Marc Márquez and the Ducati Lenovo Team quickest on Friday in Sepang. Francesco Bagnaia twelfth

• Alex Márquez finishes second with the Ducati of Gresini Racing MotoGP

The Ducati Lenovo Team completed the opening day of action for the Grand Prix of Malaysia – the nineteenth event of the season – with Marc Márquez topping both sessions. Francesco Bagnaia, twelfth in Practice, will have to tackle Q1.

After tucking the front and crash at Turn 15 during the first part of Practice, Márquez was then very effective in his first time-attack attempt later in the session. His lap time of 1:57.000, set with 15 minutes remaining, put him in first position at the chequered flag. Bagnaia, thirteenth in FP1, fought for a direct place in Q2 but ultimately finished twelfth after crashing at Turn 1 in the closing stages.

The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action at 10:10 local time (GMT+8) for Free Practice 2, followed by Q1 (10:50), Q2 (11:15) and the nineteenth Sprint of the season, which will be contested over ten laps from 15:00.

Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st
“The crash made me a little upset, as it ended up limiting our track time. It's true that it was our first lap with the soft rear tyre, which made the front push a little more. Once we figured that out, we made a few small changes to the set-up and my riding style, and kept our concentration high. I'm happy because I feel good through almost the entire track. The pace is excellent, but the important thing is not to overdo it. The time attack is where I struggle a little more, but when the tyre grip drops, I feel really good.”

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 12th
“We made the decision to start with the same bike configuration as in winter testing, and I certainly had different expectations in terms of performance. I mainly struggle in the faster, more flowing sections, namely T2 and T3, while in the first and fourth sectors, where there are heavier braking areas, I'm among the quickest riders. It's really difficult to carry corner speed right now because the front tucks and I end up running wide. The lack of grip doesn't help either. We must keep working to regain the right feeling with the bike and the track, where I've always been strong.”