on the KTM RC16.
Aleix Espargaró, riding the Aprilia RS-GP, faced technical obstacles on both bikes during the morning, limiting his early laps. He nevertheless intensified his preparations for the Malaysia race, striving to extract more performance despite the compromised conditions and ongoing mechanical hurdles.
As laps accrued, Morbidelli briefly ceded command to Zarco, before Maverick Viñales on the Aprilia RS-GP began to show a more defined rhythm on the damp track, though the morning session’s overall pace suggested there was still room for improvement as riders adapted to changing grip levels.
The second session’s order evolved gradually, with Oliveira taking an early lead in the late stages before Cal Crutchlow on the Yamaha YZR M 1 and Fabio Quartararo started pushing toward the front. They were soon joined on track by Jack Miller and Pecco Bagnaia, both choosing dry tires in an effort to gain an advantage as the surface began to respond more favorably to the tire compounds. The on-track dynamics shifted quickly as the turn of the lap times indicated how a dry tire could alter fortunes in a matter of minutes.
Alex Márquez moved to the top of the timesheets briefly as the session progressed, but he was soon overtaken by Crutchlow and Bagnaia, who remained in the mix as the morning’s dry-running aspirations seemed to gain momentum. Behind them, Miller, Zarco, and Viñales consolidated their positions, while Binder, Rins, and Márquez continued to press for the best down the stretch as conditions evolved.
When viewing the overall classification, the day’s leaders included Binder, Rins, Márquez, and a growing list of contenders such as Enea Bastianini, Joan Mir, Jorge Martín, Quartararo, Luca Marini, and Marco Bezzecchi. The field’s spread highlighted the tight competition across manufacturers and rider styles as teams weighed balance, tire life, and track evolution in practice sessions that often foreshadow the qualifying rhythm and race strategy to come.
Attention also turned to the lingering question of championship potential. Bagnaia’s path toward the title faced mathematical hurdles, and his primary rivals remained visible in the times and positions, notably Quartararo, who stood clear of the day’s immediate challengers. The gathering momentum ahead of the Malaysian race underscored the importance of refining bike setup and race pace in variable conditions, a task that teams continue to pursue with relentless focus.
Meanwhile, Aleix Espargaró worked to salvage the session after early setbacks, including a morning crash that affected one bike and difficulties with another in the afternoon. The result was a challenging day, yet one that demonstrated the resilience and resourcefulness of the Aprilia squad as they sought to translate practice groundwork into an improved result when the track conditions finally yielded more consistent grip. The rain-driven, slippery asphalt ultimately influenced finishing positions, with some riders finishing in upper echelons and others encountering tougher moments as the surface demanded precision and timing.
In the end, several riders, including Alex Márquez, Jack Miller, Pol Espargaró, and Johann Zarco, did not advance to the second division, a reflection of the wet and variable conditions that persisted during portions of the session. The Friday two-part practice sequence thus set the stage for further refinements in Malaysia, where teams will labor to optimize setups ahead of qualifying and the main race, all while keeping a close eye on weather updates and evolving track conditions as championship narratives continue to unfold .