Alex Marquez emerged as the fastest rider during the concluding day of the MotoGP pre-season test at Sepang, wrapping up the three-day event at the summit of the combined time sheets. He recorded a best lap time of 1:56.402 on Thursday morning, a mark that remained unbeaten throughout the rest of the day. His performance highlights key developments ahead of the upcoming season, cementing Marquez’s place as a leading contender in the Sepang MotoGP test results.
Close Competition with Bezzecchi and Ducati’s Strong Showing
Marco Bezzecchi, newly signed by Aprilia, finished second, clocking a 1:56.526 late on the final day—just 0.124 seconds behind Marquez. Fabio Di Giannantonio secured third place, followed closely by Marc Marquez, the reigning MotoGP champion. These results demonstrated Ducati’s dominance, as three GP26 Ducati riders ranked within the top four times. Despite a minor crash at turn one, Alex Marquez quickly resumed testing, focusing heavily on improving Ducati’s aerodynamic setups. Reports from the track revealed that he tested four different aerodynamic packages, although the latest 2026 spec did not return to the track during the final day. Instead, the factory riders used 2024 and 2025 specifications as Ducati sought to resolve aerodynamic issues experienced last season before homologating their choice for the new campaign.
Factory and Satellite Riders’ Performance Highlights
Pecco Bagnaia placed fifth riding the second factory Ducati, while Franco Morbidelli followed in sixth aboard a Desmosedici GP25. Raul Fernandez, competing for Trackhouse Aprilia, secured the sixth spot, ahead of Pedro Acosta, Joan Mir, and Enea Bastianini. Joan Mir’s strong showing on the second day, when he topped a rain-affected session, marked the first time since 2022 that a Honda rider led a test day. Ai Ogura ranked 11th, followed closely by Alex Rins, Yamaha’s fastest rider. Yamaha returned to the track on the final day after withdrawing on day two due to a substantial electrical problem. Although the issue was fixed overnight, Yamaha reportedly ran its new V4 engine with reduced revs during testing to ensure reliability.
Other Notable Riders and Rookie Performances
KTM’s Brad Binder and Maverick Vinales posted 13th and 14th positions respectively, with Johann Zarco, Luca Marini, and Jack Miller rounding out the mid-pack. Toprak Razgatlioglu led the rookies in 18th position, narrowly ahead of fellow newcomer Diogo Moreira by only 0.150 seconds. Razgatlioglu’s best effort was clocked at 1:58.326. Lorenzo Savadori and Augusto Fernandez, both test riders, were the last classified participants. Meanwhile, 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo remained sidelined after breaking his finger during a crash at turn five on the opening day of testing.
Upcoming Tests and Season Preparations
The MotoGP paddock will reconvene for a two-day test at Buriram on February 21-22, followed by the season-opening race at the same Thai circuit from February 27 to March 1. Meanwhile, Moto3 teams will conduct testing at Portimao on February 9-10, immediately followed by Moto2 sessions at the same venue from February 11-12. Both classes will then move to Jerez for two-day tests—Moto3 from February 14-15 and Moto2 on February 16-17—continuing their preparations for a highly competitive season.
