Dovizioso sets Sepang pace come rain or shine

Andrea Dovizioso demonstrated his all-weather abilities as he went fastest in both of Friday's practice sessions at the Malaysian MotoGP, despite a change in the conditions.

FP1 was dry and therefore much the quicker of the two sessions, with Ducati Team's Dovizioso clocking up 10 laps and recording a best of 2:00.671 seconds.

He repeated the feat when the field returned to the track, albeit with a lap time over 11 seconds slower.

Championship leader Marc Marquez, who sits 33 points ahead of Dovizioso in the standings, jumped up to second in FP2 after a low-key fifth-place spot first time out.

Dovizioso won at Sepang last year, but Marquez nonetheless seems primed to close out a second consecutive title triumph, having prevailed in Australia last weekend.

It was Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) who took second overall, with Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) third.

Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro was absent from the action after suffering a hand injury at Phillip Island, with no replacement named.