Preview and schedule for the 2018 MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix

For the third consecutive week we have a MotoGP Grand Prix. After the Japanese GP, in which Marc Márquez was crowned world champion, and the Australian GP, in which Maverick Viñales ended his drought and, incidentally, Yamaha’s, we have a new date in Asia, the 2018 Malaysian GP, and therefore once again with timings that will force Spanish fans to get little sleep.

With Márquez’s title already secured, as we said, the battle for the runner-up spot is the big incentive, although Dovizioso has it very easy because he has a 25-point lead over Valentino Rossi. The constructors’ title is still up for grabs, with Honda 39 points ahead of Ducati, but this week the Italian brand has the chance to reduce that gap at a circuit where they already showed last year that they are well suited. That said, we’ll have to see in what condition Jorge Lorenzo will return, if he does race, as he will be in Malaysia but has not yet decided whether he will take to the Sepang track.

The Malaysian circuit could crown Pecco Bagnaia as Moto2 world champion. After the race at Phillip Island, where he already had the chance to mathematically secure the title, the Italian has 36 points more than Miguel Oliveira, so he would only need to score up to 11 points fewer than the Portuguese rider. If the latter scored 12 points more than Bagnaia, the championship would be decided in Valencia.

There, it is most likely that the Moto3 championship will be decided, although the leader Jorge Martín has a mathematical chance to celebrate the final victory at the end. For this, the Spanish rider would have to score 13 points more than Marco Bezzecchi and 5 points more than Fabio Di Giannantonio, the Italians who aspire to take the title of the small category away from him. No other combination will work.

Schedule for the 2018 MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix

These are the complete timings for the 2018 Malaysian GP, another grand prix for which you will have to stay up late if you want to follow it:

Friday 2 November:

• 02:00 hours -> Moto3 FP1
• 02:55 hours -> Moto2 FP1
• 03:55 hours -> MotoGP FP1
• 06:05 hours -> Moto3 FP2
• 07:05 hours -> Moto2 FP2
• 08:05 hours -> MotoGP FP2

Saturday 3 November:

• 02:00 hours -> Moto3 FP3
• 02:55 hours -> Moto2 FP3
• 03:55 hours -> MotoGP FP3
• 05:35 hours -> Moto3 Qualifying
• 06:35 hours -> Moto2 Qualifying
• 07:30 hours -> MotoGP FP4
• 08:15 hours -> MotoGP Q1
• 08:40 hours -> MotoGP Q2

Sunday 4 November:

• 01:40 hours -> Moto3 warm up
• 02:10 hours -> Moto2 warm up
• 02:40 hours -> MotoGP warm up
• 05:00 hours -> Moto3 race
• 06:20 hours -> Moto2 race
• 08:00 hours -> MotoGP race

As we always tell you, the broadcasting rights for the motorcycle World Championship in Spain are held exclusively by Movistar TV. So, to follow this grand prix and the rest of the season, you must be a subscriber to this platform and have the motor package, which can be purchased from 10 euros per month.