Pecco Bagnaia will have to fight through Q1 on Saturday at Sepang after ending Friday practice for the Malaysian MotoGP in 12th place. Marc Marquez topped both sessions, while Bagnaia’s failure to reach Q2 directly came from a clearly defined weakness in the middle of the lap.

The Ducati rider was much closer to the front at either end of the circuit. T1 combines a long straight with heavy braking for the first hairpin, and Bagnaia was only 0.035 seconds slower than Pedro Acosta there. He was also 0.069 seconds faster than Marquez, who ranked fifth in that sector. Bagnaia placed third in T4, 0.060 seconds behind Marquez, with Joan Mir between them. That final sector likewise ends with a long straight and braking for the last hairpin.

The picture changed in T2 and T3, where Bagnaia was giving away around 0.8 seconds. He said the bike is working effectively mainly in a straight line, whereas the fast, flowing corners are preventing him from carrying enough speed. The front is tucking and pushing him wide, while the lack of grip is adding to the difficulty.

Bagnaia also explained that the bike had begun the weekend in the same configuration used during winter testing, although its performance had not matched his expectations. The immediate goal is to recover the right feeling from the front end and the circuit while retaining the Ducati’s competitiveness in the heavy-braking areas.

A repeat of last year’s qualifying hurdle

Bagnaia faced the same direct-Q2 setback at Sepang last year. He nevertheless secured pole position and won the Sprint, before a puncture ended his hopes of a result in the Grand Prix. This year’s Q1 route therefore adds an early challenge to a weekend in which the Ducati rider must find time specifically through the flowing middle sectors.