News Summary
- Malaysian MotoGP qualifying takes place early on Saturday, October 31, for British and Irish viewers, with Q1 beginning at 2:50am GMT and Q2 at 3:15am.
- Marc Márquez has qualified directly for Q2 after leading Friday Practice at Sepang, while injured Jorge Martín faces Q1 if cleared to continue.
- The sprint starts at 7:00am GMT on Saturday, with 12 championship points available to the winner.
MotoGP qualifying for the 2026 Malaysian Grand Prix takes place early on Saturday, October 31, with Q1 beginning at 2:50am GMT and Q2 at 3:15am GMT in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Marc Márquez enters qualifying after setting the fastest time in Friday Practice, while championship rival Jorge Martín faces uncertainty over his participation because of a fractured right wrist.
The two riders are separated by ten points in the Riders’ Championship. Saturday’s qualifying will determine the starting grid for both the ten-lap sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix.
What time is Malaysian MotoGP qualifying in the UK?
| Session | UK and Ireland (GMT) | Malaysia (MYT) |
|---|---|---|
| FP2 — Saturday | 2:10am | 10:10am |
| Q1 — Saturday | 2:50am | 10:50am |
| Q2 — Saturday | 3:15am | 11:15am |
| Sprint — Saturday | 7:00am | 3:00pm |
| Grand Prix — Sunday | 7:00am | 3:00pm |
The United Kingdom and Ireland are on GMT after the October 25 clock change.
Malaysian Time is eight hours ahead of GMT.
Who is already through to Q2?
Marc Márquez topped Friday’s timed Practice session with a 1:57.000, followed by Álex Márquez and Ai Ogura.
Pedro Acosta, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Marco Bezzecchi, Enea Bastianini, Maverick Viñales, Franco Morbidelli and Joan Mir also qualified directly for Q2.
Francesco Bagnaia, Johann Zarco and Diogo Moreira must compete in Q1.
The complete Malaysian MotoGP Friday results include the lap times and positions of the participating riders.
Will Jorge Martín take part in qualifying?
Martín completed only three laps in Friday afternoon’s Practice because of pain from his fractured right wrist.
He had received medical clearance to continue after FP1, but Aprilia decided to stop his afternoon programme.
Team manager Paolo Bonora said the team would reassess his condition on Saturday.
The latest Aprilia update on Martín’s participation explains why his weekend remains uncertain.
If Martín continues, he must compete in Q1 after missing direct qualification.
What time is Saturday’s MotoGP sprint?
The Malaysian MotoGP sprint starts at 7:00am GMT on Saturday, October 31.
It is scheduled for ten laps at Sepang, with championship points awarded to the first nine finishers.
Márquez enters the weekend on 365 points, ten ahead of Martín.
The main race begins at 7:00am GMT on Sunday, November 1.
For all three classes and the complete timetable, see the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend schedule.
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.
