Following last week’s initial testing dominated by Aleix Espargaro and Honda, the official 2026 MotoGP season kicked off in Sepang on Tuesday morning. All teams and riders are invited to participate in this three-day test, marking the first time world champion Marc Marquez will ride a factory Ducati since his shoulder injury at Mandalika on October 5.
However, Aprilia’s Jorge Martín will miss the 2025 season due to a re-operation following an injury, and Gresini’s race winner Fermin Aldeguer will also be absent after suffering a broken femur during training last month. The test sessions run daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., split into two parts: the first from 10:00 to 13:00, followed by practice, and the second from 13:20 to 18:00, again followed by practice.
The second and final pre-season test is scheduled for February 21-22 in Buriram, just one week before the season opener in Thailand.
The early testing action saw Alex Rins top the timesheets on the new Yamaha V4, closely followed by rookie Diogo Moreira, Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi, and World Superbike Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu. While Rins’ teammate Fabio Quartararo crashed late in the session, Marc Marquez impressed by leading the Ducatis in fourth place.
Here are the Day 1 results from the Sepang MotoGP test (starting at 11 a.m.):
- Alex Rins (Monster Yamaha YZR-M1) – 1:58.576 seconds, top speed 334.3 km/h
- Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR RC213V) – +0.253 seconds, 340.6 km/h
- Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia RS-GP) – +0.319 seconds, 341.7 km/h
- Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo GP26) – +1.007 seconds, 335.4 km/h
- Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina VR46 Ducati GP26) – +1.011 seconds, 336.4 km/h
…and others following.
For context, the official Sepang records include a best lap by Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo) of 1:56.337 in 2024, and the fastest race lap by Alex Marquez on a Gresini Ducati clocking 1:58.873 in 2023. Last year’s Sepang shakedown fastest time was set by Aleix Espargaro on a Honda at 1:57.173.
Additionally, fastest race laps and qualifying times from the 2025 Malaysian GP across manufacturers show competitive benchmarks, with Ducati, Yamaha, Honda, KTM, Aprilia, and Yamaha V4 machines all delivering strong performances. Top speeds during the race and qualifying sessions reflected the diversity in bike performance, signaling that the 2026 season will be thrilling to watch.
Fan Take: This early-stage testing is crucial for fans as it offers a glimpse of new machinery and rider form ahead of the season, highlighting key battles and rider recoveries like Marquez’s return on Ducati. It sets the tone for rivalries and technological developments, promising an exciting and unpredictable 2026 MotoGP campaign.
