Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) ends the Sepang Test fastest with a 1:56.493, edging out Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) by just 0.007 to make it a Ducati 1-2 at the head of the 1:56 club. Joining that club for the first time in their illustrious history is Yamaha as Fabio Quartararo’s lightning fast test continued on Friday and he takes third overall for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP.

It was a day of fast laps in the morning and then some longer runs in the afternoon, with the threat of rain ultimately meaning there weren’t too many late pushes for glory.

Ducati’s engine testing seems set to roll on into Buriram, but their long runs were far from indecisive. Bagnaia, teammate Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Alex Marquez all looked a little worrying for the rest of the field on many laps as well as over one. Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) was fast on one lap again but looked to have more to find in the locker later on his longer runs. Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Racing MotoGP) was the fastest rookie again as he continues to raise a few eyebrows, but today he ended the day in P11.

Yamaha’s 1:56 club impressed many on the grid, and not just those on the Iwata marque’s machines. Quartararo was simply faster than they’ve ever been before, and consistently so on long runs and fast laps. On the timesheets, Quartararo’s teammate Alex Rins was P10 and Prima Pramac Yamaha’s Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira P12 and P17, respectively, but there was much more to the day than just laptimes. Ducati Lenovo Team manager Davide Tardozzi even said Yamaha could be their biggest challenger this season…

At KTM, Pedro Acosta put his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine in P6, a tenth and a half quicker than the Austrian factory have ever been round this venue in Malaysia too. Teammate Brad Binder had a small tech issue in the final hour that halted his Sprint sim but he was P13 by the end of play. Maverick Viñales ends the test in P16 and Red Bull KTM Tech3 teammate Enea Bastianini in P18 as they look to continue adapting in Buriram.

Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) and Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) both went quicker than Honda ever has before at Sepang, no mean feat. Zarco was P7 on Friday and Mir P8 for another double top ten. New technical chief Romano Albesiano also said they’ll be returning to Sepang instead of a planned test in Portugal. Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) was P15 and rookie Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda LCR) continued to make improvements a little further back.

At Aprilia, Marco Bezzecchi went half a second quicker than he ever has at Sepang before – the best change of any rider swapping factory – and ended the day in P9. Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) was P14 at the end of his first official test, looking to unlock a bit more in the time attack in Buriram.

That's it from Sepang for now, but the action continues! Many are already on the way to Bangkok for the season launch as that lights up the Thai capital on Sunday, before we're back out on track at Buriram on Wednesday and Thursday. Are you ready? See you there!1st ALEX MARQUEZ #73
“The bike is really good, and we are very satisfied with these three days of testing, especially this last day. It’s just a test, but we’ve fine-tuned everything, and we head to Thailand with great feelings. Today, we also tried a sprint race and were very fast, so it’s not just about the best lap time. That said, Sepang is a track that suits my riding style well, so now we simply move on to the next test to keep working. It’s a different circuit, but I like it.”

11th FERMIN ALDEGUER #54
“Six days on this circuit, and I feel mentally drained. We wanted to take another step forward today, but we didn’t quite manage it. We shaved off another two-tenths, but the others pushed harder, and I ended up 11th. Anyway, my feeling on the bike is better than my lap times, and every night I’ve gone to sleep convinced I could improve—tonight will be no different. We’ve worked well, but there’s still a lot for me to discover, starting with the electronics. In Thailand, we’ll keep working and aim to be in good shape for the first race of the season.”A truly productive testing session for the Ducati Lenovo Team at Sepang


Solid debut for Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Márquez with the second and fifth best overall lap times in the first test of the 2025


More than positive feelings and first test of 2025 ended for the Ducati Lenovo Team at the Sepang International Circuit where Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Márquez are in second and fifth place in the combined standings of the three days.

About 150 laps completed for Bagnaia who today broke the 1.57 wall and, with a good 1.56.500 (his best chrono of the three days), is just 7 thousandths from the top of the standings (Alex Márquez, Gresini Racing MotoGP 1.56.493). New parts tested, lots of data collected and a positive balance on the eve of next week's test at Buriram (12 and 13 February).

Marc Márquez instead signs a best lap time 1.57.042 on his debut with the Borgo Panigale official colors. About 170 laps set in the three days of work to gain confidence with the Desmosedici GP. For him too, the next appointment on the track is in Buriram, but the first stop, together with his teammate, will be in Bangkok next Sunday February 9th for the launch of the 2025 MotoGP season.

