The humid, greasy conditions that greeted round eighteen as the paddock arrived in Malaysia to begin the run in to the end of the season did nothing to slow Masia, who stamped hi𓄧s authority down in Sepa🐓ng with a new lap record in Moto3 qualifying.

A new best of 2m 10.8💛46s 𝄹came as the Leopard Honda rider earned an early slipstream before finding solo track space to nurture his progress.

Hitting the main group on track provided him with one final, huge tow over the line to be 0.906s clear of his nearest rival, finishing the session in the pits confi💞dent his time would not be bested.

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The person to get closest was top rookie Collin Veijer, who motored on after gettin♔g to grips with the conditions in Q1 for Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP.

The front row was coꦗmpleted by Matteo Bertelle, close on times with his Dutch rival, the Rivacold Snipers rider was third, but only just.

Ivan Ortola briefly topped the timesheetꦐs with the lap that sees him start four𒆙th on Sunday for the Angeluss Team.

Ayumu Sasaki worked with teammate Veijer on his promotion from Q1, that saw him claim fifth to be Masia’s ne♏arest rival in the championship and on the grid.

Jose Antonio Rudea moved throu🦩gh Q1 for si♓xth for Red Bull KTM Ajo.

Joel Kelso’s late run moved his CFMoto Prues🦋tel bike into seventh late on, ahead of David Munoz for BOE Motorsports.

Oncu frustrated in ninth

Deniz Oncu had showed great pace as he finished P3 second after running𝔉 solo.

Come qualifying he cut an increasingly frustrated figure as he🐲 seemed to not feel he got the best of working with fellow Red Bull rider Rueda. The rookie, like Veijer, had gained valuable information on grip in Q1 and when in behind the Turkish rider on a fast lap it ensured he did not follow him wide behind, leading Rueda to the then early top time.

On his turn behind Oncu was quick onto the back wheel, leaving him unable to get the most from the slipstream. He spent much of the close of the session shaking his fists aܫnd his head in frustration.

Diogo M🎀oreira completed the top ten after some smart work to make time up in the🌠 group for MT Helmets - MSI.

Romano Fenati secured eleventh on his retur🍒n with the S⭕nipers team, just ahead of Ryusei Yamanaka on the timesheets for Aspar.

Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Dan🐎iel Holgado fired himself into Q2 with a new lap record in the morning practice session but could not get close to his own time, only 15th as his record was quickly surpassed🎃 by Masia.

What happened in Q1?  

Solo running was the order of the day in th🌺e first session, seeing Veijer ease on with the top time. He was joined by Rueda, who made the same tactic work on the Red Bull, Xavier Artigas (13th) and Vincente Perez.

Thailand podium finishers fail to get out of Q1

All of the podium finishers from the last race in Thailand found themselves in the first qualifying session. V🧸eijer made a quick exit but the fate of the other rostrum visitors was not as po♚sitive.

Rookie David Alonso, currently third in the championship 𝐆suffered a huge late fall at turn three, brining out the yellow flags, ending his own chances of moving on and cancelling all the remaining flying laps in the process. He was seventh at the end of the session, so starts 21st.

Taiyo Furusato couldn’t get in the Sepang g🐽roove either, the Honda Team Asia rider was sixth behind Mario Aji who just missed out, to line up 20th.

Scott Ogden was back to 𓂃being top VisionTrack rider after missing out in practice. He starts 22nd with teammate Joshua Whatley 27th after an early return to his garage.

Syarifuddin Azman start💯s his homไe race in 28th for MTHelmets - MSI.

Injuries and replacements

Perez (17th) is the only remaining replacement as he continued to fill in for long term absentee Ana ꦅCarrasco at BOE Motorsports.