2026 Sepang MotoGP Test Results (Day One)
There was no shortage of drama as MotoGP screamed back into action on Tuesday with the official Sepang test kicking off. Marc Marquez topped the timesheets as he enjoyed a first outing on a MotoGP machine in 121 days, while Fabio Quartararo broke a finger, ruling him out of the remainder of the week.
With the track rubbered in after the three-day Shakedown test last week, times were immediately quick. Marquez got within 0.7s of the all-time lap record in the late afternoon but tried to play down his speed soon after. He hadn’t felt great on the bike, he said, and only went fastest due to pushing at the end of the day when others were saving soft tires for days two and three.
There was no such luxury for Quartararo, who crashed at well over 100mph just eight laps in. The Frenchman tucked the front at Turn 5, and suffered heavy grazing to his left arm as well as breaking the middle finger on his right hand. Despite going back out to set the ninth quickest time, he withdrew from the test. “Tough start,” he conceded.
It was a solid day for Ducati, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (second), Alex Marquez (fourth) and Pecco Bagnaia (eighth) all showing well. What’s more, they praised the changes to the GP26, with electronics and aerodynamics the focus of the day. Bagnaia, in particular, appeared relieved. “From the start of the day I enjoyed riding,” he said.
Elsewhere, Maverick Viñales’ return from injury was eye-catching as he ended the day third. Aprilia’s improvements were roundly praised with Marco Bezzecchi fifth. And Honda has kicked on from 2025 with Luca Marini and Joan Mir sixth and seventh.
But times were difficult to read. Most riders spent the day on Michelin’s medium rear tire, preferring to save their softs. Wednesday should provide a more reliable picture of where each manufacturer sits.
2026 Sepang MotoGP Test Results (Day One)
| 1 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Ducati | 1:57.018s |
| 2 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Ducati | +0.256s |
| 3 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | KTM | +0.277s |
| 4 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Aprilia | +0.506s |
| 5 | Luca Marini | ITA | Honda | +0.551s |
| 6 | Joan Mir | SPA | Honda HRC | +0.675s |
| 7 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati | +0.702s |
| 8 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster | +0.851s |
| 9 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Ducati | +1.050s |
| 10 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Honda | +1.122s |
Click here for all the latest MotoGP news.
2026 MotoGP Sepang Shakedown Results
(January 29–31, 2026)
MotoGP Test Riders Hit Sepang
There was reason to cheer in the Espargaro household as Aleix Espargaro (Honda) topped the three-day Shakedown test at Sepang with brother Pol (KTM) second fastest as each of the five factories prepared for the official test, which starts this week.
The elder Espargaro brother wasn’t just a full six-tenths quicker than the best time from last year’s Shakedown with a 1: 57.173; he later claimed that the early version of Honda’s 2026 RC213V is “the best bike I’ve ever ridden,” suggesting HRC engineers didn’t slow down over the winter months.
While Pol made no such comments afterward, a source close to KTM’s test rider claimed the engineers of the Austrian factory were optimistic after his 1:57.299 time.
The three-day outing in Malaysia was attended by the test riders from the five factories, Toprak Razgatlioglu and Diogo Moreira (MotoGP’s two rookies in 2026), plus Yamaha’s full-time riders, who were present thanks to the concessions the Iwata factory currently enjoys.
All eyes were fixed on Yamaha’s garages as its riders pressed ahead with testing for its new V4 YZR-M1. Quartararo was third fastest despite technical issues slowing him on the final day. “We need a lot of time to be able to understand the bike, especially for the engineers,” said the Frenchman.
Jack Miller, fifth on the final day, appeared more upbeat. “The big changes we needed from Valencia have been done. So now the steps just get smaller and smaller—more refined.”
On whether the V4 had found speed compared to 2025, he added, “It’s not a rocket ship by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s not as bad as it was.”
After suffering from engine issues on the first two days, Moreira was the fastest rookie, with his personal best of 1:58.338 just 1.1 seconds off Espargaro’s flyer.
Click here for all the latest MotoGP news.
