Aldeguer Leads 2025 Malaysian MotoGP Friday Practice

MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Fermin Aldeguer topped the opening free practice session for the 2025 Malaysian MotoGP at Sepang, halted early due to heavy rain. The BK8 Gresini Ducati rider set a fastest time of 2:00.199, beating Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati Lenovo by 0.256 seconds.

The first practice session at Sepang, round 20 of 22 in the 2025 MotoGP season, took place under challenging conditions with rain looming over the weekend. Below is a detailed breakdown of the session’s results and key insights.

Fermin Aldeguer, the promising Spanish rider, delivered a standout performance on the GP24, posting the fastest lap on his sixth of 12 laps. Francesco Bagnaia, testing two GP25 bike specifications, showed strong pace on the older-spec machine used since Motegi. Both riders opted for medium tires front and rear, a strategy that proved effective before rain disrupted the session.

Joan Mir of Honda HRC Castrol secured third, 0.349 seconds behind, followed by Pol Espargaro of Red Bull KTM Tech3. Mir and Espargaro used a hard front and medium rear tire setup, reflecting a different approach to the track’s conditions.

Marco Bezzecchi of Aprilia Racing climbed to fifth just before the rain, narrowly ahead of Honda’s Luca Marini. Alex Marquez, on track to secure second in the world championship, crashed at Turn 7 but still managed seventh. Fabio Quartararo and Jack Miller of Monster Yamaha took eighth and ninth, with Miller hampered by a technical issue and a crash. Pedro Acosta of Red Bull KTM rounded out the top ten, maintaining consistency in worsening conditions.

Raul Fernandez, coming off his maiden MotoGP win, struggled to 19th for Trackhouse Aprilia. Augusto Fernandez, riding Yamaha’s V4 as a wild-card, finished 22nd, 2.753 seconds off the pace.

2025 Malaysian MotoGP Free Practice 1 Results

With rain posing a persistent threat, teams and riders must adapt their strategies for the upcoming sessions. Alex Marquez, favored to clinch second in the world championship, will aim to leverage his experience at Sepang, where he set the fastest lap during February’s pre-season test. Meanwhile, Bagnaia and Aldeguer are expected to remain frontrunners, particularly if the track stays dry. The performances of Bezzecchi and Mir also warrant attention, given their strong showings in this session.