MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

Franco Morbidelli ends the second day of MotoGP testing at the top of the timesheets, the Pertamina VR46 Ducati rider setting a fast lap in the morning that would not be beaten. Fabio Quartararo looked like improving his time at the end of the day, when a number of riders went out in qualifying trim to set a quick lap. But the Monster Energy Yamaha rider couldn't improve the time he set early on in the morning.

There was a brief rain shower before 4pm, which kept everyone in the pits. Where most of them were anyway, avoiding the heat of the day and saving soft rear tires. Little has changed, Franco Morbidelli still leads from Fabio Quartararo and Alex Marquez. 

Times at 4pm:

The track has gone relatively quiet at Sepang as the teams and riders take a break in the midday Malaysian heat. Franco Morbidelli still leads, but few riders have improved their times. Marc Marquez has overtaken Joan Mir, Marco Bezzecchi has jumped up the order, but the order is largely unchanged.

The conditions are much hotter than Wednesday, with fewer clouds and so hotter air temperatures and much hotter track temperatures. The last day, Friday, looks like being much the same.

Times at 2pm:

Testing is back underway at the Sepang International Circuit, and with the sun out, temperatures are rising, and it is turning into a much hotter day  than Wednesday. With Jorge Martin, Raul Fernandez, and Fabio Di Giannantonio all out with injury, Lorenzo Savadori has returned for Aprilia, while Michele Pirro is back on a Ducati. The development work goes on.

Fabio Quartararo led the first day of the MotoGP test at Sepang, the Monster Energy Yamaha rider improving on his time from the shakedown test and beating his own qualifying time for the race here in November. Quartararo was confident after the test, saying he had made his lap without pushing especially hard.

Not much change in the times, as teams and riders knuckle down to the real work of testing. Fabio Quartararo is still fastest with a time set earlier this morning. Pedro Acosta has jumped up into second spot, though the Red Bull KTM rider is still nearly two thirds of a second slower than Quartararo. Alex Rins has also move up a few places.

Times at 4pm:

Testing continues apace at Sepang, with all the risks that entails. Jorge Martin and Raul Fernandez are the two victims so far, both having crashed heavily. Martin was taken to hospital with pain in his left foot and right hand. Fernandez fractured a metacarpal bone in his left hand, which will likely see him sidelined for the rest of the day, and possibly the rest of the test. He also fractured the little toe of his left foot, but that won't affect his riding.

Times are largely unchanged from noon, riders focusing more on testing than on times.

Times at 2pm:

Alex Rins was the first out of the gate at the Sepang MotoGP test, the Monster Energy Yamaha rider leaving pit lane as soon as the light went green at 10am, quickly followed by the rest of the MotoGP grid. The weather is dry but overcast, and the track conditions are good.

It was not an auspicious start for Jorge Martin, the reigning world champion crashing twice in the first two hours, bringing out the red flags in the second crash. He is currently in the medical center for a check up.