David Almansa put in a stunning charge to top the Friday timesheets in Moto3 at Sepang, turning around a tricky start to the day to lead the field for Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP. The #22 rider, who has his sights set on consolidating second overall in the championship standings, laid down a benchmark time to draw first blood in Malaysia.
The Spaniard's lap of 2’11.427 was enough to head the session, leaving him clear by less than a tenth of a second at the chequered flag. In fact, an incredible 0.069 seconds split the top two runners, with rookie sensation Rico Salmela taking second for Red Bull KTM Tech3 while getting his first taste of the Sepang circuit. Less than a tenth covered the entire top three as Phillip Island polesitter Veda Pratama kept his momentum rolling in third place, also claiming top honours for Honda Team Asia.
Meanwhile, the homecoming tour for Hakim Danish got off to a brilliant start. The AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI star delivered a stellar performance to finish the day in fourth position, right ahead of Leopard Racing's Adrian Fernandez. Rounding out the top six in Practice was Matteo Bertelle for LEVELUP-MTA, who similarly managed to bounce back from a difficult opening free practice session.
Further down the order, several heavyweights find themselves with work to do. Alvaro Carpe ended the day in seventh for Red Bull KTM Ajo, with teammate Brian Uriarte slotting into ninth and David Muñoz taking tenth for Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP. 2026 World Champion Maximo Quiles could only manage eleventh for CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team.
Even bigger names missed the cut entirely and face a tough battle ahead. US GP winner Guido Pini of Leopard Racing found himself down in fifteenth, meaning he must navigate the Q1 music alongside the Argentinean duo of Valentin Perrone from Red Bull KTM Tech3 and Marco Morelli representing CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team.
