Marquez tops Sepang FP1, Martin finishes 20th
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 30, 2026
Marquez leads Sepang
Marc Marquez set the pace in opening practice at Sepang, and he did it with the only lap in the 1:58s during FP1. His best time, 1:58.912, put him at the top of the sheet and established the standard for the rest of the field from the start of the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend. The lap stood out because no one else cracked the 1:58 barrier, and the gap back to the next riders was large enough to separate the front-runners from everyone else in the session. Marco Bezzecchi and Pedro Acosta tied for second at 1:59.386, 0.474 seconds behind Marquez, while Franco Morbidelli and Alex Marquez were the only other riders within one second of the benchmark. That left a clear split between the leading group and the rest of the order in the first practice run, with Marquez’s speed the central story as the session unfolded.
Martin returns to
Jorge Martin made his return to action six days after a crash at Phillip Island and completed 12 laps in FP1, then finished 20th and 1.8 seconds off the pace. He spent the opening session working back into rhythm rather than chasing the front of the field, and he went back out at the end of the run for practice starts. The work came after a difficult stretch, but the session still offered a useful first step back into full-speed competition for him. Martin also came through post-FP1 medical checks and was cleared fit to continue the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend, which keeps him in the event after the return from his earlier crash. His showing was measured and steady rather than quick, and the lap count, late-session starts and final clearance all pointed to a rider focused on rebuilding confidence and race readiness one step at a time.
Bastianini Binder and Fernandez
Enea Bastianini and Brad Binder rounded out the top five, with Bastianini fourth and Binder fifth in FP1. Their finishes reinforced the shape at the sharp end of the field, where Marquez, Bezzecchi and Acosta set the early pace and a small group stayed close enough to keep the session competitive. The first practice order showed a clear lead group at the top, but it also left room for more changes once the weekend moved deeper into qualifying and race preparation. Raul Fernandez, though, will play no further part in the event after being declared unfit for the rest of the weekend. He is set to return to Spain for treatment, ending his Malaysian Grand Prix before it could build beyond the opening day. That leaves the focus on the riders still active in the field, with Marquez on top, Martin back in action and the front group already tightly sorted after one practice session.
