Diogo Moreira showed encouraging pace throughout the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend, securing valuable points in Saturday's Sprint before an unfortunate crash forced him to retire from Sunday's main race at the Sepang International Circuit.
The Pro Honda LCR rider began Friday's practice sessions positively, finishing the opening day in 13th place. Already familiar with the circuit on a MotoGP bike through previous testing, Moreira felt comfortable from the outset and showed improvements that allowed him to ride more naturally and build confidence.
The Brazilian consistently featured inside the top 10 during the morning session and looked capable of securing a direct place in Q2. However, a tricky moment at the final corner during his last time attack cost him valuable time, leaving him just outside the automatic qualifying positions despite managing to save a potential crash.
"I think I could have made it into Q2. I was pushing hard, but I had a tricky moment in the last corner."
Despite missing out on direct Q2 qualification, Moreira remained encouraged by the progress made with his bike, highlighting the improved feeling that allowed him to push harder throughout the day.
"Overall, I felt really good on the bike today. It's easier to ride, I can play with it more, and I feel comfortable."
Moreira carried that confidence into Saturday, although qualifying proved more challenging as he secured 14th place on the grid for the Sprint. Undeterred by his starting position, the Brazilian delivered an impressive performance, making a strong start and quickly moving up the order.
Light rain arrived after the opening laps, adding another challenge to the Sprint, but Moreira remained competitive and continued pushing while battling his rivals for positions.
Despite another close call early in the race, the rookie managed to save his bike and regain his rhythm, eventually crossing the finish line in eighth place to collect two valuable championship points.
"It was a really good race! I enjoyed it a lot. It started raining a little after the first few laps, but I still managed to push."
"I made a mistake early on and almost crashed, but luckily I saved it. After that, I got back into my rhythm and managed to keep a strong pace."
Heading into Sunday's main race, Moreira was hoping to build on his Sprint performance and continue fighting for a competitive finish. Starting from 14th on the grid, the Brazilian made another strong launch and immediately began gaining positions as he worked his way towards the top 10.
However, his hopes of securing another positive result were cut short in the closing stages when he crashed at the final corner with only a few laps remaining. Moreira managed to pick up his bike and rejoin the race, but the damage sustained eventually forced him to retire.
"I'm fine. I managed to save a few crashes throughout the weekend, but unfortunately, I couldn't save this one during the race."
Despite the disappointing conclusion, Moreira's Sprint performance and improved feeling on the bike provided encouraging signs for Pro Honda LCR. The Brazilian remained focused on taking the positives from Sepang while continuing to work with the team to improve his competitiveness in the upcoming races.
"It's a shame, but we'll keep working and try to make some adjustments ahead of the next races to see if we can take another step forward."
