Comprehensive Sepang Test reflections – Long runs and late time attacks set scene for 2026

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The final day of the Sepang Official MotoGP Test brought a proper sense of closure to pre-season work in Malaysia, with Thursday’s running revolving around Sprint-length simulations, longer stints on used tyres and late time attacks as teams locked in their direction ahead of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship opener.

After rain interrupted Day 2 and Yamaha elected to sit out a full day to investigate an early test engine issue, the paddock arrived on Thursday with two priorities. Gather the final data needed to make component choices for Buriram and the opening round, and leave Sepang with a workable baseline rather than chasing a flattering headline time.

Ducati: Alex Marquez looks the most “race ready”

Over Sprint Race simulations, Alex Marquez looked the most settled and the most in control at a circuit that has always suited him. His 10-lap Sprint trial stood out for both pace and repeatability, averaging 1m58.027, which was the quickest Sprint simulation reported across the day’s work. The overriding impression was not simply speed, but calm. He looked like a rider with a clear understanding of what he wants from the bike, and the times reflected that.

Alex Marquez

“It’s always good to finish the tests with the fastest time. The feeling is positive, and we also did some good things in the sprint simulation. We tried a lot and worked well, but it’s still just a test. The important thing was to finish these three days in good physical shape, and we managed to do that. Now we’ll have the Buriram tests to try other solutions and fine-tune everything ahead of the start of the Championship.”

Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia were not far behind in their Sprint simulation work, but at Sepang, Alex Marquez appeared to have the edge.

Marc Márquez

“I’m happy to be back on track. This is the most important feeling. We’ve tried a lot of new materials, but the ideas are pretty clear for Thailand. The path seems right, and now I also have to make a step forward physically. It’s been a long day; yesterday it rained, and today the workload was significant. We’re pretty confident in our aerodynamic choices, but we need to analyze the data. The simulation went well: I maintained the pace, and the feeling in the final laps was really good”.

Francesco Bagnaia

“I’m very happy with this test; I had a good feeling. We worked a lot on aerodynamics, and we’ve already made some more or less definitive decisions. We’re testing, and it’s the first one of the season, so the more laps we do, the faster we go. The simulation went well; there’s a lot more grip than in the race, and the tires also dropped less. Last year, I was very competitive in the time attack here, but I struggled in the long run. In a test, it’s much more important to work on consistency for the season. I pushed and rode as I wanted”.

Also having an edge of the Factory pairing this week was VR46 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio, who looked extremely sharp. The 27-year-old used the final day to continue a dense test plan, dealt with a brief interruption from light rain, then returned for a late-time attack to finish third overall across the three days on a 1m56.785. His own feedback suggested his best test yet in MotoGP, and that Ducati’s new items have landed in the direction he wanted. He also noted that choosing between two aero specifications is not straightforward off one track and one condition, so Buriram will be key for confirmation.

Fabio Di Giannantonio

“I am really happy, I think we did a great test, my best so far in MotoGP. We were very consisent and we had with a solid pace, I worked very hard during the winter to make it like this, also physically I feel very good. Overall, the feeling has always been very good, I could improve a lot my best laptime here in Sepang, so it’s a big step and it was a great day. I am very happy both with the bike and with the thing Ducati brought. I tried two aerodynamic specs, making the same laptime with the same amount of laps and with the same tyres on both, so it’s harder to decide now, we will have to test them again in Buriram. We need a lot of time at home to analyze everything. But it was interesting also to understand my needs. We worked on the bike to improve a little bit the front, but the job made at home was enough already. We have a lot of information and data for the engineers, so I think that we will arrive ready for the last test in Thailand, where the goal is to confirm the things we tried here in Sepang.”

Franco Morbidelli ended the test seventh overall after a Turn 14 crash on the final morning briefly interrupted his programme. He returned for a time attack and left Sepang focused on finding more rear grip and refining electronics and set-up detail.

Franco Morbidelli

“We had positive three days of working, we’ve been testing many things and solutions. I’ve been adapting to the new package step by step. I missed a little bit in the time attack, I could have done a bit better, but I made a mistake. Overall, it was a good test. I like the new bike, even if we still need to do some step forward. In the next test in Buriram, we will try to improve the rear grip: we’ve been working on that during this test in Sepang, we improved quite a lot, but we still need some improvements. We will chase that, and we will work more on refinings and details, such as electronics, small things on the setup to arrive prepared to the race in Thailand.”

