Francesco Bagnaia claimed pole position for the 2025 Malaysian MotoGP, narrowly edging out Gresini’s Alex Marquez by just 0.016 seconds, with VR46’s Franco Morbidelli completing an all-Ducati front row aboard his GP24.
Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo came close to stealing pole but lost time in the final sector of his last lap, settling for a second-row start alongside KTM’s Pedro Acosta and Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer.
Aldeguer and Bagnaia advanced through a competitive Qualifying 1, eliminating Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi. However, Aldeguer endured a strange incident after crashing at the end of Q1—he fell off the Ducati again while rolling side-saddle back to the Gresini pits. Team manager Michele Masini narrowly avoided being struck as the GP24 slammed head-on into a wall, ruling it out of Q2.
The ten-lap Malaysian MotoGP Sprint begins at 3 p.m. local time.
The Sepang round follows Aprilia’s dominant showing at Phillip Island, where Marco Bezzecchi and Raul Fernandez delivered a one-two finish. However, several key riders—Marc Marquez, Jorge Martin, and Maverick Vinales—remain sidelined due to injuries. Ducati test rider Michele Pirro, Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori, and KTM’s Pol Espargaro fill in as substitutes.
Alex Marquez is poised to secure second in the world championship, comfortably leading Bezzecchi by 97 points. A margin of 74 points or more after Sepang would confirm an all-Marquez top two finish for 2025.
The Gresini rider, who won the Sprint at Sepang last year and topped pre-season testing at the same venue, will aim to continue his strong form. Meanwhile, last year’s Sepang pole and race winner Francesco Bagnaia looks to rebound after disappointing results at Mandalika and Phillip Island.
Also returning to the grid is Augusto Fernandez, making his second wild-card appearance aboard Yamaha’s new V4 prototype after finishing 14th at Misano.
