Reigning MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez started the season as he means to go on, setting the fastest time on day one of testing at Sepang and lapping half a second quicker than elder statesman Valentino Rossi.

Marquez, whose RC213V is sporting a new air intake to increase power and throttle response in the face of a litre less fuel, set his time as air temperatures reduced in the afternoon and put in a 2'00.286 on his 52nd lap of 62, fractionally slower than his 2013 pole time of 2'00.011.

Rossi, on the factory Yamaha, was 0.518 slower than his younger rival and set his time of 2'00.804 almost at the end of the session. Both he and Dani Pedrosa jumped ahead of Jorge Lorenzo with only minutes left. The second Repsol Honda man was a tenth down on Rossi but did an extra 14 laps while Lorenzo ended on a 2'01.082 on his 26th of 47 laps.

Alvaro Bautisa and Stefan Bradl were in the nearly customary positions while Aleix Espargaro showed the potential of the Open class bikes, sticking his works Yamaha-engined Forward NGM in seventh and 1.1s off the pace of Marquez. He was ahead of Andrea Iannone and both the Monster Yamahas which are also running in Factory trim.

Colin Edwards suffered some technical problems with his NGM early on but bounced back to finish in 11th. He was two seconds off the pace but ahead of all three Factory-spec Ducatis. Cal Crutchlow could only muster 14th place and is four-tenths behind Edwards.

MotoGP rookie Scott Redding was 21st and four seconds off the pace after 48 laps while Michael laverty suffered an engine failure and only did 14 laps.

MotoGP Sepang test day one - conditions dry

1 MARQUEZ, Marc Repsol Honda Team 2:00.286 52 / 62 2:08.860

2 ROSSI, Valentino Yamaha Factory Racing 2:00.804 0.518 0.518 58 / 61 1:13.131

3 PEDROSA, Dani Repsol Honda Team 2:00.906 0.620 0.102 73 / 75 1:56.310

4 LORENZO, Jorge Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.082 0.796 0.176 26 / 47 1:06.182

5 BAUTISTA, Alvaro GO&FUN Honda Gresini 2:01.240 0.954 0.158 48 / 52 1:40.406

6 BRADL, Stefan LCR Honda MotoGP 2:01.320 1.034 0.080 31 / 61 2:11.309

7 ESPARGARO, Aleix NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2:01.419 1.133 0.099 19 / 26 47:34.143

8 IANNONE, Andrea Pramac Racing 2:01.538 1.252 0.119 38 / 44 1:07.922

9 ESPARGARO, Pol Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.634 1.348 0.096 42 / 48 1:16.624

10 SMITH, Bradley Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.876 1.590 0.242 54 / 55 1:21.505

11 EDWARDS, Colin NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2:02.483 2.197 0.607 25 / 26 1:11.147

12 DOVIZIOSO, Andrea Ducati Team 2:02.497 2.211 0.014 21 / 27 1:51.098

13 PIRRO, Michele Ducati Test Team 2:02.552 2.266 0.055 47 / 48 1:16.488

14 CRUTCHLOW, Cal Ducati Team 2:02.860 2.574 0.308 16 / 38 15:47.051

15 HERNANDEZ, Yonny Energy T.I. Pramac Racing 2:02.891 2.605 0.031 28 / 49 1:19.163

16 NAKASUGA, Katsuyuki Yamaha Factory Test Team 2:03.126 2.840 0.235 14 / 35 1:12.528

17 HAYDEN, Nicky Drive M7 Aspar 2:03.319 3.033 0.193 53 / 56 2:55.201

18 AOYAMA, Hiroshi Drive M7 Aspar 2:03.328 3.042 0.009 49 / 51 1:10.151

19 DE PUNIET, Randy Suzuki Test Team 2:03.893 3.607 0.565 47 / 75 1:26.204

20 AKIYOSHI, Kosuke HRC Test Team 2:04.267 3.981 0.374 27 / 64 1:11.932

21 REDDING, Scott GO&FUN Honda Gresini 2:04.431 4.145 0.164 41 / 48 1:15.367

22 BARBERA, Hector Avintia Racing 2:04.922 4.636 0.491 34 / 44 2:16.544

23 DI MEGLIO, Mike Avintia Racing 2:05.825 5.539 0.903 50 / 51 1:19.253

24 PARKES, Broc Paul Bird Motorport 2:05.889 5.603 0.064 32 / 40 1:19.320

25 LAVERTY, Michael Paul Bird Motorsport 2:06.070 5.784 0.181 14 / 14 1:25.077

26 ABRAHAM, Karel Cardion AB Motoracing 2:06.755 6.469 0.685 21 / 41 1:17.323