Sepang is facing a serious surface problem at the Malaysian Grand Prix after sections of asphalt began breaking up during Friday practice. Riders reported pieces being thrown towards their motorcycles, while the circuit’s pronounced bumps made parts of the lap feel more like motocross than a modern Grand Prix venue. The loss of grip is therefore only one part of the problem: the surface itself is coming away under the bikes.

The circuit was meant to receive a new surface before this year’s event, but the work did not happen. Preparations for an October Formula 1 race are thought to have affected the schedule, and the Grand Prix cars that had used the track did not improve the condition of the asphalt. Riders were consequently dealing with less grip and a surface whose behaviour was difficult to predict from one section to the next.

Augusto Fernandez said conditions were worse than they had been during the test. He described reduced grip and a sharp drop in tyre performance after just one or two laps. Sepang’s long lap makes that especially important: pushing too hard at the beginning can leave a rider paying for it in the final sector, while the lack of grip appears to affect the circuit as a whole.

Pedro Acosta said the asphalt seems to deteriorate every year and that pieces come away when motorcycles run over it. Jack Miller gave an especially harsh assessment of the surface. Fabio Di Giannantonio, meanwhile, said riders need chest protectors because stones and fragments are being thrown up by the asphalt. He also reported being hit several times during a practice start while following another rider.

Friday practice produced five crashes. Three came in the final five minutes, as riders pushed on fresh soft tyres. If the break-up continues, shortening the race is a possible option, as happened at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Goiania. The surface will also be particularly significant in qualifying, when the demand for a single fast lap leaves riders less room to recover from an error.