This Wednesday morning in Sepang, the asphalt saw riders battling against the clock under a scorching sun. While some grab the headlines, others prefer to stay in the shadows, leaving doubts about their future performances. A precarious balance between speed and caution in the relentless world of MotoGP.
A Quiet yet Revealing Morning
It was a rather quiet second morning that the MotoGP riders led this Wednesday at the Sepang circuit. In conditions that remain very hot with temperatures exceeding 30°C, but without rain, the most active completed around thirty laps. Notably, three riders are absent, as Fabio Quartararo has joined the list of injured after breaking a finger in a heavy crash on Tuesday morning, and has left Malaysia. Jorge Martín is recovering from corrective surgeries performed in December, and Fermín Aldeguer is with a broken leg suffered a month ago during training.
Yamaha Decides Not to Ride
Interestingly, no Yamaha was seen on the track this morning. Besides Quartararo, who is absent, his teammate Álex Rins, the Pramac riders (Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlioglu), and the test riders (Andrea Dovizioso and Augusto Fernández) deserted the asphalt and were content to observe their opponents from the side of the circuit. This situation is quite concerning, as Yamaha has paused its testing to clarify a technical issue that Quartararo experienced yesterday.
However, others did not hesitate to wear out the asphalt, and quickly began to sound the clock. Before the first hour ended, Joan Mir (Honda) had already gone below the 1’57 mark that represented Tuesday’s reference. Franco Morbidelli and his Ducati GP25 soon joined the Spaniard in this window, which remained as their exclusive domain until the end of this morning session.
Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Racing Team)
Promising Performances and Some Crashes
From these three hours of running, we will remember the great joint performance of Pedro Acosta and Maverick Viñales on the KTM, as well as the presence of three Aprilias in the top 10. Unlike yesterday, Mir’s Honda is the only Japanese machine featured in this small group. However, it is important to maintain all the usual precautions imposed by a test of this kind, especially given that the stock of soft tyres is being managed with the utmost wisdom in some garages.
It is also worth noting that Álex Márquez crashed shortly after noon at turn 5 of the circuit while on a fast lap. He was able to return to the track afterwards, and his 12th time is not representative of the potential that the Gresini rider has shown since yesterday. As for Marc Márquez, who set the best time on Tuesday thanks to his timed attack, he occupies a cautious 15th place at this stage of the day, 1.2 seconds slower than yesterday.
The Bets of the Sepang Tests
The tests continue until 6 PM local time, or 11 AM in France, before a third and final day tomorrow. This period is crucial for teams looking to fine-tune their setups and ensure their riders are ready for the season. The performances observed today may provide valuable insights into who will be at the front during the early races.
Sepang Test, Day 2 – Classification at 1 PM
The classification at 1 PM shows familiar figures at the front, but also surprises that could well alter the established hierarchy. Teams must now navigate between optimising performance and managing risks, a true balancing act on two wheels.
While some riders take measured risks, others must deal with injuries and technical uncertainties. MotoGP remains a world where every second counts, and where the slightest error can be costly. Fans eagerly await to see if the trends observed today will be confirmed in the upcoming sessions.
