The curtain has fallen on the first official test of 2026, and if the timesheets are any indication, it belongs to Alex Marquez. The BK8 Gresini Racing star capped off three days of intense development by claiming the top spot, proving that his affinity for the Sepang International Circuit remains unmatched.
While Alex Marquez topped the overall standings with a blistering 1:56.402, all eyes were on the factory Lenovo box. Marc Marquez showed flashes of his vintage self, testing 2026 aero components before suffering his first tumble of the year at Turn 1. Despite the crash, he secured P4 overall.
However, the real “food for thought” came during the Sprint simulations. Francesco Bagnaia (P6 overall) proved that Sunday (or Saturday) points are won on consistency, outpacing his teammate Marc over a 10-lap trial. Bagnaia left Malaysia declaring he feels more comfortable now than he did during the Grand Prix here last October—an ominous warning for the rest of the grid.
Marco Bezzecchi silenced any doubts about his adaptation to the RS-GP. Flying the flag for Aprilia in the absence of Jorge Martin, “Bez” rocketed to P2 on the final day. Aprilia turned heads in the pitlane with a radical new “upward-fin” aero unit on the tail, proving that the Noale factory hasn’t lost its touch for innovation.
After a haunting Wednesday spent entirely in the pits due to engine concerns, Yamaha finally roared back to life on Thursday. Technical Director Max Bartolini confirmed that engineers in Japan and Italy worked around the clock to clear the new YZR-M1 for duty. Alex Rins emerged as the top Yamaha in P14, while rookie sensation Toprak Razgatlioglu continued his steep learning curve in P19.
The paddock now heads to Kuala Lumpur for the official Season Launch, but the real work resumes in two weeks under the scorching sun of Buriram.
Credit Photo : MotoGP
