It was a good start for Sam Lowes on the first day of practice at Sepang. The sole Aprilia rider, with Aleix Espargaró's absence, the English rider demonstrated an excellent pace, especially on the wet track.

Cautious in FP1 with the asphalt practically dry but still treacherous, Sam took on the second session with determination, this time in "full wet" setup. The best of his 16 laps, done in 2'13.561, placed him in the top 10 in FP2. The standings, not counting title contenders Marquez and Dovizioso, show a very even playing field and close gaps: Lowes is just 0.5 seconds outside the top 5.