Ducati’s depth was evident in the final combined order, with five Ducatis in the top seven by the end of the three days, and that strength was not confined to single-lap speed. Their work across the sprint distance and repeatability looked organised and purposeful. Overall, they still appear to be the benchmark for translating power into smooth forward propulsion.

One notable absentee from the Ducati roll call was Fermin Aldeguer, the 20-year-old Spaniard missing the test entirely while recovering from surgery after breaking his left femur in a training accident earlier in the year.

Aprilia: Bezzecchi the standout, and that matters at Sepang

If there was a clear “winner” for Aprilia across the entire Sepang week, it was Marco Bezzecchi.

He finished the test second overall, posted the second-fastest time outright, and backed it up with a long run on used tyres that suggested he is already in a strong position with the RS-GP and ready to hit the ground running in 2026. That long-run quality is the part that should catch attention, because it is harder to fake than a single soft-tyre lap.

It is also worth underlining the circuit context. Sepang has not traditionally been a venue that flatters the Noale machine, so for Aprilia to leave Malaysia with Bezzecchi near the top and showing tyre-life consistency is an extremely positive signal about the base package.

Aprilia’s work again included visible aero experimentation around the seat unit and swingarm evaluation. Even without Jorge Martin, the factory left Sepang buoyed by the direction they found.

Martin, however, remains a major story in the background. He missed the Sepang Test completely through injury, again, leaving Aprilia short one full-time reference rider and putting even more emphasis on Bezzecchi’s feedback and output early in the season.

At Trackhouse, Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura produced decent turns of speed at times. Fernandez, in particular, was far more competitive than during his previous struggles at Sepang testing. But across the three days, neither rider delivered the consistency Bezzecchi showed, especially when the stints lengthened and tyres aged.

KTM: Acosta and Viñales closely matched, Binder still chasing the last piece

KTM leave Sepang with a familiar headline and a slightly more nuanced reality underneath it.

On combined times, Pedro Acosta and Maverick Viñales were separated by just 0.010s, finishing eighth and ninth respectively, which tells you how close the performance level between the two KTM camps was across the three days. Both riders spoke positively about the overall direction, with Viñales suggesting that after exploring multiple routes, the first set-up he tried is still the one he would happily roll out with.

Acosta’s most meaningful work was his longer running. He put in a strong long run on Thursday and described the test as less about a time trial and more about arriving in Thailand with a clear picture of which pieces he wants for the opening round. The lap time, despite that approach, was still competitive. That said, the young Spaniard always wants more and gave the test a six out of ten overall.

Enea Bastianini finished the test close behind, continuing to build comfort with the RC16 and speaking positively about the step-by-step improvement over the three days.

Brad Binder, though, remains the question mark inside KTM’s picture. He acknowledged progress and increased comfort, but he still appears to be missing that little extra he has been seeking. Binder himself suggested he did not complete a full push lap, and his feedback indicated he needed to work on turn-in to translate comfort into the next layer of speed.

Pedro Acosta

“I was making chassis tests on day one, then using the 2025 bike yesterday and then we worked with both today and we didn’t really have the target for a fast lap-time. Even though we were trying a lot of things and not really knowing the bike the lap-time was quite good I’d say. I wanted a clear image in my head of what pieces we need now for Thailand and then completing the package, and I’m quite happy for this. I want to create pure speed now in Thailand because here I wanted to spend more time on track.”

Maverick Viñales

“This has been a positive test for me. On the first day, I was really happy with the bike, and you could see from the strong lap-times that day that I was comfortable. We then build on this, by working through the entire test programme the rest of the days, looking at set-up changes and different items. I feel positive heading into the start of the season with this bike. There are still a lot of areas for us to explore, but we will spend the next week looking at the best plan heading into the Thailand test. Another important thing for me is that I’ve assessed my physical fitness at this event, I’m feeling really good on the bike and now looking ahead to the start of the season.”

Enea Bastianini

“We’ve completed a lot over the last three days and I’m happy with the results. We did a lot of work over the winter on the bike, particularly in the wind tunnel, and you can see the positive changes out on track. I think we’ve improved in every area, and I feel comfortable on the bike. I have spent a lot of time with my new Crew Chief, Andreas Madrid, this week and I feel really confident heading into the 2026 season with him. Of course, this is just the first test, so we want to analyse what we’ve worked on here and then try some more things in Thailand so we can continue to improve.”

