- The Dakar Rally will return to Africa for the first time in 20 years in 2027
- Marc Marquez was fastest in Malaysian MotoGP practice despite crashing
- Title rival Jorge Martin managed 3 laps as he struggles with a fractured wrist
- Audi has confirmed Sauber stalwart Beat Zehnder will leave after 39 years
The Dakar Rally is returning to Africa in 2027, while MotoGP championship leader Marc Marquez set the pace on a difficult Friday for injured rival Jorge Martin in Malaysia.
Raul Fernandez has also been ruled out of the rest of the Sepang weekend, while in Formula 1, Beat Zehnder’s 39-year association with Sauber and Audi will end in December.
Dakar returning to Africa in 2027
The Dakar Rally will return to Africa for the first time since 2007 after Portugal and Morocco were chosen to host next year’s event.
The 49th Dakar will start in Loulé-Faro, Portugal, on 9 January before competitors cross the Mediterranean by ferry to Morocco. The route will then head south through the country before returning north for the finish in Marrakech on 23 January.
Organisers said the switch from Saudi Arabia was prompted by “recent developments in the region”. The change is planned for one year, with the Dakar due to return to Saudi Arabia for its 50th edition in 2028.
The 2027 route comprises a prologue and 12 stages covering 7,824km, including 4,341km against the clock. It will also open the new World Rally-Raid Championship season.
Africa was home to the Dakar from its creation in 1979 until the 2008 event was cancelled. The rally moved to South America in 2009 and then to Saudi Arabia in 2020, making next year’s route its first on the continent for two decades.
Marquez fastest as Martin manages three laps
Marc Marquez recovered from a crash to lead Friday practice at the Malaysian MotoGP as Jorge Martin’s fractured wrist severely restricted his running.
Marquez fell at the final corner but returned on his second Ducati to set a 1:57.000, beating brother Alex by 0.109 seconds. Ai Ogura was third, ahead of Pedro Acosta.
Martin’s afternoon was considerably shorter. The Aprilia rider completed only three laps before returning to the garage because of pain in his right wrist, which he fractured in a crash during last weekend’s Australian MotoGP Sprint.
The defending champion had completed FP1 on Friday morning and was subsequently passed fit to continue, but Aprilia decided there was little value in pushing through the pain during the hour-long Practice session. Martin intends to try again in FP2 on Saturday before deciding whether he can complete the weekend.
His absence from most of Friday Practice means he will have to contest Q1 if he continues. Francesco Bagnaia will join him after a late crash left the Ducati rider outside the top 10.
Marquez heads into Saturday with a 10-point championship lead over Martin and 37 points available across the Sprint and Grand Prix.
Our Malaysian MotoGP weekend guide has the full qualifying, Sprint and race schedule, including UK and US start times and viewing details.
Fernandez ruled out at Sepang
Raul Fernandez’s latest comeback has ended after one session, with the Trackhouse Aprilia rider declared unfit for the rest of the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Fernandez has been recovering from fractured fingers sustained in Indonesia. He rode through the injury to finish on the podium there but was unable to compete at the following round in Australia.
The Spaniard was cleared to attempt FP1 at Sepang on Friday, but a subsequent medical review ruled him out of the remainder of the weekend. He will miss qualifying, the Sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix as he continues his recovery.
Zehnder leaving Audi after 39 years
Beat Zehnder will leave Audi at the end of the year, bringing his 39-year association with the former Sauber team to a close.
The Swiss joined Sauber in 1988, when it was competing in sportscars, and was part of the operation before its Formula 1 debut in 1993. He became team manager the following year and went on to attend 601 consecutive Grands Prix.
Zehnder remained at Hinwil through the team’s Sauber, BMW Sauber and Alfa Romeo identities and its eventual transformation into Audi. During that time he worked with drivers including Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa, Robert Kubica, Sebastian Vettel, Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc.
He moved away from a travelling role following Audi’s takeover and has most recently worked as Director of Signature Programs and Operations. Audi confirmed before this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix that Zehnder, 60, will leave at the end of December as part of a wider restructuring before the 2027 season.
His departure ends one of the longest continuous associations between a senior figure and a team in Formula 1.
The developments come at the start of a busy weekend, with Formula 1 in Mexico, MotoGP at Sepang and NASCAR’s title contenders at Martinsville.
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