Zürcher Nachrichten - Mir sets pace on Sepang day two, Yamaha absent

Mir became the pace setter after the 28-year-old clocked 1 min 56.874 sec on his Honda machine after 11 laps, to become the fastest rider over two days of testing in Malaysia.

Italian Franco Morbidelli came close to matching Mir's timing after he posted 1 min 56.983 sec, while his compatriot Fabio Di Giannantonio was third fastest on the day after registering 1 min 57.049 sec, both on their respective Ducatis.

The morning session witnessed only 17 riders set out for testing, with Yamaha's notable absence as they tried to resolve a technical issue from Tuesday's test.

Their withdrawal compounded Fabio Quartararo's absence from the remaining two days of testing after the Frenchman suffered a finger fracture following his crash on Tuesday.

As the skies changed from intense heat to a sudden downpour in the afternoon, only 11 riders emerged to weather the conditions.

Spaniard Alex Marquez, who crashed on the same turn as Quartararo the day before in the morning session, returned to post the fastest lap of the afternoon session as he stamped 1 min 58.094 sec on his Ducati.

"I was quite angry with myself after seeing the damage on the bike. I tried different things with the new tyres, the grip of the track is super high so, I had the problem," Marquez said.

"I understood the crash, and we look forward," he added.

Jorge Martin, the 2024 champion who endured a challenging previous season with injuries, was meanwhile spotted walking around shirtless with his racing gloves on.

The Spaniard appeared in good spirits as he posed for pictures with the medics and race marshals.

Wednesday's pre-season test times at the Sepang Circuit

1. Joan Mir (ESP/Honda) 1 min 56.874 sec

2. Franco Morbidelli (ITA/VR46 Ducati) 1 min 56.983 sec

3. Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA/VR46 Ducati) 1 min 57.049 sec

4. Pedro Acosta (ESP/Red Bull KTM) 1 min 57.116 sec

5. Maverick Vinales (ESP/Red Bull KTM) 1 min 57.126 sec

6. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA/Aprilia) 1 min 57.141 sec

7. Raul Fernandez (ESP/Aprilia) 1 min 57.274 sec

8. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA/Ducati) 1 min 57.302 sec

9. Ai Ogura (JPN/Aprilia) 1 min 57.376 sec

10. Enea Bastianini (ITA/Redbull KTM) 1 min 57.550 sec

A.Weber--NZN