Malaysia MotoGP: Miller heads Crutchlow, unwell Marquez sits out

A rain storm lashed Sepang on Friday between the first and second sessions, ensuring the bulk of the running was on wet tyres, waiting for the resurfaced layout to dry.

First practice pacesetter Marquez sat out the session, the Honda rider instead being treated for a dose of gastroenteritis.

Ducati's Andrea Iannone was also missing, opting to rest in his return from injury seven weeks after fracturing his vertebra at Misano.

However, with times only improving late and not getting within seven seconds of Marquez's FP1 benchmark, both riders are poised to advance directly to the second phase of qualifying based on their first-practice times, if forecast rain hits FP3 on Saturday morning.

Times improved gradually from Loris Baz's initial 2m18.040s to a 2m13.586s from Yonny Hernandez in the opening 35 minutes.

Inside the final 10 minutes, Avintia Ducati's Baz was the first to try intermediate tyres, and he set the pace with a 2m13.254s, which prompted Crutchlow to emerge with slick tyres on his LCR Honda.

Baz improved to a 1m12.800s and then 2.11.643s on his subsequent laps on intermediates, as Alvaro Bautista and Valentino Rossi found the conditions damp enough to use wet tyres and run second and third in the order.

While Crutchlow was joined on track by Miller and Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso on slicks, Baz continued to improve on consecutive laps, and was on top with a 2m10.463s when the chequered flag was shown.

Crutchlow had jumped up to second in his first flying lap, and found three seconds on his next and last to take top spot with a 2m09.271s, but he was pipped moments later by Miller's 2m08.271s.

Also on slicks, Baz's team-mate Hector Barbera and Tech3 Yamaha's Bradley Smith jumped up to third and fourth on their final laps, the top quartet split by 0.558 seconds.

Baz improved on his final lap on intermediates to a 2m09.698s, 0.826s slower than Miller's time, and wound up fifth, ahead of Pramac Ducati's Scott Redding and Dovizioso, who the top factory rider.

Aprilia's Stefan Bradl was eighth, while Miller's Marc VDS team-mate Tito Rabat and Hiroshi Aoyama - standing in for the injured Dani Pedrosa - completed the top 10.

Rossi wound up 13th, three spots ahead of his Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo who was competitive in the wettest part of the session, while Suzuki's Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro were 17th and 19th.

However all four are - unlike Miller, Crutchlow, Smith and Dovizioso - inside the overall Top 10 practice times based on their efforts on Friday morning, and currently heading straight to Q2.

SECOND PRACTICE RESULTS: