Day 1 at the Sepang shakedown produced a busy opening to the 2026 MotoGP pre-season. Honda’s Aleix Espargaro topped the day with a provisional 1:58.091, roughly half a second clear of the field. Pramac Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu made a high‑profile MotoGP debut as the fastest rookie and fourth overall in 1:59.647. LCR rookie Diogo Moreira overcame an early mechanical issue to finish inside the top ten in 2:00.894 (some sources vary on his exact placing). KTM’s Pol Espargaro and KTM test rider Dani Pedrosa ran prominently near the front. Yamaha test riders showed strong top‑speed figures — Augusto Fernández recorded 327.3 km/h — while Ducati test rider Michele Pirro was the last into the 1:59s. Teams evaluated new aero and components in the pitlane; visual updates included Ducati’s new Lenovo livery and several Yamaha M1s fitted with rear aero.

On Day 2 the pace tightened. Aleix Espargaro improved in morning running to a provisional 1:58.066 on the RC213V, about 0.512 seconds clear of Pol Espargaro. Toprak was third, 1.079 seconds off the morning benchmark and roughly half a second quicker than his Day‑1 time. Jack Miller completed his first laps of the year, while Moreira remained about 2.8 seconds adrift of the leader. Ducati and Aprilia continued to log laps through their test riders — Pirro was 4.934s off the leader and Lorenzo Savadori 9.972s off — and the session, scheduled 10 a.m.–6 p.m., ran with limited live timing, so times remained provisional.

Across both days the shakedown functioned more as a technical preview than a definitive performance order. Manufacturers tested aero variations, new engine hardware and multiple chassis configurations; Yamaha’s V4 program and rear‑aero packages drew particular attention. Several teams ran expanded bike counts, the return of KTM test rider Mika Kallio and planned LCR livery unveilings added visual cues, and teams used long runs and component evaluations to prepare for the official early‑February Sepang test. The shakedown established early benchmarks and highlighted items to monitor as teams moved into the main preseason program.

Sources