News Summary
- MotoGP qualifying for the 2026 Malaysian Grand Prix takes place on Saturday, October 31, with Q1 starting at 8:20am IST and Q2 at 8:45am IST in India.
- The sprint starts at 12:30pm IST, while qualifying begins at 10:50am local time in Malaysia and Singapore.
- Marc Márquez leads the World Championship by ten points after topping Friday Practice, while Jorge Martín faces a further assessment of his injured wrist.
The 2026 Malaysian MotoGP Grand Prix moves into qualifying on Saturday, October 31, with Q1 beginning at 8:20am Indian Standard Time and Q2 at 8:45am IST. The ten-lap sprint follows at 12:30pm IST, giving Indian viewers an afternoon race as Marc Márquez and Jorge Martín continue their championship battle at Sepang.
For fans in Malaysia and Singapore, qualifying starts at 10:50am local time and the sprint at 3:00pm. The event takes place at Sepang International Circuit, with Sunday’s main race scheduled for 20 laps.
What time is Malaysian MotoGP qualifying in India?
| Session | India (IST) | Malaysia / Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| FP2 — Saturday | 7:40am | 10:10am |
| Q1 — Saturday | 8:20am | 10:50am |
| Q2 — Saturday | 8:45am | 11:15am |
| Sprint — Saturday | 12:30pm | 3:00pm |
| Grand Prix — Sunday | 12:30pm | 3:00pm |
India is two hours and 30 minutes behind Malaysia and Singapore. None of these countries changes clocks for this event.
Qualifying determines the starting grid for both the sprint and Sunday’s main race.
Why does Q1 matter for Jorge Martín?
Martín arrived in Malaysia ten points behind championship leader Marc Márquez after fracturing his right wrist during the Australian sprint.
The Aprilia rider attempted Friday Practice but stopped after only three laps because of pain.
Aprilia decided not to risk aggravating the injury during a fast lap and plans to reassess him on Saturday morning.
Since Martín finished outside Friday’s top ten, he must compete in Q1 if he is able to continue.
The latest report on Martín’s Malaysian GP fitness covers Aprilia’s decision and the next medical steps.
Who qualified directly for Q2 at Sepang?
Márquez was fastest on Friday with a 1:57.000 despite crashing during the session.
His brother Álex Márquez was second, 0.109 seconds behind, followed by Ai Ogura.
Pedro Acosta, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Marco Bezzecchi, Enea Bastianini, Maverick Viñales, Franco Morbidelli and Joan Mir completed the top ten.
Francesco Bagnaia, Johann Zarco and Diogo Moreira must begin Saturday in Q1.
The Friday Practice classification and report provide the full results.
What time is the Malaysian MotoGP sprint in India?
Saturday’s sprint begins at 12:30pm IST, equivalent to 3:00pm in Malaysia and Singapore.
Victory awards 12 points, while Sunday’s main race offers 25 points to the winner.
Márquez leads the standings with 365 points, compared with Martín’s 355.
The championship scenarios before Sepang explain how the gap could change across the two races.
The Sunday Grand Prix is also scheduled for 12:30pm IST.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the Malaysian MotoGP Grand Prix this weekend, with breaking news, full coverage and real-time updates in its MotoGP section.
