With the 2026 MotoGP Winter Take a look at kicking off at Sepang Worldwide Circuit (SIC) this week, there may be drama aplenty on day one. Not stunning is incumbent MotoGP champion Marc Marquez posting a 1’57.018, which is fairly good contemplating the final time the Spaniard rode SIC was on the 2025 Winter Take a look at.
Dangerous luck although for Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo, crashing out at Flip 5. Though initially given the all clear by the observe medics, Quartararo complained of continued ache in his arm and hand, reporting a damaged finger and selecting to fly house and recuperate.
Second quickest testing time for the 2026 Winter Take a look at went to Fabio Di Giannantonio of Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Workforce, adopted by Maverick Vinales of Purple Bull KTM Tech 3. In the meantime, Ducati Lenovo Workforce’s Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia managed eighth quickest in day one testing, 0.702 seconds behind Marc Marquez.
Pecco, nevertheless, stays undaunted and the two-time MotoGP world champion mentioned a full race simulation will likely be run on day two (at this time) of Winter Take a look at. Ducati remained dominant within the day’s testing, with Franco “Frankie” Morbidelli of Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Workforce ending within the high ten.
Within the Yamaha camp, except for Quartararo’s withdrawal from this yr’s take a look at, Jack Miller, Alex Rins and Toprak Razgatlioglu will shoulder the problem of creating the brand new Yamaha YZR-M1 V-four aggressive. Razgatlioglu, nonetheless coming to phrases with the YZR-M1, experimented with completely different seats and located a breakthrough with braking late on rear aero.
Aprilia’s Marco Bezzechi posted a robust day one time, ending fifth only a half-second behind Marc Marquez. Bezzechi’s Aprilia RS-GP was seen on observe operating a number of new parts, together with a brand new tail unit and bigger seat wings, and a brand new swingarm.
KTM Purple Bull was additionally seen making large adjustments to the RC16’s setup, with a brand new chassis, new swingarm and aero at Sepang. Maverick Vinales was effusive in his reward for the KTM Purple Bull bike in the course of the press debrief, saying there are lastly key adjustments on the bike to check.
