Alex Marquez tops Sepang test as MotoGP pre-season concludes

Gresini Ducati rider sets fastest time of 2026 winter testing as field completes preparations ahead of Thailand season opener

Alex Marquez has capped off the three-day Sepang MotoGP test with the fastest lap time of the entire pre-season, posting a 1:56.402s aboard his Gresini Ducati GP26 on Thursday morning.

The 2025 Malaysian Grand Prix winner’s benchmark came just 0.065s shy of Francesco Bagnaia’s official lap record at the circuit, set during last year’s race weekend.

Alex Marquez’s effort came early in the opening session, and despite late time attacks from several riders in the afternoon, his morning flyer remained unbeaten. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) came closest with a 1:56.526s, while Fabio di Giannantonio completed a Ducati GP26 lockout of the top three.

Marc Marquez endured a crash at Turn 1 during the second hour but recovered to finish fourth overall, with world champion Bagnaia rounding out the top five.

Honda emerged as a surprise package at Sepang, with Joan Mir’s 1:56.874s from Wednesday remaining the second-fastest time of the test. The Spaniard also topped the Sprint race simulation times on the final day.

“If tomorrow was a race, we can be there in the top five,” said Mir, who completed more than a Sprint race distance and expressed satisfaction with Honda’s winter progress.

Teammate Luca Marini finished 13th in the combined standings but remained optimistic about the RC213V’s development direction heading to Thailand.

Monster Energy Yamaha returned to action on Thursday following a technical issue that sidelined the team on Wednesday. Alex Rins completed 36 laps across both sessions, finishing 12th on the day, while test rider Augusto Fernandez substituted for the injured Fabio Quartararo.

The Pramac Yamaha squad also logged valuable track time, with Jack Miller and WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu continuing their steep learning curve with the YZR-M1.

Red Bull KTM used the three days to evaluate aerodynamic options and chassis configurations, with Pedro Acosta leading the Austrian manufacturer’s charge in eighth overall. The young Spaniard focused on chassis comparisons rather than outright lap times.

“I wanted a clear image in my head of what pieces we need now for Thailand,” said Acosta, who posted the fourth-fastest Sprint simulation average.

Enea Bastianini expressed growing comfort on the RC16 in his first test with Tech3, while Brad Binder and Maverick Vinales worked through setup options across the three days.

The afternoon’s race simulations revealed competitive order, with Alex Marquez again leading the way with an average lap time of 1:58.028s over Sprint distance. Factory Ducati duo Bagnaia and Marc Marquez followed closely, averaging 1:58.166s and 1:58.289s respectively.

Less than two seconds separated the top 18 riders on the final day’s timesheet, highlighting the field’s competitive nature heading into the season.

The MotoGP paddock now heads to Kuala Lumpur for the 2026 season launch event before reconvening at Buriram for the final pre-season test on February 21-22, one week before the Thai Grand Prix season opener.

Combined Test Times (Days 1-3)

1. Alex Marquez – 1:56.402s
2. Marco Bezzecchi – 1:56.526s
3. Fabio di Giannantonio – 1:56.785s
4. Marc Marquez – 1:56.789s
5. Joan Mir – 1:56.874s
6. Francesco Bagnaia – 1:56.929s
7. Franco Morbidelli – 1:56.983s
8. Pedro Acosta – 1:57.116s
9. Maverick Vinales – 1:57.126s
10. Raul Fernandez – 1:57.245s

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Spencer Leech

Spencer has a keen eye for hard news, and does some of his best living on deadline day. He loves more than anything to travel on his Aprilia Tuareg 660, and is adamant that Melbourne Bitter is a world-class lager. He also knows how to operate the big computery thing in the office. By night, Spencer plays guitar with Melbourne punk outfit LOUTS.

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