The championship dynamics shifted dramatically during the previous round at Phillip Island, where Martin suffered a non-displaced fracture of his wrist in a crash during the Tissot Sprint. While the 2024 World Champion has not returned to Spain for treatment and will not undergo surgery, his fitness status remains uncertain. Martin is scheduled to ride in Friday’s Free Practice 1 (FP1) session to test his injury before deciding whether to continue with the weekend. If he is passed fit on Thursday, he will attempt to limit points losses in the final three rounds of the season.
Marcos Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) completes the title-chasing trio, sitting 50 points behind the championship leader. Although Bezzecchi has never stood on the podium at Sepang in any class, the Italian and his Aprilia team are expected to be competitive this year, diverging from last season’s performance where he finished 11th, over 19 seconds behind winner Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP). Aprilia team director Davide Tardozzi described the 50-point deficit as “nothing,” signaling confidence in their ability to close the gap.
For Marquez, Sepang is a circuit where he holds two MotoGP victories (2014 and 2018), but his most recent visit in 2024 resulted in a second-place finish in the Sprint and a 12th-place finish in the main race after a crash. Despite this mixed record, the reigning World Champion must capitalize on his current position to extend his lead. The schedule for the weekend begins on Thursday with the MotoGP GearUp show and Press Conference at 16:00 local time (UTC +8).
Friday’s sessions will determine Martin’s participation, with Moto3 FP1 starting at 09:00, followed by Moto2 at 09:50 and MotoGP FP1 at 10:40. Afternoon practice resumes at 13:15 for Moto3, 14:05 for Moto2, and 15:00 for MotoGP. Saturday features an earlier start, with MotoGP Qualifying set for 10:50, followed by the Tissot Sprint at 15:00. The main event, the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia, is scheduled for Sunday at 15:00, consisting of 20 laps to decide the winner of Round 19.
