Filip Salac showed exceptional speed on Friday afternoon at the Malaysian Grand Prix as he set the 2^nd fastest time, while Tony Arbolino was a promising 6^th.

• Conditions were typically mixed at the Sepang International Circuit on Friday. A fierce morning storm meant the track was wet but drying for Moto2 FP, with riders initially starting the session on wets before switching to slicks.
• The rain stayed away for the afternoon, meaning Elf Marc VDS Racing Team riders Tony Arbolino and Filip Salac rode in stifling ambient temperatures of 33 degrees with humidity at a punishing 57%.

/// TONY ARBOLINO, 6^th – 2’06.135

• Despite still feeling the after-effects of his nasty FP crashes in Thailand, Tony originally struggled with the lack of rear grip as well as braking stability around the 5.54km track. He was 17^th in FP.
• The Italian continued to work on settings and riding adjustments to improve rear traction in the afternoon and appeared to find a solution in the closing minutes. Tony jumped up to 6^th late on, just 0.5s off the quickest time of the day and is hopeful he can continue improving with more dry laps on Saturday.

“We were able to take our maximum potential from the package and the circumstances”

“It was one of the toughest Fridays of the season because the level of grip here in Sepang was so bad. I had to adapt my riding a lot to the bike and the grip out there. We made a small change to the setting in the afternoon, which seemed to give me some better feelings. Let’s see if it works tomorrow as well. But P6 for today was good. We were able to take our maximum potential from the package and the circumstances so I think it’s not bad. We still need to work on a few things for tomorrow, but the early signs are promising. Now let’s kick on and qualify well ahead of Sunday!”

/// FILIP SALAC, 2^nd – 2’05.909

• In tricky conditions, which weren’t fully dry, Filip started the day well, placing 11^th in the morning’s FP with a time that was 0.7s off Jake Dixon’s best.
• The Czech rider then put together an impressive performance in the afternoon. After making changes to the rear suspension as well as the balance of the bike, Filip jumped up the order with his 12^th lap, which put him within 0.33s of top spot.

“The day’s been a positive one”

“It was a good start to the weekend. In the morning we had some tricky conditions and were running slick tyres when the track was still damp. But in the second session I felt strong from the first laps, which was good because normally in these hot conditions we are struggling a bit. Overall, the day’s been a positive one. I can’t wait for tomorrow. We need to make a few adjustments with the set-up to make me feel even more comfortable. But there were signs today we can expect to be competitive when qualifying comes around tomorrow.”