Bagnaia pips title rival Martin in Malaysian MotoGP practice / Photo: MOHD RASFAN - AFP
-
Caribbean tourism hotspot loses men to Russian war machine
-
'The sound keeps coming back': children maimed in Ethiopia's Tigray clashes
-
Danish reservists practice war games to respond to 'aggression'
-
Paris Women's Fashion Week: the key trends
-
Bhuvneshwar returns to India's T20 squad for New Zealand tour
-
i-payout Introduces a New Approach to Payments, Closing the Beneficiary Information Gap
-
Asos says probing 'unauthorised activity' after phone alerts
-
New Generation of Crypto Miners Released by ASICID
-
Stocks climb as oil prices retreat under $100 per barrel
-
New investor forecasts LIV Golf teams could be worth $100 mn each
-
Neutrinos: space particles that change our view of universe
-
Shakira, Pique return to court over children visit arrangements
-
'Destined' Djokovic wins China Open, extending unbeaten record
-
Nobel physics prize hails 'ghostly messengers' from space
-
Iceland is 'critical outpost' for security, says Rubio during visit
-
France's Mistral unveils latest model in sovereign AI push
-
Israeli settlers beat AFP photographer covering West Bank
-
Stocks climb as oil prices retreat
-
'Gen Z has risen up': Tens of thousands demand better education in France
-
Vstock Transfer Names Securities Industry Veteran Erica Goodstein General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer
-
$10 Million and Counting: Hola Prime Hits Major Trader Payout Milestone
-
Four Indonesian seamen return home after Somali pirate ordeal
-
UEFA investigate Ireland-Israel tunnel bustup after spitting claim
-
Crisis-striken Haiti postpones elections
-
Djokovic wins China Open and keeps unbeaten record after de Minaur retires
-
Germany arrests ex-spy chief on suspicion of giving secrets to foreign powers
-
Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum hosts 'homecoming' show for Willem de Kooning
-
Djokovic wins China Open after de Minaur retires
-
World Bank forecasts modest growth for Latin America, highlights climate risks
-
IMF warns cost-of-living shocks cause 'lasting deterioration' in affordability
-
'Afraid for my future': Tens of thousands demand better education in France
-
Alcaraz wins Japan Open for first title since injury return
-
Pakistan PM urges Imran Khan supporters to end protest march
-
'We're working to keep football clean', Turkish minister says
-
Alex Bodi își continuă expansiunea: planuri pentru deschiderea unui showroom ALIX LASERS la București
-
FIFA chief Infantino hit by Norwegian double complaint
-
STARTRADER Adds 20 Stock and ETF CFDs to Its 24/7 Trading Range
-
Exiled Catalan separatist leader Puigdemont cleared to return to Spain
-
Bulgaria searches for missing crew after drones hit more Black Sea ships
-
Stock markets climb as oil prices retreat
-
Alcaraz wins Japan Open for first title since return from injury
-
'No future': Thousands mass in France for high school protests
-
India, Qatar, S.Africa among nations who want to host 2036 Olympics
-
Nobel physics prize honours work on 'ghostly messengers' from outer space
-
Muchova squeaks out win over Osaka to reach China Open quarter-finals
-
Bulgaria searches for missing crew after drones hit two more ships in Black Sea
-
Kenya reports first-ever Ebola death
-
Le Pen vows drastic cost savings to prevent French 'default'
-
Tennis world No.1 Sinner's season over due to knee injury
-
'Eats through a straw': French teens wounded in high school protests
Bagnaia pips title rival Martin in Malaysian MotoGP practice
Francesco Bagnaia went fastest in Friday practice for the potentially decisive Malaysian MotoGP, with title rival Jorge Martin pipped into second as he crashed out.
Spain's Martin is 17 points ahead of Italian defending champion Bagnaia in the title fight, with just one race weekend left after Malaysia.
Pramac Ducati's Martin can mathematically clinch his first world crown this weekend, with a sprint race on Saturday and a grand prix on Sunday.
But in hot and humid conditions at Sepang, the day belonged to Bagnaia as he fired a warning shot ahead of a critical weekend.
The Ducati ace was easily fastest in morning practice and trumped his rival in the afternoon too, topping the timesheets with a blistering 1min 57.679sec.
That was just 0.050sec ahead of Martin, who went down with just under three minutes left in the session, skidding off his bike to end his afternoon a little prematurely. He was unhurt.
The title tussle is now a straight shootout between Martin and Bagnaia.
Third-fastest was Bagnaia's team-mate Enea Bastianini, with Maverick Vinales fourth and Alex Marquez fifth.
Six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez was 10th.
Andrea Iannone, on his return to MotoGP after a four-year doping ban, was 21st for the Valentino Rossi-owned Ducati-VR46 team.
Bagnaia won the grand prix at a wet Buriram in Thailand last week, ahead of Martin, to shave his rival's lead and keep the championship alive.
The season finale is scheduled for Valencia in a fortnight, but top riders, including Martin and Bagnaia, have called for the event to be moved because of deadly flooding in that part of Spain.
F.Schneider--AMWN