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team)
“Three positive days, we had the opportunity and time to try everything we scheduled and to fix some aspects. I think Marc (Márquez) and I did a great job, we tried different things and we always gave very similar feedbacks. I'm happy that we will continue to do the job at Buriram in a few days because here in Malaysia there are particular tarmac conditions, with a lot of grip, while in Thailand it will be different. Our 2024 package was already very good, so the choices need to be careful. I would have liked to work more on the time attack, but the priority in these days was decide which direction to take for the future”.

Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team)
“I would say that the balance is positive, we did all the job scheduled. During the three days we tested and re-tested the 2025 package. We saw interesting things, we have to analyse all the data from the two bikes and understand what could be the best direction to follow for the test at Buriram. Pecco and I basically are agreed on the 90% of the technical stuff, we had the same feeling on the engine and aerodynamics. We start from a very good base, the GP24 has won many races last season, it is not easy to make another step forward, we need to take care of every detail”.

Davide Tardozzi (Ducati Lenovo Team Manager)
“We are really satisfied because we managed to complete a very demanding work schelude. In the first two days we did a lot of test with both the 2024 and 2025 material and today the direction was much clearer. Currently we think that the bike will probably be a little be more conservative because we know that the base we have is already good. The goal in Buriram will be to continue testing other parts and gather more information to arrive at the first race prepared. The most positive thing is that both riders gave us similar feedbacks and this definitely makes the path for the engineers easier. Both are happy, they worked naturally together and they know perfectly the direction they want to follow in this pre-season”.
The clock is ticking louder towards the launch of 2025 MotoGP and both the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3 teams completed three intense days of testing with KTM RC16 machinery at the Sepang International Circuit. After hundreds of laps and plenty of evaluation and assessment, it was Pedro Acosta who managed the fastest lap-time in 6th place.

Sepang, home of the Malaysian Grand Prix in what will be a long 22-race campaign, was again the traditional stage for the first laps and new technical developments for a fresh MotoGP season. KTM brought their work and ideas from the short winter break to the long and demanding layout close to Kuala Lumpur international airport. The test team of Dani Pedrosa and Pol Espargaro were active during the Shakedown days and then the track cleared for the full MotoGP grid and Pedro Acosta, Brad Binder, Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales were able to cast their judgement.

While Acosta and Binder were able to work through a range of modifications and components to best harness the grip potential of the Michelin tires – including aerodynamics, electronics, chassis tweaks and WP suspension – Bastianini and Viñales continued to adapt to the characteristics of the KTM RC16. The first day in Sepang was surprisingly cool before the temperatures climbed on a roasting day two and then the final session was complicated by light showers.


By the end of proceedings, Acosta’s best lap meant he was less than 0.7 from P1 and was followed by Binder (P13), Viñales (P16) and Bastianini (P18) as the factory completed their R&D tasks. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3 will now take part in the first official MotoGP season launch presentation in Bangkok on Sunday (9 February) and then make the relatively short trip to the Buriram International Circuit for the final two-day test on 12-13 February.

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 6th: “Quite happy with everything that we tried and we have many conclusions. We also have quite a few questions for the Buriram test. We still had a little bit more speed in the pocket here, but we now need to be ready for more in Thailand. We have space to improve, and we need to re-try things to be ready for the races.”

Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 13th: “We got through a ton of stuff these days but we have not made the perfect package yet. A busy time here in Sepang. We did a lot of jumping between settings and we have a lot more understanding. We have a couple more days next week, and everything is going according to plan. We have definitely found something for this year and step-by-step we’ll get there. I think we are doing OK and it’s time now to sit down and put everything together and then dial-it-in for next week.”


Maverick Viñales, Red Bull KTM Tech3, 16th: “I’m happy. Positive days. I needed two more I think! I started to be well set-up towards the end of the final day. When you jump on a new bike you need work and the first job was to understand the bike, which we did quite well. I needed to understand how to stop it; this was not an issue at the Barcelona test but it was here, and by the end it started to come better. Onto Thailand which is a different track but the conditions will be similar and we’ll continue our progress. Overall, I feel the really strong points of the bike and on some others I need to adapt.”

Enea Bastianini, Red Bull KTM Tech3, 18th: “Some small progress these days. We tried different things but my overall sensation was similar and I still need to find the strong area of this bike. We have time. We were very good in the first and last sectors in Sepang and I like the braking but we’re losing speed in the faster corners. We’ll use Thailand to be focused for the first race.”

Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “A very productive and hectic test for us…but not only the three days because I would say it is a continuance of work from the Shakedown with Dani and Pol last week and all the effort by the engineers. Brad and Pedro were able to work and give their feelings as Maverick and Enea were new and getting used to our bikes. We wanted to have a very clear opinion on our package because that is important for riders coming from other manufacturers. I would say it has not been a test to see our level but to look at the many parts we had to check and we also have to be thankful for our development group in Austria that has done an amazing job in the winter. We tested a lot and we are still not ready but we will pull everything together next week in Buriram that will also be the place for our first race. We need to focus a lot next week to get the final set-ups for the season.”UPDATE on #25 Raul Fernandez:

Raul has undergone successful surgical treatment to reset the fractured little finger metacarpal bone in his left hand, a result of the big crash he suffered at Turn 9 on the opening day of the test. The operation was carried out in Barcelona on Thursday, February 6th using a procedure to insert a screw to stabilise the bone and help with early recovery. He is now beginning rehabilitation treatment and further information on his progress and likely return to action will be released once clear.

With the first test of the year complete, the Trackhouse MotoGP Team immediately moves to Bangkok, Thailand, for the 2025 Season Launch event, taking place in the city center on Sunday, February 9. Two days later, the second pre-season test gets underway at the Chang International Circuit, Buriram – venue for the opening Grand Prix of 2025, on March 2nd.

AI OGURA

“All OK, for sure we made another step in the right direction today. I started the day knowing that today was a time attack day and although I had a lot of new tires for the last 30 minutes of the day, I could not improve my lap time which I was a bit disappointed about. But, generally, it was a good day and we are heading in the right direction I guess so I am happy! Six days at the same circuit makes it easier to understand things but I am now ready to change circuit and another two days at Chang, working hard with my team, will be good.”



DAVIDE BRIVIO - TEAM PRINCIPAL

“We have finished a long and comprehensive test here in Sepang where Ai has ridden for six days and he did a great job. We used these days to allow Ai to gain experience on a MotoGP bike, to test different techniques, work on electronics, work with the tires and work on his way of riding. In these days we went through all; short runs, long runs, time attacks, in order to help him experience as much as possible and we did a good job. We are very happy with the approach that Ai has and the way we are working together. Let’s just keep going that way. We now go to Thailand, first for the 2025 Season Launch event in Bangkok and then onto Buriram for another two days of testing as the final preparation for the season and I hope we can continue like this. Then, on the other side, Raul has had a surgery - everything appears to have gone well and now we wait to get him back as soon as possible, maybe even before the race.” Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team's Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins finished their programme at the Malaysia MotoGP Official Test today. The third consecutive eight-hour session was crucial to collect some final data on various new items. The teammates ultimately took 3rd and 10th place respectively in today's timesheets and in the overall Sepang Test results.

Quartararo continued work on Day 3, rounding out his testing programme in Sepang. He completed 58 laps to finalise his evaluation of the various testing items at this track before giving them another go in Buriram, Thailand, next week. His best time on Day 3 was set early on again when he dipped under the 1'57s mark. The Frenchman posted a 1'56.724s on lap 10. The lap was fast enough to earn him third position in both today's and the overall test classification, 0.231s from first. It had Quartararo leave the Sepang Test feeling satisfied with the work done so far.

Rins used the final day of riding in Sepang to fully form his verdict on the various testing items and also tried several setting options. As usual, his main aim was getting the bike MotoGP-season ready and gathering as much data as possible. However, having a good feeling on the bike, he too put in a time attack. It resulted in his fastest lap at the Sepang International Circuit. He clocked a 1'57.351s on lap 25/53. It had him place 10th in the Day 3 rankings and in the combined results, 0.858s from the top.

The team will now travel to the Chang International Circuit for the Thailand MotoGP Official Test, held from 12-13 February. It will be the final official MotoGP test before kicking off the 2025 MotoGP season at the same track with the Grand Prix of Thailand, held from 28 Feb-2 March.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI
Team Director, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP

Overall, these two tests, the Shakedown and the Official Test, have been positive for our team. We were able to compare the data from last year's winter test and GP to this year's test, and it shows in the lap times that we have improved. It's been a while since we last had a chance to compare six riders' data, and I believe this is already positively affecting the general performance. As per our company's philosophy, we didn't drastically make changes, but we did continue making progress and introducing updates in a natural way as a continuation of our 2024 testing. The combined effort of the two Yamaha Factory MotoGP teams started well in my opinion. It is too early to give a verdict already about our overall level. To have a better understanding of our real potential, the Buriram test will be more telling as all teams start their testing there at the same time.

FABIO QUARTARARO
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider

I am really happy! This is the first time that I reached a 1'56s here, so I am happy, and I think that today was a good day for us. The conditions were really good, so in general it was a positive day. Hopefully, during the Buriram Test we will have the same feeling. I've been working during the winter break, and not just on a road bike. In general, I was trying to be faster on one lap. I think this was a good point of improvement, but I also think the bike improved in some areas, which helps me to be fast on one lap. I think the goals I set for this test were neither too positive nor too negative. But it's just one test. I think the real situation won't show until we're in Buriram on the Friday afternoon of the GP weekend and during qualifying.

