MEDIA DAY DISPATCH: MotoGP opens with a bang at Sepang

motogp.com

29 Oct 2026

Our first catch-up with Jorge Martin post-crash, the Championship pendulum swinging and Malaysia ever-inclement weather make Round 19 more unpredictable than ever

Round 19 of 22 in 2026 is on the horizon as Media Day gets us warmed up for a titanic weekend ahead. From a new outright Championship leader to a title contender in the mix despite injury and more, there was plenty to delve into on Thursday at Sepang – so we’ve put it all in one place for you to catch up on!

MARTIN FIT FOR FP1: “If it wasn’t for the Championship…”

Second in the Championship and just 10 points behind Marc Marquez, Jorge Martin will give it a go and hope to be competitive and declared fit for the weekend after his Phillip Island crash

Martin: "If I wasn't in the Championship fight, I'd have my arm in a cast"

Just five days after his Phillip Island crash, the title contender will test his broken wrist in FP1 at Sepang before deciding whether to continue

Marc Marquez weighs in on Martin injury woes

The reigning World Champion and Championship leader was complimentary about his 2026 title rival and insists that the Martinator is not here to make up numbers

"If Martin's on the race track, he will be fast"

Marquez and Bezzecchi weigh in as the title contender targets a Sepang comeback, just five days after breaking his wrist in the Phillip Island Sprint crash

Bezzecchi on Tardozzi’s ‘50-points is nothing’ comment

Although the Ducati Lenovo Team boss was complimentary of the #72, Bezzecchi is adamant that it’s a lot harder than it seems

Bezzecchi responds to Tardozzi: "I appreciate what he said..."

The Aprilia rider sits 50 points adrift in the standings heading into Malaysia, which according to Davide Tardozzi "is nothing"

Raul Fernandez battles injury

The #25 SuperFile Trackhouse star joins the list of injured riders but is keen to get stuck in at Sepang

Fernandez: "I've not given myself time to recover"

After retiring from the Australia Sprint due to the injury sustained in Indonesia, the Trackhouse rider has the green light to ride FP1 before deciding whether to continue with the weekend at Sepang

FULL STRENGTH: Honda HRC welcome back Mir and Marini

2020 World Champion Joan Mir is back from illness, as is teammate Luca Marini as Honda go in search of repeating the podium success at Sepang from 2025

PRESS CONFERENCE: Marc Marquez and Bezzecchi light up Thursday

50 points split the #93 and the #72 in the standings as both face the media music in Malaysia

2026 Malaysian GP Press Conference: Marc Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi

The title fight is reaching boiling point! Two of the Championship's leading contenders face the media as the pressure rises ahead of Round 19 at Sepang

Tomorrow, the talking stops and the action ignites: Sepang, the scene of so many classics before, is gearing up for one of the most important weekends of the year. We go green at 09:00 local time (UTC +8), don't miss a lap!