The first day was punctuated by some crashes for many of the grid, with the first session seeing four fallers and a total of 13 on Day 1 as a lot of the riders got their first taste of the circuit, the bike and their competition ahead of the first race weekend of the year. With a host of new recruits and some eager veterans ready for their next campaign, Japan and Indonesia lead the way on representation this season with eight and seven riders respectively – joined by competitors from the Philippines, Australia, Turkey, Malaysia and the host nation for the first action of the year, Thailand.