Now, that is how you answer a morning scare. World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) shrugged off a fast crash in Free Practice 1 to lay down a blistering 2:03.737 in the afternoon session, topping the Friday timesheets at the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia.
That lap was enough to see off the Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) threat by 0.144s. Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team) completed the top three, showing remarkable resilience after his own tumble earlier in the day. Behind them, Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) took fourth, ending up as the only other rider within 0.7s of the pace-setting benchmark, leaving the exact gap to his title-chasing rival at 0.234s.
Further down the top five, 2022 Moto2 Malaysian GP winner Tony Arbolino (REDS Fantic Racing) grabbed fifth. He finished just ahead of the rider sitting third in the overall standings, Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – MSI). It was a strong showing for the garage, as Ortola's teammate Angel Piqueras claimed seventh to lead the rookie charge.
Unfortunately, not everyone had a smooth afternoon in Sepang. Some of the biggest names in the field hit serious trouble further down the order and will face the daunting obstacle of Q1.
That includes 2025 Moto2 Malaysian GP podium finishers David Alonso (CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team) and Barry Baltus (REDS Fantic Racing), who ended the session down in P18 and P19 respectively. They will be joined in Q1 by British GP winner Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team). The Czech star missed out on the crucial top 14 cutoff because his second fastest lap was slower than Adrian Huertas' (Italtrans Racing Team)—with the pair having coincidentally set identical 2:04.735 best times.
