The key takeaways from the Sepang MotoGP test

Last week’s Sepang test offered the first opportunity to analyse the performance of MotoGP teams and understand where they stack up against the competition.

In previous years, the two pre-season tests in MotoGP were separated by a gap of at least two weeks. But on this occasion, the Buriram test is scheduled just four days after the end of the running at Sepang.

Manufacturers had their say in putting the two tests so close together. But after the end of the running in Malaysia, many are already regretting the decision, primarily due to the lack of time to react after the first test. Added to this is the fact that Ducati, Aprilia and KTM – the brands without concessions – will have to seal their engines at the first stop on the calendar, in Thailand in three weeks, and that this freeze will stay in force in 2026, increasing the significance of this choice. 

With the above in mind, major setbacks such as Jorge Martin’s injury, or other less relevant ones such as Ducati’s dilemma over homologating the 2025 engine or keeping the ‘24 unit, take on much greater significance. Even those who have apparently taken a step forward or two, such as Yamaha, could find themselves disoriented and without time to manoeuvre if next week’s test at Buriram does not confirm this improvement.

Aprilia suffers early blow

The first opportunity for the Noale manufacturer to brag about having a world champion lasted barely an hour, as the Spaniard fractured a hand and a foot after flying off his RS-GP in an accident that put Michelin in the spotlight. The injury, which leaves Martin out of action until at least the first practice session at Buriram, led to a public conflict between Aprilia and Michelin, with both sides seemingly holding each other responsible. 

Without Martin on track, Marco Bezzecchi led the way for the Noale-based brand, with Lorenzo Savadori also coming in to help. Bezzecchi completed a total of 190 laps to gather as much data as possible, but that meant he ended up ninth on the timesheets, eight tenths behind the Ducati of pacesetter Alex Marquez.

“Jorge’s fall affected the initial plan, but I’m happy with the work I’ve done, because I didn’t let myself be affected by what the others were doing – putting on soft tyres to lower the time,” he summed up. 

While Bezzecchi reported a good feeling on the bike, it is essential to wait until Thailand to better gauge the magnitude of the step forward taken by Aprilia.

Ducati pursuing the impossible 

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Improving a bike that won 16 of the 20 races held last year (excluding Marc Marquez’s three wins on the GP23) has become an almost impossible challenge even for Gigi Dall’Igna. Two of the three days of testing in Sepang were led by Franco Morbidelli (Thursday) and Alex Marquez (Friday) on the Desmosedici GP24.

In Malaysia, the key for Ducati and the rest of the non-concession brands was to define the specification of the engine that will be incorporated into their new bikes. Motorsport.com understands that the chosen base for Ducati will be the 2024 model. 

“We have tried many things,” Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi told Motorsport.com on Friday. “Some have worked, many others have not, because the [GP24] bike was incredibly competitive – and that is proven by Alex, that is proven by Franco and that is proven by Fermin.”

“We still have to try many things again in Buriram and reconfirm our choice,” said Marquez, without giving further details about which configuration convinced him the most. Francesco Bagnaia, on the other hand, did point out that this year’s Ducati lost a little bit in braking compared to the previous version. “I’m leaving happy, but with many questions that we will try to resolve next week,” said the Italian.

Quartararo brings joy to Yamaha

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Yamaha MotoGP

That Yamaha has taken a step forward is evident, but its full magnitude won’t be calculated until Buriram. The conclusions from Sepang are indicative, but they can also be misleading. We are talking about a track with a lot of grip, where it hardly rained during the three days of testing, and where Yamaha racked up five days of running if we count the shakedown.

Seeing the Frenchman so high up – he finished third, just two tenths off the leader – is the best news for the Iwata-based manufacturer in a very long time. The addition of a satellite team to its roster after a gap of two years also shows its intention of becoming a frontrunner again.

Buriram and its lack of grip will act as the best barometer for Yamaha and determine whether the speed it showed at Sepang was genuine or down to favourable conditions. Though Quartararo managed to go eight tenths quicker than his eighth-place qualifying time in the Malaysian GP in November, his long-run pace was even more remarkable. 

“I am happy, especially with the pace, but we are still a step behind the red bikes. Of course, the gap between us and them is much smaller than last year,” summed up the 2021 world champion, the only Yamaha rider who seems to be in a position to give the Ducatis a hard time. 

“We are starting to reap the rewards of the work we started doing in the middle of last year,” said Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha’s team manager.

KTM living in uncertainty

Red Bull KTM Tech 3 bike

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The Austrian company has accumulated debt of nearly 3 billion euro, but its MotoGP division keeps persuading its staff that everything is going well and the project is still intact. This is no different to how KTM communicated matters internally before the chaos became known. However, the lap times and the ambiguity in the riders’ answers suggest that the same uncertainty that has been hanging over the offices for months has descended to its MotoGP garages. 

Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini have just arrived at Tech3, so the direction had to be set by Pedro Acosta and Brad Binder. Out of the four, only Acosta was able to finish near the front – he ended up sixth, almost seven tenths behind Alex Marquez. The South African finished 13th and his best lap was half a second slower than Acosta’s. 

“We are better than the screens show. If we are not higher up it is because of some mistake of mine,” said Acosta before leaving for Bangkok. “If I speak for myself I would say that I am doing well, both in terms of pace and on a single lap. The priority now has to be to make the bike calmer, since last year that aggressiveness caused several falls.”

Honda sees the light in the distance

Joan Mir, Honda HRC

Photo by: Honda Racing

After many failed attempts and a very erratic trajectory in the last three years, Sepang leaves behind signs suggesting that Honda is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel and it can get itself out of its hole. Let no one think that the slight improvement in the RC213V is due to the arrival of Romano Albesiano as the new technical director, because the bike that went out on track in Malaysia was designed and manufactured last year. 

This does not mean the Japanese manufacturer has started to move in the right direction. The seven-tenth difference between Joan Mir and Alex Marquez probably is lesser than the real gap that still exists between Honda and Ducati.

“As far as I remember, this is the best test I have done,” said Mir. “But we still have too many negative points, such as, for example, the engine and the lack of grip. We have gained a kilometre per hour in top speed, but they are still seven ahead of us.” And that, indeed, is a lot.