Less than forty-eight hours after the final race of the 2025 MotoGP season, the bikes were back out in Valencia. Despite the lack of action, the one-day test at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo marked a new era for the 2026 MotoGP season. Only two riders saw the track, and the session was red-flagged due to wet track conditions. We’ve got the breakdown of the morning’s events below.
Pit Lane Open As Weather Impacts Testing
Overnight, Valencia experienced a downpour of rain and thunderstorms. As a result, the tarmac was incredibly damp, and not a single rider was rushing to put on their suits. Green lights came on to open the session, but no riders came out. Even as the sun blazed down at the start of the morning, the air around the circuit was incredibly chilly.
Forty-five minutes into the three-hour session, we heard the first roars of a MotoGP engine. However, no one was venturing out just yet to brave the damp lines on the track. Jack Miller was the first to brave the conditions after over an hour into the session.
A decision was then made to cancel the Practice Start session, effectively combining the morning and afternoon sessions to make the most of the Valencia Test day. Coming into the third hour, we had the second rider venture out onto the circuit. Maverick Viñales slowly rode around on the Red Bull KTM Tech 3, also returning to the pit lane before completing a full lap. The #12 went back out again a short time later, with other riders such as Marco Bezzecchi watching on with interest. However, the session was red-flagged so marshals could come out to sweep and blow dry the track.
New Faces in the Pit Boxes
While there were the usual suspects on the MotoGP grid, there were two rookies and a replacement rider among them. For the first time in public, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu took to the track on his Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP bike, sporting the #7 on the front. Due to contractual obligations, Razgatlıoğlu was unable to speak to the media in any public capacity.
The Turkish rider handed out what looked to be baklava to the team in the pit box while waiting for the track to dry.
Fresh off his Moto2 World Championship crowning on Sunday, Diogo Moreira was in the Honda gear and ready to get his first taste on his #11 Honda LCR machine.
Moreira becomes the first Brazilian in the MotoGP class since Alex Barros retired in 2007.
Celestino Vietti was brought up from the Moto2 to replace Franco Morbidelli, who sustained a left-hand fracture after his bizarre incident with Aleix Espagaró on the starting grid on Sunday.
Fresh Bikes Inside and Out
To celebrate their centenary year in MotoGP, the Ducati Lenovo Team sported two liveries for Francesco Bagnaia and Nicoló Bulega.
All four Yamaha bikes were fitted with the V4-powered engines. The hope is that this would finally raise the bar after this year’s machine had been so limited in power and grip. It was the first bike out on the track, with Miller taking a cautious ride after overnight rain washed away the weekend’s rubber. He made fourteen corners on an outlap before coming back to the pit box.
Unfortunately, no teams were able to get through their targeted programs. Without lap times or track action gathering data, there was no chance for us to see the full capacity of what the constructors have been working on.
Concession Upgrades for Honda
Thanks to the late-season performances of Honda HRC riders Luca Marini and Joan Mir, the constructor has moved up from Concession D to Concession C. This new rank means that the Honda factory team will lose advantages such as private testing with race and test riders, in-season engine modifications, and fewer upgrades to aero fittings. That made this 2026 MotoGP test all the more crucial for the team.
This wrapped up what was an unfortunately uneventful first half of the 2026 MotoGP Valencia Test. Stay tuned for the afternoon coverage.