Brad Binder

“We have slowly put together all the parts we’ve tried these days and I feel a lot better. I was not able to put in a super-fast lap-time by any means but I felt more comfortable on the bike and the times were coming easier. I’m happy with the work we have done and I think the comfort will turn into more speed at the next test. I think we can use a little more turning, and this will then take us a long way. I have a much better idea of what I have underneath me.”

Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager

“We’ve had some long productive days here at Sepang both with the racing teams and the test riders. The rules for the championship now mean that it is very tough for anybody to make big steps with the technical platform but I am very happy with the steps we did make here. We have changes coming all the time and we could easily see that coming through the second half of 2025, the last few races and then the last couple of months. Our preparation has been busy and there has been a lot of information from the laps here in Malaysia, especially for our aero package. It’s something we need to finalize soon. Chassis-wise we also had many different things. Onto Thailand now and we will measure everything in the races finally!”

Sebastian Risse – KTM Technical Director MotoGP

“We finished a long and intense testing phase here that started with the private Shakedown and moved into the IRTA test. Putting it all together, I think we did a very good job with the teams and the riders to understand everything that we need to understand at this moment of the season. We were able to make all our decisions for the first race and we will have to see on the track where this will place us. I think it is already clear that we made a step forward but in MotoGP the competition is so dynamic and everybody is moving. We’re looking forward to putting our cards on the table in Thailand.”

Nicolas Goyon – Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team Manager

“I’m pleased to say that we are leaving the Sepang test with a positive feeling, with most of our test plan completed and we’re happy. A key thing on Maverick’s side was to check his shoulder condition on a MotoGP bike. We have clearly seen across the three days that he is back to full strength, which is really positive. Alongside this, one of the key objectives for him at this test was to check the 2026 parts. We saw that he was very quick straight away with the standard bike and then step-by-step we implemented each new part for this season. There are some areas that we still need to work on, but overall, we can already see that this package is a bit quicker and he’s ended the test in P9. We know it’s just a test, but to see Maverick back in the top 10 is a real positive for us. For Enea, one of the main targets was to build some confidence with his new Crew Chief, Andreas, and this has very clearly been done. They’ve worked hard over the last three days, completing over 120 laps and working through the entire programme. We’ve made some adjustments to his position on the bike and he’s now feeling really comfortable and in control – which was another key aim for us this week. We are pleased that we can walk away from this week with another item crossed off our list. He finishes the test in P11, which is already big step forward compared to last year. I want to thank the whole team for their hard work across these three intensive days and now we must look forward to the next test in two weeks in Thailand, ahead of the start of the season.”

Honda: Mir the reference, then long-run focus on Thursday

For Honda, the Sepang test was defined by Joan Mir’s Day 2 lap, a 1m56.874 that ultimately left him fifth overall across the three days. That time remains one of the most significant single-lap indicators of the entire Sepang week, not just because it was fast, but because it came as part of an overall pattern of Honda being more competitive in multiple phases of the lap. However, we must consider that Honda already had plenty of laps under their belt during the shakedown before the full test began, so they could hit the ground running this week with many more miles already under their belts.

On Thursday, Mir’s focus shifted away from time attack and toward longer-run pace. He indicated that his pace on a run slightly longer than Sprint distance was “quite good,” while also noting that others made strides too, so Honda cannot relax.

Joan Mir

“Today we were able to do a longer run, a bit more than a Sprint Race distance. Our pace was quite good, but today we saw the other riders make a step as well, so we need to remain focused and keep working. We’ve made a step over last year, but everyone else has been working hard as well. The position is not super important today, we had to adapt our plan and cut out our time attack, so it was not as impressive as yesterday. If tomorrow was a race, we can be there in the top five.”

Luca Marini and Johann Zarco were effectively inseparable in terms of performance and direction, both providing positive feedback on the evolving RC213V package. Honda acknowledged that lower grip conditions after Wednesday’s rain introduced additional issues on the final day, but the tone remained upbeat, with gains also noted on the engine side, which must be homologated for the season.

