“We approached the weekend perfectly. Yesterday and even more today,” says the Italian.

“I’m happy with the work we’ve done. In the wet we proved we are competitive but I was worried about the dry conditions like today."

"But the feeling was good from the beginning and every time we tried a new setup, it worked better. I was able to push a lot in qualifying and set a really good laptime, and I’m so happy about it.”

Only 0.024 off the pole lap set by Dani Pedrosa, it was certainly something to be happy about. His win at the venue last year is yet another boost as ‘DesmoDovi’ aims squarely at repeating the feat last year – and he says he’s ready for what could be the final round in the ring.

“In FP4 I confirmed really good pace for the race with the used tyre,” explains the Italian.

“I think I ride the bike in a really good way for the characteristics of the track and the heat. We have a minimum of three or four riders with good pace, so first we have to wait and see the conditions, but our target was to be ready in the wet or the dry. The goal is to get 25 points. We’re ready to fight.”

“It was very close,” agrees the man on pole. “The laptimes were tight from the beginning in the dry, in both sessions from first to tenth was only a few tenths and everyone was lapping very fast."

"Fortunately my timing on the track in qualifying was good with no traffic, and on both runs I did I was feeling good. On the first run I could get some rhythm for improving on the second.”

Pedrosa did improve on the second run, and it was his final lap that stole the show – just 0.017 seconds ahead of Johann Zarco, who had been on provisional pole. “It was quite positive and quite a good laptime because the track was very warm,”

the Little Samurai explains, although he says he didn’t do a perfect lap. “Normally it’s difficult to do these times with these temperatures; throughout the day the track was improving.”

That it was, with the first 1:59 of the day coming from Valentino Rossi in FP3 and the times getting quicker and quicker. Not quite pole lap record pace, but it’s Pedrosa who holds that too – from 2015.

Title challenger Andrea Dovizioso topped FP1 at the Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, taking over at the top on his final lap.

With some damp patches initially, it took some time for all riders to get out on track - with a shootout near the end then seeing some late changes. Alvaro Bautista was second fastest, ahead of Johann Zarco.

Marc Marquez was fifth, suffering two low drama run offs in the session.

FP1 Result:

source: motogp.com