Bagnaia Takes Friday Advantage, Martin Sixth in Malaysia
Early Running in Sepang
Friday practice at the Malaysian MotoGP saw Ducati Lenovo Team's Francesco Bagnaia set the pace, while Pramac Racing's Jorge Martin ended the day in sixth position.
Bagnaia, who is currently second in the championship standings, topped the timesheets in both FP1 and FP2, ending the day with a best lap of 1:58.214.
Martin, meanwhile, was sixth fastest in FP1 and improved to fifth in FP2, setting a best time of 1:58.578.
Bagnaia's Dominance
Bagnaia's performance on Friday was a continuation of his strong form throughout the 2022 season.
The Italian rider has won five races this year and has been on the podium in all but one of the 18 races held so far.
His main title rival, Fabio Quartararo of Monster Energy Yamaha, was third fastest on Friday, 0.179 seconds behind Bagnaia.
Martin's Improvement
Martin's performance on Friday was a significant improvement on his recent form.
The Spaniard has struggled for pace in the last few races, but he looked much more competitive at Sepang.
Martin will be hoping to continue his improvement in qualifying on Saturday and challenge for a podium finish in the race on Sunday.
Other Contenders
In addition to Bagnaia, Quartararo, and Martin, several other riders were competitive on Friday.
Enea Bastianini of Gresini Racing was fourth fastest, while Jack Miller of Ducati Lenovo Team was fifth.
Marc Marquez of Repsol Honda was seventh fastest, while reigning world champion Joan Mir of Team Suzuki Ecstar was eighth.
Looking Ahead
Qualifying for the Malaysian MotoGP will take place on Saturday, with the race scheduled for Sunday at 3pm local time.
Bagnaia will be the favorite to take pole position and win the race, but Quartararo, Martin, Bastianini, and Miller will all be hoping to challenge him.
The Malaysian MotoGP is the penultimate round of the 2022 season, and the championship is still very much alive.
Bagnaia holds a 14-point lead over Quartararo in the standings, but there are still 50 points available in the final two races.
A fascinating finale to the season is in prospect.