Luca Marini

“We improved the bike with another step today, a satisfying end to the three days but like always – everyone else has made a step. The situation is similar to the GP last year in terms of the gap, so we have to work well in Thailand in a few weeks. We will have a couple of new things in Thailand as well, so there’s still plenty to do before the first race. It’s just the first test and people are always playing a bit, so we will wait to see what happens at the first race. Looking forward to it. Thanks to the team for their hard work of the winter and this test.”

Johann Zarco

“I finished this Sepang test on a positive note. We had an intense afternoon today; we rode non-stop, and the feeling was good. Overall, I struggled at the beginning of the test, but we managed to solve the issues and finish in a good way. Since yesterday, we’ve been more consistent, and that’s important. We struggled a bit with tyre drop, but it was the same for everyone. The bike has improved, and now we’re just trying to find the right balance. Let’s keep working like this.”

Diogo Moreira continues to look like a rookie who is learning quickly. Over the three days, he logged heavy mileage, spoke positively about his progress and his decision to settle on a base setup, and highlighted braking as an area where he feels encouraged. He looked more comfortable as the test went on, which is exactly what Honda LCR needed to see.

Diogo Moreira

“I’m happy but exhausted, these days have been intense! I’ve understood many things, we’ve done many laps, and the progress has been positive. My feeling on the bike improved day by day, and especially today, I felt good riding it. I believe we’ve found our base setup, and this is great. I still need to do more hours on the bike and improve, but everything will come. We are happy and motivated!”

In the “top rookie” conversation, Yamaha signing Toprak Razgatlioglu pipped Moreira by just over a tenth on combined pace, a tight margin that reflects two very different adaptation stories happening at once.

Yamaha: back on track, but still without Quartararo

Yamaha’s final day was about salvaging value after losing Day 2 entirely.

Following overnight investigations in Japan and Italy into the technical issue encountered early in the test, Yamaha determined it was safe to return to action on Thursday. The V4-powered YZR-M1s went back out, allowing the factory and Pramac squads to complete key evaluation items and leave with at least a coherent plan for Buriram.

Missing, of course, was Yamaha’s lead rider Fabio Quartararo, still sidelined after breaking a finger in his Day 1 crash. His absence mattered, not only because he is Yamaha’s sharpest performance reference, but because this is a brand-new engine architecture and Yamaha needs its most sensitive rider providing feedback as early and as often as possible.

Even so, Yamaha did at least finish the test with mileage and direction.

Alex Rins led the way for Yamaha, setting a 1m57.580 on Thursday morning and ending 14th on the combined classification across the three days. Yamaha described the test as productive in terms of selecting major items (chassis, rear arm, aero) for Buriram, while acknowledging that the lost day meant they did not have time to properly fine-tune set-ups.

Perhaps the most important Yamaha detail on Thursday, though, was Toprak Razgatlioglu’s track time. The rookie logged 36 more laps on the final day, which is significant because his MotoGP adaptation is still at the steep end of the curve. He needs volume. He needs repetition. He needs time to learn how to carry speed, manage Michelin behaviour, and adjust his braking and corner-entry habits from WorldSBK to MotoGP. Razgatlioglu described the learning curve as steep but positive, noting that following Jack Miller helped him understand approaches to corners that remain tricky for him.

Pramac’s overall tone echoed that reality: difficult conditions, hard work, incremental gains, and the acknowledgement that top speed remains a weakness Yamaha is already chasing. One clear positive was Jack Miller’s long-run simulation. The primary negative remains a distinct top-speed disadvantage that is costing riders easy tenths on the straights.

Massimo Meregalli – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director

“It has been a productive test. We have been able to evaluate most of the items that we had scheduled to try here. We chose the main topics for this test, like chassis, rear arm, and aerodynamics, with which we will start the Buriram Test – and this was the priority. Even though we were forced to temporarily halt the test due to a technical issue that occurred on Day 1, we were able to understand the cause and could finish today‘s test thanks to the big effort of the engineers here in Malaysia as well as in Japan and Italy. What we didn‘t have time for was fine-tuning the set-ups, which we will, of course, move to the Buriram Test.”

Alex Rins

“We have been able to test all the items that we had to try here in Sepang during the Shakedown Test and the IRTA Test and made a selection of items we like for Buriram. Unfortunately, because of a technical issue and safety precaution, we couldn’t ride yesterday, losing some time on track. Luckily, today we were able to ride again, and we completed our plans. We will work more on settings in Buriram.”

