BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha MotoGP

Guevara Takes Tenth Front Row of the Season for Sepang Title Chase

BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2's Izan Guevara will start the Grand Prix of Malaysia from third place on the grid – his 10th front-row start of the 2026 season. Rookie Alberto Ferrández – who is new to the Sepang International Circuit and is still recovering from a collarbone injury – secured 24th place on tomorrow's starting grid.

GRAND PRIX OF MALAYSIA

QUALIFYING

Sepang (Malaysia), 31st October 2026

3rd

IZAN GUEVARA
2'03.486 / 6 LAPS

24th

ALBERTO FERRANDEZ
2'04.422 / 6 LAPS

BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2's Izan Guevara secured his tenth front-row start on the grid today. He will kick off tomorrow's Grand Prix of Malaysia from third place on the grid as he continues his quest of chasing down the championship leader, who is just 5.5 points ahead of him in the standings. Rookie Alberto Ferrández showed he continues to adapt and learn at a – for him – new track. He will start tomorrow's race from P24.

Guevara started the Saturday by finishing the dry FP2 in first position, giving him good confidence for qualifying. In the also dry Q2, he made sure to be the first rider out, with an open track ahead of him to set some strong benchmark laps on his opening stint. His initial time of 2'03.486s put him in third place, 0.131s from provisional pole. The number 28 returned to pits with eight and a half minutes remaining. With six minutes left on the clock, he started his second stint, but he didn't find a time improvement. His best effort, set on lap 2/6, was fast enough to keep him on the front row, 0.611s from pole.

Rookie Ferrández used the Saturday to further study the Sepang track. Having secured P16 in FP2, the Spaniard aimed to push even harder in Q1. His first two flying laps had him rank ninth in the live timing before he returned to the pits. He went back out for his second run with a little under six minutes remaining. With the Sepang track being one of the longest on the MotoGP calendar, it gave him time for just one more hot lap. Clocking a 2'04.422s, set on lap 6/6, he ended the session in 10th place, 0.963s from the fastest rider. The result puts him 24th on the grid for the race.

Tomorrow's 17-lap Moto2 Grand Prix of Malaysia Race will get underway at 13:15 (GMT+8).

Image gallery

ALEX DE ANGELIS
Team Manager, BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2

"Securing a front-row start with Izan is a very satisfying result for several reasons. First of all, we were able to be competitive in the hot, completely dry conditions we are likely to encounter again tomorrow. Starting from the front row is also particularly important here, as it gives us a better chance of avoiding the crowded groups into the first and second corner, which can be quite dangerous at this circuit.

"Izan is happy with the bike, and we've worked hard to find a set-up that suits him, focusing not just on one fast lap but also on what he needs for the race. We can go to bed tonight with a smile on our faces.

"As for Alberto, I'm actually even happier than he is! Arriving in Malaysia without any previous experience of the circuit and consistently staying close to the points is something to be proud of. He's showing that he has real speed. Of course, Moto2 rookies often have several years of Moto3 experience behind them, so they are already familiar with racing at overseas circuits, but Alberto is doing a great job. He should keep believing in himself and continue in this direction."

IZAN GUEVARA
BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Rider

"I'm happy with my starting position for tomorrow, especially considering the championship. It's important for me to get a good result and score valuable points while maintaining our level of performance, because the pace is very similar between the riders. I think the victory could be decided right down to the final corner.

"My plan is to stay with the leading group throughout the race and avoid making any mistakes. The most important thing is to finish strongly, score as many points as possible, and keep our championship challenge on track."

ALBERTO FERRANDEZ
BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Rider

"Today was a difficult day. I started having some issues with the bike this morning, and we struggled to make the improvements we were looking for. We managed to improve our lap times, but not by enough, and my feeling with the bike didn't really improve either. I struggled quite a lot in qualifying and didn't feel comfortable on the bike.

"We'll keep working to find a better feeling ahead of tomorrow's race. Tyre degradation will be a very important factor here, as we expect it to be significant over the race distance. We'll see what we can achieve and do our best to make the most of the situation."