It had been 77 days since the Valencia Test, and only a handful of days since the Shakedown Test. But the Sepang MotoGP Test was the first full three-day test (two sessions per day) where teams and riders could experiment. However, just because there was no racing does not mean that it was drama-free. If you weren’t able to check out the times as they flew in at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit, don’t worry! We were following along and keeping tabs for you. Read on for our comprehensive report.
Marc Márquez Tops the Times on First Day
While most riders were present in Sepang, not all were able to ride. Fermín Aldeguer was absent due to injury, and Jorge Martín was still recovering from surgeries undergone during the break. However, the 2024 MotoGP World Champion was watching from the sidelines, or, more like, the barriers.
As the morning session began, riders were quick to test various features on the bikes. The main focus was on fairings. Interestingly, the usual rear wing fairings normally featured on a MotoGP bike were missing from Toprak Razgatlıoğlu’s machine. The reason is purely that he is now the tallest on the grid. Given the setup of his bike and his tall stature, adding the wings would exceed the allowed height parameters, particularly with the ride-height device.
It was looking good for riders on the Yamaha V4 until both Fabio Quartararo and Jack Miller crashed at separate intervals. Miller was okay, but the #20 needed to be checked over at the medical centre. Quartararo returned later but had to stop trackside due to a technical issue. They weren’t the only riders who came off their bikes. Diogo Moreira had his first crash on a MotoGP motorcycle, coming down at Turn 5.
Álex Márquez was the first to top the timesheets with a lap of 1:57.487 as the morning session came to a close. The afternoon session was much quieter, beginning with practice starts. Afterwards, there was no action for nearly half the session. Francesco Bagnaia was the first to return, quickly setting a time in the 1:57s. Raúl Fernández made his way out along with Marco Bezzecchi and Luca Marini. But the order on the timeboard really started to shake up as both Marc Márquez and his brother came out of the pit lane. But it wasn’t until the clock got closer to 6 pm that the 2025 MotoGP World Champion set the fastest flying lap of the day with a 1:57.018.
Yamaha A No-Show on Test Day 2
The second day of the Sepang MotoGP Test started with scorching heat, with bikes already warmed up prior to the green light. It also started with a disaster for all in the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP and Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP camps. Quartararo withdrew from the testing due to a fractured finger. Also, the Yamaha V4 machines experienced an unidentified technical issue. This meant that Miller, Álex Rins, Razgatlıoğlu, Augusto Fernández, and Andrea Dovizioso were all sidelined for the second day of testing.
The riders from both Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3 were the first out in the morning session. Based on the performances of Maverick Viñales and Pedro Acosta the previous day, it was no surprise that they were in the mix of fast performers the next day. However, the first 1:56s lap time did not come from a KTM machine. That honour went to Joan Mir for Honda HRC Castrol within the first hour of the morning session. Franco Morbidelli rose to the challenge for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. While the 1:56.983 time attack from the Italian was still a tenth off Mir’s time, it was still an impressive feat for the second day.
Someone who did not have a good start to his second day of testing was Á.Márquez. The #73 seemed to be edging closer to the frontrunners, but crashed ten minutes before the morning session ended. Because of that incident and the downpour of rain that came down in the final hour or so of the afternoon session, there was little opportunity for him to come back up the timeboard.
Last Dash With Sprint Simulations on Day 3
On the final day of testing, the Yamaha bikes were given the all-clear to participate after the technical issue was resolved. However, it was clear that the riders were told to be overly cautious and did not put in times to raise eyebrows. Their overall performance was also due to the fact that the rev-limiters on the V4 engines had been reduced. This was all but confirmed by the riders’ inability to reach high top speeds on the straights. This left them behind the curve of everyone else.
Simulations were the goal for the last day. Riders put in times similar to those they would do during Tissot Sprint races and qualifying sessions. There were two crashes in the session: Morbidelli and M.Márquez. Of course, the latter was a little more concerning, since it was the first time the reigning champion had crashed post-surgery. However, the medical team cleared both riders. M.Márquez even came back out to do a personal best lap of 1:56.789.
While Yamaha forwent the practice starts to preserve the V4 engines, everyone else was ready to go. It was a constant battle and swap between Ducati, KTM, Honda, and Aprilia for the rest of the final session. In the final hour, sectors lit up red and orange for Fabio Di Giannantonio and Ai Ogura. But it was Á.Márquez and Bezzecchi who came out of nowhere to top the timesheets. With ten minutes remaining, only a handful of riders stayed out to improve their times. The gamble paid off for Enea Bastianini. The #23 jumped into fifth with a lap of 1:57.440 just as the session and the testing came to a close.
Final Combined Times
There were a lot of the usual suspects, with Ducati riders performing well overall. But the times delivered from the Aprilia, Honda, and KTM constructors certainly could lead to exciting racing should the momentum continue. The real question is: can Yamaha finally make the V4 engine competitive?
Looking Ahead to Buriam
The final test will take place the weekend before the first race in Thailand. Quartararo is expected to attend after recovering from his fractured finger. Martín is also confident he will participate alongside his teammate, Bezzecchi. No word as of yet on whether Aldeguer will take part. There was a lot of experimentation with fairings, including the ‘leg wings’, rumoured to be banned this season. But perhaps not, since Aprilia, Honda, and KTM bikes were seen sporting the addition. What we will see in Buriam is anyone’s guess, but we’ll be watching with anticipation to see those times roll in.