The 18th spherical of the 2023 season marks the start of the ultimate run to the tip of the marketing campaign, with three grands prix coming as much as determine the destiny of the championship.
Pramac Ducati’s Martin trails reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia by 13 factors coming to the Sepang spherical, and kicked off the weekend quickest of all in FP1.
Martin snatched prime spot late on with a run on recent medium rubber to finest Marquez, who led for a lot of the session on his Gresini Ducati.
Bagnaia’s sometimes low-key strategy to Friday mornings in 2023 continued in Malaysia, with the manufacturing unit Ducati rider fifteenth.
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro kicked off proceedings with the primary reference lap of the session at 2m02.066s inside the primary 5 minutes.
Martin took over from Espargaro with a 2m00.984s just a few moments later, earlier than Alex Marquez started his keep on the head of the occasions with a 2m00.680s.
With simply over half an hour to go, Marquez improved to a 2m00.530s, which might stand because the benchmark till the closing 10 minutes.
He can be deposed by Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli, who posted a 2m00.055s on a recent onerous rear tyre.
However a late cost from Martin, who posted a 1m59.513s on a brand new medium rear, would safe the Spaniard prime spot.
Marquez folded in behind with a 1m59.562s on the finish of the session, whereas Johann Zarco accomplished the highest three on the second Pramac Ducati.
Morbidelli headed Yamaha team-mate Fabio Quartararo in fourth, with Luca Marini on the VR46 Ducati sixth from Aleix Espargaro.
Espargaro crashed on the final nook with round 17 minutes to go, along with his RS-GP briefly spitting flames from the rear of the bike earlier than the marshals put the fireplace out.
Marco Bezzecchi was eighth on the second VR46 Ducati, with Tech3 GasGas duo Pol Espargaro and Augusto Fernandez finishing the highest 10.
Bagnaia was fifteenth forward of manufacturing unit Ducati team-mate Enea Bastianini, whereas Marc Marquez was seventeenth on the main Honda.
Reigning World Superbike champion Alvaro Bautista was twenty second out of 23 riders as he makes a Ducati wildcard look.
Marking his first grand prix session for the reason that 2018 Valencia GP, Bautista was 3.003s off the tempo, forward of solely LCR Honda substitute Iker Lecuona.
