Maverick Vi\u00f1ales expressed optimism after managing to post a competitive time attack lap in challenging low-grip conditions on the first day of the Sepang MotoGP test, signaling promising progress for the new KTM bike. This year\u2019s Sepang test was notably more successful for KTM compared to last year, as the manufacturer took a more active approach in implementing upgrades.<\/p>\n
Over the course of three days, the KTM RC16 demonstrated solid pace, although the team did not complete a full time attack during the final session due to various circumstances. Rookie Pedro Acosta finished as the top KTM rider in 8th place, while Vi\u00f1ales ended the last day in 14th. Despite this, Vi\u00f1ales started strong with a 4th place on the opening day, giving him confidence that the new KTM package has real potential, even when track grip was limited.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bike felt very good right from the start, offering excellent feedback,\u201d Vi\u00f1ales remarked. \u201cThe key for me was being able to set a good lap time at the end of the first day\u2014even though grip is usually poor then. Having a bike that performs well with limited grip means you can stay competitive. We plan to keep this bike and work on improvements in Thailand.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vi\u00f1ales admitted he was less satisfied with the setup direction on the final day and indicated he would return to the Tuesday setup as the basis for further development in Thailand. \u201cThe third day was positive in terms of testing what worked and what didn\u2019t. I experimented with different setups, especially for the time attack, but the first day\u2019s setup remains the best foundation for me,\u201d he commented. \u201cThough today\u2019s lap times weren\u2019t great, we made proactive decisions about the development path. I focused on refining my riding technique and style, and I believe I\u2019ve already found a solid base.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next test is scheduled for Buriram on February 21-22, just ahead of the opening race of the 2026 season the following weekend.<\/p>\n
Fan Take:<\/strong> Maverick Vi\u00f1ales expressed optimism after managing to post a competitive time attack lap in challenging low-grip conditions on the first day of the Sepang MotoGP test, signaling promising progress for the new KTM bike. This year\u2019s Sepang test was notably more successful for KTM compared to last year, as the manufacturer took a more active […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41834,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[2478,4115,850,5175,19,18,694,2185,21,4216,442,2461],"class_list":{"0":"post-41833","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-racing","8":"tag-bike","9":"tag-boost","10":"tag-confidence","11":"tag-features","12":"tag-formula","13":"tag-formula-racing","14":"tag-ktm","15":"tag-maverick","16":"tag-motogp","17":"tag-promising","18":"tag-reveals","19":"tag-vinales"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41833","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41833"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41833\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41833"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41833"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThis update is exciting for racing enthusiasts because it suggests KTM is making significant strides forward, which could shake up the competitive landscape. If Vi\u00f1ales and KTM can build on this promising start, we may see more intense battles at the front, bringing fresh excitement to the MotoGP grid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"