The more things change, the more they stay the same. That much was true of MotoGP preseason testing in Malaysia as the final year of the current 1000cc machines officially got underway. And the manufacturer that’s been lauded over the past half-decade of the series showed no signs of slowing.
Photography by Gold & Goose, MotoGP
Much like the tail end of 2025, optimism abounded around the walls of the Aprilia, KTM and Honda garages. All three could reflect on a positive three days in Malaysia when they not only set their fastest ever times of the 3.8-mile Sepang circuit but also lauded the general step forward in all areas of bike performance.
Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi finished a strong second, while there was enough in Joan Mir’s (fifth) and Pedro Acosta’s (eighth) respective tests to envision both Honda and KTM being closer to the front this year.
The only thing was, Ducati appears to have taken just as big a step forward—if not more, as Gresini Ducati’s Alex Marquez posted the fastest time of the test. His lap of 1:56.402 was less than a tenth off the outright lap record. Fabio Di Giannantonio (third), Marc Marquez (fourth), Pecco Bagnaia (fifth) and Franco Morbidelli (sixth) all occupied the top six, with Di Giannantonio stating “90 percent” of their preseason work is now complete.
The reason for Italian optimism didn’t end there; Thursday saw the first batch of Sprint race simulations of the official test in Malaysia, with Ducati’s front-runners enjoying the upper hand. Alex Marquez was the fastest of the lot, his average time over 10 laps coming in at 1:58.027 (Bagnaia’s was 1:58.166, Marc Marquez’s a 1:58.289). Pedro Acosta—the first non-Ducati—was more than six-tenths of a second slower per lap.
One glaring omission from the general optimism was Yamaha. The Iwata factory had a nightmare week in which its star rider, Fabio Quartararo, withdrew from the test after breaking the middle finger of his right hand on a fast, day-one fall.
It then forbade all of its riders from competing on day two due to serious concerns over the reliability of its engines. And while its three remaining riders returned on the final day, the times did little to inspire confidence. Jack Miller was being generous when describing the week’s events as a “hiccup.”
Ducati | 2026 MotoGP Preseason Test
Not content with winning 17 of 2025’s 22 races (and 19 Sprints), Ducati Corse General Manager Gigi Dall’Igna was keen to re-establish the domination it lost in Marc Marquez’s absence last fall. “Probably next year is time to risk again,” he said in November.
That much was clear here. Ducati engineers had worked on a new ride-height-device system, now much bigger positioned at the front of the bike than last year. There were minor updates to the engine, chassis and swingarm. Even if most work centered around assessing different aerodynamics options, including massive front winglets, it appeared the factory men were favoring last year’s aero by the close of the three days.
There were positives to be found in Marc Marquez’s recovery from a serious injury to his right shoulder blade.
“I noticed, especially on [Thursday] afternoon, my position on the bike was not the best one, but this will help me for the Thai GP,” Marquez said.
The GP26 can boast of better top speed than last year, with four bikes topping the top speed charts on Thursday afternoon.
Plus, the fortunes of Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio—regular strugglers on the GP25—were drastically improved.
“From the first lap on day one, I felt better,” said a quietly confident Bagnaia. “The biggest issue [last year] was to find consistency in feeling from the front. And here, with all the ‘tries’ we’ve made, the front was feeling good.”
Aprilia | 2026 MotoGP Preseason Test
The Noale factory was celebrating even before the test got underway. Marco Bezzecchi’s two-year renewal for 2027 and ’28 was celebrated in a wedding mock-up in which the Italian married his RS-GP.
The joy sadly didn’t extend to the Italian’s media dealings when he was at his impertinent best, keen to give little away. Yet that was a contrast to his speed on track. This year’s bike features heavily modified aero, with a halo-like shape on the tail unit. Electronics have also been revised. And Bezzecchi was the only non-Ducati in the top four. Even if his Sprint simulation was, on average, nine-tenths of a second slower than Alex Marquez per lap, there was some sandbagging going on. Last year’s triple winner had started on extremely used rubber.
Behind the scenes, management was satisfied. “I’m happy about the fact that the ’26 [bike] is better than the ’25,” said Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola. “Again, it shows that Noale is quite a good company, able to improve the performance every year. Again, someone [else] is leading. But we’ll stay in the slipstream.”
Again, the factory was not impacted by Jorge Martin’s absence as he recovers from surgery on his right wrist and shoulder. The ex-champ was in Malaysia watching on from the sidelines. “[It seems] we’re picking the thing up from where we left it [at the end of ’25]. I feel the bike is working really good,” he said.
Mildly concerning were the struggles of both Trackhouse riders. Raul Fernandez (10th) and Ai Ogura (12th) felt the changes didn’t suit their riding styles.
