On the eve of the official Sepang test, media attention centered on rider-market speculation after Honda revealed a largely unchanged RC213V and readied Joan Mir and Luca Marini for on-track work. Fabio Quartararo — the 2021 world champion and current Yamaha rider — repeatedly denied any signed deal with Honda for 2027, saying he and his camp were ‘talking with teams’ and that Honda was one of those parties. He stressed nothing was finalized, that he had no deadline to decide his future, and that the choice was ‘not about money, it’s about winning again.’ His manager, Albert Valera, publicly pushed back on several transfer reports circulating in the paddock.

Quartararo also used the Sepang setting to outline technical concerns. He has tested Yamaha’s new M1 V4 since mid-2025, says the bike requires a different riding style and so far has not matched last year’s cornering, and warned engineers with little V4 experience will need time to bring the package forward. Team principal Massimo Meregalli confirmed Yamaha had not begun renewal talks. Media outlets reported a separate two-year, €15 million offer for Quartararo, which was presented alongside the known 2024 two-year Yamaha deal reportedly worth about €12 million per year. Quartararo cited the emotional cost of his Silverstone retirement as motivation to prioritize race-winning potential over contract value and described the upcoming three-day shakedown as crucial for understanding the new bike.

Within Honda’s camp, Luca Marini said he was ‘constantly talking with Honda’ and expected speculation to ease once on-track testing began, while Joan Mir acknowledged pressure around contract timing but welcomed recent bike progress after encouraging private test runs. Honda and LCR have confirmed multi-year LCR deals for Johann Zarco and Diogo Moreira, leaving the possibility of one remaining factory seat and intensifying positioning for 2027. Other high-profile links — notably Jorge Martin to Yamaha and Pedro Acosta to Ducati — were reported by some outlets and disputed by others. With moves unconfirmed, Quartararo’s 2027 destination remained unresolved as the Sepang test was about to begin.

Yamaha has abandoned its long-used crossplane inline-four and switched the M1 to a V4 for the 2026 MotoGP season, a move framed internally as a shift from a contingency “plan B” to the primary strategy. Managing director Paolo Pavesio said the change was driven by the forthcoming 2027 technical regulations—notably a 50 mm reduction in front-fairing width and much tighter aerodynamic limits—that effectively leave an inline-four “no room for wings,” a position echoed by Monster Yamaha director Massimo Meregalli. While cylinder configuration is not explicitly banned, Yamaha concluded the V4 was the practical response to the new aero constraints and to prepare for the transition to an 850cc era that will follow the final year of 1000cc competition.

On track, Yamaha has already begun evaluating the V4: the new layout topped the Sepang shakedown day two timesheets with Jack Miller, and Fabio Quartararo finished as the fastest Yamaha at the end of the shakedown, about 0.5 seconds behind Honda test rider Aleix Espargaro. Toprak Razgatlioglu used the shakedown day to reacquaint himself with the circuit while Yamaha ran a structured test program across eight bikes to converge on an optimal package and supply equal equipment to all four riders. The factory plans to assess the V4 against the full 2026 grid during the Official Sepang test, and it has scheduled a first 850cc track run in private tests in early spring as parallel development of the smaller-displacement M1 continues.

Yamaha accelerated investment in personnel after slipping from title contention, hiring figures such as Max Bartolini and supporting a recovery that delivered a return to pole, a long-awaited podium and roughly doubled season points in 2025. Pavesio expects the V4 to bring more consistent race performance even if single-lap speed is initially lower, and he anticipates continued performance growth through 2026. By repositioning its technical strategy around a V4 architecture alongside ongoing 850 work, Yamaha has made a significant shift in engine development that could reshape competitive dynamics as teams adapt to the new regulations.

Fermín Aldeguer suffered a broken femur while training at the Aspar circuit in Valencia and has been ruled out of the Sepang preseason test (Feb 3–5). He joined Gresini’s Kuala Lumpur launch by video call to give a recovery update, saying his condition is improving “day by day” but that he must remain at home for rehabilitation and further medical checks. He will miss the Thailand season opener and does not expect to be back on the bike before the Brazil or Austin rounds in March, declining to set a firm comeback date until examinations show how his leg responds.

The injury has cost Aldeguer valuable preseason track time and disrupted his preparation for a second full MotoGP season after he won the 2025 Indonesian Grand Prix and was named Rookie of the Year. Gresini will lose the development and race miles he would have gained in Sepang and the early rounds, while Ducati test rider Michele Pirro is his likely substitute while medical clearance is pending. Aldeguer’s timeline also contrasts with an earlier, more optimistic comment from Ducati chief Davide Tardozzi that a return for the opener was realistic, highlighting uncertainty about his readiness for the early rounds.

The setback also affects Aldeguer’s longer-term Ducati pathway. He signed a four‑year deal with Ducati in 2025 and helped Gresini to second place in the teams’ championship, positioning the satellite outfit as a near‑factory development route. Media reports linking Ducati to Pedro Acosta as a potential 2027 target have been framed as relevant to Aldeguer’s prospects for a future factory seat. For now, Gresini and Aldeguer are treating any return as conditional on ongoing rehabilitation and the results of further medical examinations. His recovery pace will determine his availability in the early rounds and how his Ducati trajectory evolves.

LCR Honda became the first Honda-supported team to unveil its 2026 liveries as it builds momentum ahead of Sepang testing. Johann Zarco will retain a Castrol-themed design, red, white, and green with new black and blue accents, while Diogo Moreira’s fairing switches to Pro Honda, ending LCR’s long association with Idemitsu on that bike.

Zarco, 35, arrives at Sepang under a multi-year LCR deal that runs through 2027 and guarantees parity of technical spec and updates with the factory team. He will start his on-track program at the official Sepang test on February 3–5. Moreira, 21, the reigning Moto2 champion, signed a multi-year deal with HRC to race an RC213V in MotoGP and will carry Pro Honda as his title partner. Unlike predecessor Somkiat Chantra, Moreira will have access to factory-spec machinery, and LCR confirmed his full Pro Honda livery will appear on track at Sepang after an initial shakedown run in black.

At the Sepang shakedown, Moreira showed encouraging pace, improving through the session and posting a late best lap of 1:58.338. That time put him ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu, with KTM test rider Dani Pedrosa splitting them; one account placed Moreira sixth overall while another listed him eighth. Zarco’s new Castrol livery is also due to appear during the Sepang test. The preseason will finish with a final Buriram test on Feb 21–22, ahead of the Thai season opener on Feb 27–Mar 1. The combined sponsorship updates, visual rebrand, and early running data will help shape LCR Honda’s preparations as official testing gets underway.