Gino Borsoi – Prima Pramac Yamaha Team Director

“During the Shakedown, to be honest, things went quite well and we completed all the work we had planned. The three days here were not easy — especially for Toprak — with the conditions and the high temperatures in Malaysia, but they both managed the workload well and we brought home important information. Going into the Official Test, we honestly expected to do a little better. In the two days we were out on the track, we were able to run and continue evaluating the material Yamaha provided. Our goal was not to chase lap time, but to build stability in performance. On the final day we found some improvements and, from a chassis point of view, the bike is quite competitive and works very well. It‘s clear that we are still missing some top speed, but Yamaha is already working on this, so we‘re not concerned.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu

“It‘s still difficult for me and the learning curve is steep, but the feedback we‘re getting is positive and we‘re making progress. I‘m trying to understand where I need to improve and also how much I need to adapt my riding style to this bike. Jack helped me a lot today — I followed him for a few laps to understand how to approach some corners that are still tricky for me. I was hoping to get into the 1‘57s and even though I felt fast, the lap time didn‘t come yet. But I‘m pushing every day to learn and improve, and I‘m already looking forward to continuing this work at the next test in Buriram.”

Jack Miller

“It wasn‘t an easy day, but these things are part of the process. If you expect everything to run smoothly, you‘re being naïve — we‘re pushing the most high-performance machines in the world to their limits. Sometimes you need to pause, reassess what‘s needed and then get back to work. Of course, I would have liked a bit more from this test, but I really believe the bike still has plenty of potential. The last few days were busy, with a lot of parts going on and off the bike, and the key is not just trying things, but properly analysing what works, what doesn‘t and where you can find a compromise for the future.”

What Sepang has told us before Buriram

Sepang rarely hands out final answers, but it does reveal patterns.

Ducati look the most complete across the Sprint distance and repeatability, with Alex Marquez especially “race ready,” while Di Giannantonio has emerged as a genuine spearhead inside the Ducati ecosystem after, like Bagnaia, struggling with the GP25 at times last season.

Aprilia, through Bezzecchi, has produced a performance that should worry rivals, particularly since Sepang has not historically suited the RS-GP.

KTM look close with Acosta and Viñales, and we all know how strong Bastianini can be late in races, but Binder still seems to be searching for that final ingredient.

Honda has a solid reference in Mir and appears to have carried momentum forward, even if the final-day grip conditions complicated matters.

Yamaha got back on track, but the combination of losing a full day, running without Quartararo, and needing to accelerate a rookie’s learning curve means Buriram becomes absolutely critical.

Next stop is the Buriram Test, and then the season starts for real. Sepang has set the tone. The job now is converting that test work into points.

Sepang Test Day Three Times

Final Day Times

Pos	Rider	Bike	FP5	FP6	Gap
1	A. Marquez	Duc	1m56.402	1m57.295	—
2	M. Bezzecchi	Apr	1m57.026	1m56.526	+0.124
3	F. Di Giannantonio	Duc	1m56.785	1m57.093	+0.383
4	M. Marquez	Duc	1m56.789	1m57.602	+0.387
5	F. Bagnaia	Duc	1m56.929	1m57.726	+0.527
6	F. Morbidelli	Duc	1m57.130	1m57.945	+0.728
7	R. Fernandez	Apr	1m57.245	1m57.612	+0.843
8	P. Acosta	KTM	1m57.253	1m57.661	+0.851
9	J. Mir	Hon	1m57.268	1m58.297	+0.866
10	E. Bastianini	KTM	1m57.290	1m57.440	+0.888
11	A. Ogura	Apr	1m57.540	1m57.326	+0.924
12	A. Rins	Yam	1m57.580	1m58.585	+1.178
13	B. Binder	KTM	1m57.858	1m57.590	+1.188
14	M. Viñales	KTM	1m57.599	1m58.361	+1.197
15	J. Zarco	Hon	1m57.601	1m58.377	+1.199
16	L. Marini	Hon	1m59.173	1m57.805	+1.403
17	J. Miller	Yam	1m58.166	1m58.156	+1.754
18	T. Razgatlioglu	Yam	1m59.314	1m58.326	+1.924
19	D. Moreira	Hon	1m58.790	1m58.476	+2.074
20	L. Salvadori	Apr	1m58.902	1m59.898	+2.500
21	A. Fernandez	Yam	1m59.278	—	+2.876