THE PENULTIMATE ROUND OF THE 2018 MOTOGP SEASON TO BE HELD AT SEPANG IN MALAYSIA
The Sepang International Circuit will host the penultimate round of the 2018 MotoGP season, the third intercontinental stop in a row after Japan and Australia. The modern Malaysian track, opened in 1999, offers extremely varied characteristics along its 5,543 metres: long straights, hairpin turns with hard braking sections and fast sweepers. The climate is particularly demanding for teams and riders, given the high temperatures, frequent rain showers and high humidity.
Aleix Espargaró is coming from a good race on Phillip Island, finishing ninth after a comeback ride with a convincing pace. The Spanish rider, who has apparently suffered no injury after taking a blow to the hand on Sunday, will continue working on an evolution of the RS-GP in Malaysia.
Getting back into the points will be extra motivation for Scott Redding who has been steadily improving his feeling over the last few races.
ALEIX ESPARGARO’“In Malaysia it will be important to test the new advanced bike. Phillip Island is a particular track and we raced there in decidedly difficult conditions, so I want to put the new solutions to the test on a different circuit. My hand shouldn’t give me any problems. The pain has gone down and I don’t think it will condition me for the next race.”
SCOTT REDDING“At Sepang I’ll be expecting a physically demanding race, in some ways similar to Thailand. We’ll need to work on grip and tyre life. I want to take on my last to MotoGP races with peace of mind, trying to have fun and achieve the best possible result.”