ÁLEX RINS
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider

My feelings are really quite okay here. Including the Shakedown, all five days of riding at Sepang were quite positive for us. We tried many items and many things. In the last few days, between 10am and 11am, everyone was putting in a time attack on the soft tyre. We had this included in the plan for me too, but we delayed it a little bit. I preferred to focus on trying new things with the set-up, and that was quite good. From 10am to 11am, I was riding with used tyres and trying different things. Once I had a good feeling, we put in new tyres, and I improved my best lap time here from a 1'57.7s, set in last year's Malaysia GP qualifying, to a 1'57.3s. I set this time while the track was not in the perfect condition, so I'm quite happy. I'm also quite satisfied with what we tested here. Let's bring this package to Thailand so we can make a comparison. The Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Team has successfully concluded its inaugural winter test at Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit, marking a significant milestone in their new partnership with Yamaha. Over the course of five days, including both the shakedown and the three-day official test sessions, the team focused on familiarizing themselves with the 2025 YZR-M1 bike and integrating with Yamaha's Japanese engineers and technicians, as riders Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira showed a rapid adaptation to their new machinery.

Traditionally, the final morning of testing at Sepang is characterized by cooler temperatures, providing optimal conditions for riders to push their machines to the limit, with everyone trying the time attack, also to better understand the bike's limit. But at the same time, today was again a day of trying new things and learning without making any mistakes and minimizing unnecessary risks. Miller concluded the final day with the 12th fastest time, with an innocuous slide at turn 4, while Oliveira secured the 17th position, with the two of them concluding their testing around midday.

This initial test has been deemed a success, fostering a strong rapport among the Pramac Racing personnel, Yamaha staff, and the riders. These days were instrumental in evaluating new materials introduced by Yamaha and in determining the future direction for bike development and setup.

Looking ahead, the team is now heading to Thailand for the official MotoGP presentation on Sunday, February 9th, in Bangkok. Subsequently, they next stop will be Buriram for the second and final official MotoGP test scheduled for February 12-13. The Chang International Circuit will also be home of the opening round of the 2025 MotoGP season, with the Grand Prix of Thailand scheduled for the weekend of March 2nd.

GINO BORSOI
Team Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP

"My approach to these days of testing was very simple: we started from a blank sheet of paper, I did not want to have any expectations. But after 5 days of hard work here in Sepang, I can say that I am not only very happy with the way things have gone, but I am also positively impressed: by the huge effort that Yamaha has shown during these days, by how well the people of Prima Pramac Racing and those of Yamaha have merged, by the great feedback from our riders in discovering the YZR-M1. There is still a lot of work ahead of us, but to start like this will give us all much more enthusiasm to try to get back to the top. Yamaha has a great desire to win again and so do we. It will certainly take time, but the direction is clear. These days have been crucial in understanding the direction we need to go from a technical point of view, and I think we have a much clearer idea of what we need. The exchange between our team and the Monster Energy Yamaha team is constant, we are two teams but we work and feel like one. And now a few well-deserved days off for the guys in our team before we head to Buriram for the last official test. I am very excited to see how we perform there."

JACK MILLER
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Rider


“Testing on the same track for a few days allowed us to improve the feeling with the bike- which was good from the beginning, but this allowed us to play around a little bit with different settings, trying to understand the reaction of the bike, how is going to change and so on. Having the shakedown was really handy for us, we have been able to get through that test and try a lot of material. So it‘s been good. I ran out a little bit of time this morning, when the track conditions were cooler, as we had a couple of little things to test and by the time we got that done it was quite late. And then in my second time attack I managed to dump the front, it‘s one of those things of finding the limit at turn 4. I knew I was coming in pretty hot, I tried anyway and had a slide. But in general, I am happy with the performance of the bike, we have a lot of room for improvment and have a clear view of where we want to go. But to be already in the low 1‘57” can make us happy. It t will be interesting to see how the bike reacts in Buriram, which is quite a different track.”


MIGUEL OLIVEIRA
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Rider

“This first test of the season has been great. We leave Sepang with a lot of information, more experience, and good feelings. I am a bit disappointed because today I missed the lap time I was hoping to achieve by the end of the test. However, it's good to know that in a few days we will be heading to Thailand, so the work we've done can be consolidated on another track, and we hope this base setup can be productive at another circuit as well. Having the opportunity to fully share data between the four of us is great. Fabio is making the difference, and that helps everyone understand what we need as we prepare to face the season.”