The penultimate round of an exciting 2024 MotoGP™ World Championship kicked off on Friday in the heat of Malaysia at the Sepang International Circuit, hosting round 19, the Grand Prix of Malaysia. Rookie Pedro Acosta showed competitive pace all day, but eventually came 0.076 seconds short from the direct Q2 tickets, finishing 11th of the key Practice session. Augusto Fernandez was 19th, and will have to go through pre-qualifying.

Nine months following his six hard-working days in both Sepang Shakedown and Sepang Test, Pedro Acosta was back on the 5.543 km layout, with now almost a full season in the premier class in his pocket. Fresh from his podium in Buriram, the rookie was quick to get up to pace in the morning’s Free Practice, rounding the session with the fifth fastest time in 2’00.355 despite a small crash in T9 towards the end. It was then time for the one hour-Practice at 15:00 under a scorching sun in Sepang. Pedro Acosta was quick to set up early fast laps as he provisionally sat in third with just half an hour to go, with a best in 1’59.164 behind early pacesetters Jorge Martin and Jack Miller. Fifteen minutes left: time for the time attacks! Acosta was still third for the final shootout, but times began to go down quickly. Suddenly, Acosta was down to 10th with Martin still at the top with a new best in 1’57.829, with ten minutes to go. The young shark started to show his teeth too, as he improved to a 1’58.611 to move up to 4th. Some key time was unfortunately lost with Martin crashing in T1 just in front of the rookie who had to avoid him. Suddenly in danger with no improvements made on that lap, Acosta had just one last flying lap remaining to try to get that Q2 ticket. His final time was a 1’58.679, but that was 0.076 seconds too short from the top 10. With an 11th place, Pedro Acosta will have to go through Q1 tomorrow morning at 10:50 local time (GMT+8).

The Sepang International Circuit is probably the track where Augusto Fernandez has the most experience on a MotoGP™ bike, and the Spaniard looked confident in the opening session. After sixteen laps, the Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 rider closed the top 10 with a 2’00.710 heading to the afternoon’s Practice. Fernandez continued to show competitiveness in the afternoon, provisionally sitting just outside of the top 10 after the first 30 minutes, 1.013 seconds from Martin’s benchmark. Once the new set of slick tyres was on for the time attacks, Augusto was able to improve to a 1’59.402, a lap that ended to be his fastest. As he took the 19th time of the session, the Spaniard will have to go through the pre-qualifying stage on Saturday, just after Free Practice 2 at 10:10 LT.