KTM | 2026 MotoGP Preseason Test
By recent standards, Sepang was a standout success for KTM. Bosses from the Austrian factory couldn’t help but compare its current situation to a year ago, when it was mired in insolvency proceedings and its MotoGP project was on the rocks. The waters appear more settled now.
Acosta was quite happy with his new RC16 on Monday. “I was surprised by how much they were able to develop,” he said. “I think they made a really big step.”
That translated to the track action. While Acosta was a regular crasher here last year, with his test punctuated by mechanical issues, he was pleased to find this year’s RC16 to be less critical on the front end.
“Generally, this KTM feels more natural,” he said. “You don’t have to push to your 100 percent to find a correct lap time. Everything is coming more easily. The first test of last year, I was already crashing like five times in two days. It’s quite nice to have something that makes your life easier.”
Thursday’s Sprint simulation was something of a reality check, leading Acosta to rate the test a “six out of 10.” But they’re surely closer to the front than they were.
Other positives came in the form of Maverick Vinales. Back to full fitness after breaking shoulder tendons last July, the Catalan was third fastest on the first day and ninth overall. He was regularly talking up his new relationship with Jorge Lorenzo, with the ex-champ pushing him to work harder in less favorable conditions.
Honda | 2026 MotoGP Preseason Test
Hopes were high for HRC after test rider Aleix Espargaro topped the timesheets at the Shakedown test the previous week. “This is the best bike I’ve ever ridden,” he later declared.
The following three days didn’t disappoint. Granted, Honda has spun hundreds of laps here since last fall and was extremely competitive in last year’s Malaysian GP. But its new engine was an upgrade, and the RC213V has shed some weight. And the aerodynamics, introduced at the Valencia test and based on Ducati’s winglets, are another step forward.
Those steps saw Mir top the times on Wednesday—a first by a Honda rider at an official test since February 2022—even if rain brought an early end to the day.
“We’re very pleased,” said team manager Alberto Puig. “We made big progress with the machine. It’s not been a revolution. But small points in areas we knew we needed to improve—small things that make the final result quite big.” The Spaniard ended on a bullish note. “The target is to win as soon as possible, clearly.”
But Majorcan Mir was a little downbeat on the final day.
“It’s slightly better in every area,” he said. “If there was a race tomorrow, I’d be in the fight for the top four—but nothing more.” His drop in mood perhaps stemmed from Alex Marquez’s superlative Sprint simulation. “Some of his laps were like qualifying,” he said wistfully.
Another frustration: Honda’s issues with rear grip remain. “[In terms of] grip, still we’re very far. That’s the only thing we should focus on from now.”
Yamaha | 2026 MotoGP Preseason Test
Where to start with Yamaha? The early months of 2026 were always going to be tricky as Yamaha attempts to rush its new V4 YZR-M1 up to speed. Yet not even the most pessimistic could envision their week here.
Quartararo’s injury was bad enough. Plus, the Frenchman was dismissive of the new bike’s performance on day one. “I cannot say I’m confident because we see how much we suffer; we see that our lap times are not very good,” he said.
Worse was yet to come. For the first time in modern history, a top MotoGP team had to sit out a full day after Quartararo and new signing Toprak Razgatlioglu blew their engines on Tuesday. “[We know] what the issue is, yes,” said technical director Max Bartolini the following day when their riders didn’t emerge from their garages in leathers. “What caused it is what we are trying to figure out. Considering the safety of our riders and the other riders, we decided before to come back on track to really understand which was the problem.”
Positives were in short supply when Alex Rins, Miller and Razgatlioglu eventually made it back on track on Thursday. They were consistently the slowest bikes through the speed trap, some seven mph down on their rivals. Chassis and swingarm changes were still considerable between runs.
Plus, Razgatlioglu’s struggles were concerning. The winner of 21 WorldSBK races was 19th overall, 1.9 seconds from the top. “My feeling with the [Michelin] front is good; I’m strong on the brakes,” he said. “But I still can’t understand the rear. It’s so sensitive, and I’m struggling in long corners.”
Motivation was “going down” on the final day when he was unable to lower his time. “In Superbike, I rode aggressive. Here I need to be much smoother.” This was certainly a baptism of fire.CN
2026 MotoGP Preseason Test Results
OVERALL (Top 5)
- Alex Marquez (Duc) 1:56.402
- Marco Bezzecchi (Apr) 1:56.526
- Fabio Di Giannantonio (Duc) 1:56.785
- Marc Marquez (Duc) 1:56.789
- Joan Mir (Hon) 1:56.874
Click here to read the 2026 MotoGP Preseason Test Story in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
Click here for all the latest MotoGP news.
Cycle News News Show Issue 5
Houston SX, Sprint Enduro, NGPC, MotoGP Silly Season, Triumph TF 450-C
