MotoGP's Malaysian Grand Prix start time changes due to rain risk

The decision to alter the schedule came amid along delay to premier-class qualifying due to torrential rain hitting the Sepang circuit shortly before the start.

With weather forecasts suggesting that a monsoon would arrive at the track for the scheduled race start time, riders had requested a change to the Sunday timetable on Friday during the Safety Commission meeting.

That request was initially turned down, but the organisers have now acquiesced.

The Sunday morning warm-up sessions for the three grand prix racing categories have been brought forward by between 50 minutes and an hour, while the races are to begin two hours earlier.

As such, the Moto3 race will kick off at 10am local time and the Moto2 race will commence at 11.20am.

The MotoGP race will now start at 1pm local, which translates to 5am GMT.

Torres ruled out of Sepang race

Maverick Vinales, Karel Abraham and Jordi Torres had all crashed when rain made its sudden appearance in the practice four session ahead of qualifying.

And while Vinales and Abraham escaped without major injury, Torres was taken to the medical centre and emerged with a cast enveloping his left hand.

Torres, who is competing as the replacement for the injured Tito Rabat at Ducati, sustained a finger fracture and is now set to undergo surgery.

"I entered into Turn 9, it's completely dry, very hard, we do the change of direction early in Turn 10 - and for sure I didn't see any rain or anything, or any flag to advertise [rain]," Torres said.

"And you pass from dry [track] to completely wet in two metres. And you don't see nothing about rain, drops, or something like this.

"I have the big finger [thumb] broken, we have a surgery for Tuesday."