The final day of the 2026 MotoGP shakedown test is underway. Factory test riders and fresh talent from every manufacturer, including Diogo Moreira and Toprak Razgatlioglu, have been active since the first day. Aleix Espargaro has been setting the pace for Honda throughout the sessions.
On the second day, Yamaha’s race riders—Fabio Quartararo, Alex Rins, and Jack Miller—were in action. Miller topped the timesheets on his new Yamaha V4 with a lap of 1:57.908, just 0.025 seconds ahead of KTM’s test rider, Pol Espargaro. Notably, Miller’s lap was faster than the inline M1’s qualifying time at last October’s Malaysian GP. All tests run daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The official Sepang test, involving all teams and riders except the injured Jorge Martin (Aprilia) and Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati), is scheduled for February 3rd to 5th. While shakedown doesn’t provide full Grand Prix or official testing data, limited live timing is available and I’ll update lap times and insights as possible.
At 2 p.m., as many teams took a break from the heat, Aleix Espargaro led the leaderboard with a 1:57.173 on his Honda RC213V, followed by KTM test rider Pol Espargaro (+0.126s), and Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo (+0.546s). Jack Miller, Alex Rins, Diogo Moreira, and Toprak Razgatlioglu followed behind, with Moreira currently outpacing Razgatlioglu among the rookies. KTM’s Mika Kallio showed remarkable improvement, dropping from 2:04.376 on prior days to 1:59.807, suggesting he has shifted from last year’s “850cc” spec bike to a full 1000cc machine.
As of 1 p.m., the standings mirrored the later times, with Aleix Espargaro leading, followed by Pol Espargaro and Fabio Quartararo on Yamaha’s new V4. Rookie Diogo Moreira notably shaved 1.6 seconds off his previous best with a 1:58.3. Midday brought further improvements, with Pol Espargaro posting a 1:57.3—0.6 seconds quicker than Jack Miller’s best from day two. Aleix Espargaro was close behind, and Quartararo matched Miller’s Friday pace, placing third. Alex Rins also improved, while Moreira continued his impressive progress.
Looking back at day two’s final results, Jack Miller led with a time of 1:57.908, closely followed by Pol Espargaro at 1:57.933 and Aleix Espargaro at 1:58.066. Other notable performances included Fabio Quartararo, Alex Rins, and KTM’s Dani Pedrosa. The official Sepang records still stand with Francesco Bagnaia’s best lap at 1:56.337 (2024) and Alex Marquez’s fastest race lap at 1:58.873 (2023).
Overall, testing so far indicates strong competition and promising developments from all manufacturers, particularly Yamaha’s transition to the new V4 engine and KTM’s upgrade to the full 1000cc package.
Fan Take: This shakedown test gives fans their first real glimpse of how the teams are shaping up for 2026, highlighting early pace battles and rookie breakthroughs. These developments set the stage for what promises to be an electrifying season with new technology and fierce rivalries keeping MotoGP at the pinnacle of motorcycle racing excitement.
