Rins fastest in tight Friday Malaysia practice

Alex Rins
Alex Rins

Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) topped the timesheets on Friday at the Shell Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix after going quickest in FP2. The Spaniard heads Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) on the combined times by just 0.089 after setting a 1:59.608, with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) completing a top three covered by 0.093 seconds at Sepang.

Despite the threat of rain throughout the day, the MotoGP riders were able to get two full dry sessions done and dusted in Malaysia, and it was a Suzuki leading the way as the checkered flag came out at the end of FP2. Rins was the man at the summit thanks to his late FP2 time, with Dovi failing to improve on his FP1 time in the afternoon session – P7 for the Italian in FP2.

Marquez 2nd quick
Marquez 2nd quick

It was Marquez who finished the second session in P2, but the World Champion had an eventful day. In typical Marquez fashion, the number 93 had to save the front of his RC213V numerous times across the two sessions. Front-end improvements needed for the Champion before qualifying?

There were no such close shaves for fourth place overall and sixth fastest in FP2 Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) though. ‘The Doctor’ having a strong Friday to end the day just 0.159 from Rins’ time as four manufacturers make up the top four spots at Sepang.

Fifth on the combined times was Jack Miller on board his Alma Pramac Racing Ducati, the Australian setting a quickest time of 1:59.771 to end FP2 in P3 after being the first rider to dip into the 1:59s in FP2. Meanwhile, Australian GP winner Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) completes the day P6 on the overall times, the Spaniard going fourth fastest in FP2 to end the day less than two tenths off P1.

FP2 Times

POS RIDER TEAM BIKE TIME GAP LAPS
1 Alex Rins Suzuki Suzuki 1m59.608s 0.000s 19
2 Marc Marquez Honda Honda 1m59.701s 0.093s 18
3 Jack Miller Pramac Ducati Ducati 1m59.771s 0.163s 16
4 Maverick Vinales Yamaha Yamaha 1m59.802s 0.194s 17
5 Danilo Petrucci Pramac Ducati Ducati 1m59.811s 0.203s 16
6 Valentino Rossi Yamaha Yamaha 2m00.017s 0.409s 18
7 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati Ducati 2m00.091s 0.483s 15
8 Johann Zarco Tech3 Yamaha Yamaha 2m00.159s 0.551s 17
9 Andrea Iannone Suzuki Suzuki 2m00.502s 0.894s 18
10 Dani Pedrosa Honda Honda 2m00.579s 0.971s 19
11 Takaaki Nakagami LCR Honda Honda 2m00.829s 1.221s 18
12 Alvaro Bautista Aspar Ducati Ducati 2m00.980s 1.372s 18
13 Franco Morbidelli MVDS Honda Honda 2m00.981s 1.373s 17
14 Pol Espargaro KTM KTM 2m01.020s 1.412s 17
15 Bradley Smith KTM KTM 2m01.302s 1.694s 18
16 Stefan Bradl LCR Honda Honda 2m01.561s 1.953s 17
17 Karel Abraham Aspar Ducati Ducati 2m01.684s 2.076s 15
18 Thomas Luthi MVDS Honda Honda 2m01.743s 2.135s 15
19 Aleix Espargaro Aprilia Aprilia 2m01.766s 2.158s 18
20 Hafizh Syahrin Tech3 Yamaha Yamaha 2m01.894s 2.286s 15
21 Xavier Simeon Avintia Ducati Ducati 2m01.900s 2.292s 14
22 Jordi Torres Avintia Ducati Ducati 2m01.940s 2.332s 19
23 Scott Redding Aprilia Aprilia 2m02.338s 2.730s 13
24 Jorge Lorenzo Ducati Ducati 2m04.636s 5.028s 9