With limited track time in the cool afternoon sun at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Raúl Fernández was the fastest of the 2026 MotoGP Valencia Test. The #25 held onto his best time of 1:29.374 with Marco Bezzecchi and Álex Márquez finishing within a hundredth of a second. Find out how the final session of 2025 wrapped up below.
Prolonged Red-Flagged Conditions Finally Come to an End
Practice starts were scrapped as was the break in between sessions in the Valencia Test. The decision was made unanimously by all teams, in the hope that, once track conditions improved, they could maximise laps. Just before lunch break, the bikes were warmed up and ready as soon as the red flag conditions ceased. The green flags finally waved, and bikes came out onto the track. Marco Bezzecchi and Francesco Bagnaia set the very first lap times of the session, with Nicoló Bulega and Jack Miller following shortly after. However, it was Raúl Fernández who topped the timesheet with a lap time of 1:30.254, followed by Fabio Quartararo and Álex Márquez.
First Look at the Rookies on a MotoGP Bike
After the first wave of riders finally made it out onto the track, it was time for the rookies to show themselves off. Toprak Razgatlıoğlu took his first pit lane out as a MotoGP rider. The #7 is the first Turkish rider to compete in the class and quickly banked in lap after lap.
Both he and fellow rookie Diogo Moreira rounded off the top thirteen to first set down lap times. However, they were quickly pushed down the order.
When LCR Honda Team Manager Lucio Cecchinello was asked about Moreira’s initial reaction after the Brazilian’s first MotoGP laps, the #11 gave a colourful answer. “I **** in my pants, **** the bike is so so powerful, not fast, not a bit fast, really really really fast,” Cecchinello repeated.
Celestino Vietti fulfilled his obligations as a replacement MotoGP Test rider in place of Franco Morbidelli.
Technical Specs Shown Off
With riders getting as much done as they can in the final few hours of the Valencia Test, there were a lot of new upgrades and gear to keep an eye on. A Zebra-print Aprilia ridden by Bezzecchi sported a new aero package, the striped livery also hiding any other upgrades from rivals. The much-anticipated Yamaha V4 engine seemed to be keeping up with the rest of the grid. However, both he and Álex Rins experienced a few electronic gremlins that sent them back to the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP garage.
While they were in the pits, Bezzecchi and Maverick Viñales were able to come up to breach the top three. Bezzecchi was the first rider into the 1:29s, but was beaten shortly after by Raúl Fernández and Pedro Acosta. There were some eerily similar rear and side aero fairings. Perhaps other constructors are looking to replicate Ducati’s success in the 2025 MotoGP season.
Grip Issues and Near Misses
While there was no major incident during the 2026 MotoGP Test, there were a few close calls. Fabio Di Giannantonio was the first victim in a slow off his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team machine. The #49 came to a rolling stop before having to push the bike as far as he could. Joan Mir flirted a little with Turn 4, but managed to remain mounted. Acosta has his own chattering into Turn 13 despite coming up to the top of the timeboard as the track conditions offered more grip.
Bezzecchi almost lost in the rear as he went sliding into Turn 2 but managed to keep upright. He went wide once again into the first corner, forcing him to return to the Aprilia Racing garage. Ai Ogura had a little instability during his time attack. Acosta had a heart-in-the-mouth moment at Turn 7 as he went riding into the gravel trap, managing to save his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine.
In the final hour, Bagnaia came down into the gravel, but looked to be okay and was able to get the Ducati up and running. Quartararo pushed it a little too hard into Turn 3, but lifted a leg to keep himself balanced.
The Ultimate Silly Season to Come in 2026
With not as much data as hoped, that raises many questions for riders and the decisions to come for the 2027 season. Nineteen of the riders on the 2026 MotoGP grid will be out of a contract by the end of next year. Some of them have been fairly outspoken about their expectations for the next season’s campaign. Fermín Aldeguer’s name is being thrown around for a possible promotion from the satellite team, BK8 Gresini Racing, to the factory Ducati Lenovo Team. This decision would hinge on the performance of the #54 compared to Bagnaia.
Speaking of performance, if the V4 engine of the Yamaha does not improve the current lack of pace, there is a likely chance that Quartararo will have no choice but to walk away from the team. Let’s not forget the up-and-coming Moto2 contenders that could cause headaches for anyone who feels their ride is in jeopardy. There’s a lot of fresh and raw talent in that class. All we can do is wait for confirmation when they come, but the prediction is that those announcements will certainly be surprising and dramatic.
The Top Ten
Here are the top ten riders of the 2026 MotoGP Valencia Test:
- Raúl Fernández
- Marco Bezzecchi
- Álex Márquez
- Pedro Acosta
- Fermín Aldeguer
- Maverick Viñales
- Fabio Di Giannantonio
- Nicoló Bulega
- Brad Binder
- Francesco Bagnaia
That’s it for the 2026 MotoGP Test this year. The next time we see any bikes on track will be in the new year, on the last weekend in January, for the Shakedown Test at Sepang. Following that, there will be the primary test at Sepang and another in Buriram in February, before the first race of the season. Look out for more coverage from our team here while we wait over the winter for the 2026 MotoGP season.