MotoGP’s title fight continues at Sepang this weekend, with Marc Marquez holding a 10-point lead over an injured Jorge Martin.
Martin fractured his right wrist in last Saturday’s Australian MotoGP Sprint and initially faced a fitness test in Malaysia. The Aprilia rider completed Friday morning practice at Sepang and has since been passed fit to continue with the weekend. With 37 points available across Saturday’s Sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix, Malaysia could prove pivotal with the season running out of races.
Here are the UK and US start times and how to watch the 2026 Malaysian MotoGP.
Malaysian MotoGP 2026 schedule
The Malaysian Grand Prix takes place at Sepang from Friday, October 30 to Sunday, November 1. Both the Sprint and Grand Prix begin at 3pm local time, which is 7am in the UK.
There is a clock change to remember for US viewers. The East Coast remains on EDT for Saturday’s Sprint, then moves to EST in the early hours of Sunday.
| Day | Session | Malaysia | UK | US East Coast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | FP1 | 10.45am | 2.45am GMT | 10.45pm EDT Thursday |
| Friday | Practice | 3pm | 7am GMT | 3am EDT |
| Saturday | FP2 | 10.10am | 2.10am GMT | 10.10pm EDT Friday |
| Saturday | Qualifying | 10.50am | 2.50am GMT | 10.50pm EDT Friday |
| Saturday | Sprint | 3pm | 7am GMT | 3am EDT |
| Sunday | Warm-up | 10.40am | 2.40am GMT | 10.40pm EDT Saturday |
| Sunday | Malaysian GP | 3pm | 7am GMT | 2am EST |
Qualifying starts with Q1 at 10.50am local time, followed by Q2 at 11.15am. Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix is a 20-lap race around the 5.5km Sepang International Circuit.
How to watch the Malaysian MotoGP in the UK
TNT Sports has live coverage of the Malaysian MotoGP in the UK, with the weekend also available to stream through HBO Max. That means an early start for British viewers. Qualifying begins at 2.50am on Saturday before the Sprint at 7am, while Sunday’s Grand Prix also starts at 7am.
MotoGP VideoPass provides another way to watch the weekend live and on demand, including Moto2 and Moto3.
How to watch the Malaysian MotoGP in the US
US viewers can follow the weekend through MotoGP’s streaming services, while the MotoGP Channel also carries extensive live coverage. The free, ad-supported MotoGP Channel is available through services including Prime Video, Fire TV, FuboTV, Plex and Sling Freestream.
Saturday’s Sprint starts at 3am EDT on the East Coast. The clocks then go back overnight, putting Sunday’s Grand Prix at 2am EST.
Martin cleared to continue title fight
Martin’s presence on the grid looked far from certain when he arrived in Malaysia. The defending champion crashed while fighting Marquez for the lead in the Australian MotoGP Sprint, fracturing the distal radius in his right wrist.
Marquez won the Sprint and turned a two-point deficit into a 10-point championship lead. Sunday’s race at Phillip Island was then cancelled because poor visibility prevented the medical helicopter from operating. That denied Marquez an opportunity to extend his advantage while Martin was already ruled out through injury.
Martin was initially cleared only for Friday morning practice in Malaysia. A second medical examination after the session has now permitted him to continue.
It keeps intact one of the three major title fights featured in our motorsport weekend preview, alongside Kimi Antonelli’s chance to secure the Formula 1 championship in Mexico and Kyle Larson’s opportunity to wrap up the NASCAR Cup title at Martinsville.
What is at stake at Sepang?
Marquez starts the weekend on 365 points, with Martin on 355. Marco Bezzecchi is a more distant third, 50 points behind Marquez, leaving the championship increasingly centred on the leading pair.
There are 12 points available for winning Saturday’s Sprint and another 25 for victory on Sunday. A maximum 37-point weekend would therefore be enough to change the complexion of the championship before the paddock moves on.
Malaysia is followed by the final three rounds in Qatar, Portugal and Valencia. For Martin, however, the immediate question is how his wrist copes with a full weekend at Sepang. Friday’s medical clearance gets him back into the title fight; it does not make the injury disappear.
Marquez has the points advantage and a fit right hand. Martin has spent much of the season proving difficult to shake off. Sepang now gets its turn.
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