The road to the 2026 MotoGP season officially began in Malaysia, with the traditional three-day Sepang Shakedown test kicking off on Thursday (January 29).
Running through Saturday (January 31), the Shakedown offers the first glimpse of the latest factory machinery ahead of the highly anticipated Official Sepang Test next week.
Honda’s test programme started strongly as Aleix Espargaró topped the timesheets with a best lap of 1:58.091s, keeping the RC213V ahead of the chasing pack.
The Spaniard finished 0.524s clear of his brother Pol Espargaró, who led KTM’s efforts, while fellow KTM legend Dani Pedrosa completed an impressive top three.
Honda’s early statement will provide encouragement as the manufacturer continues its push back toward the front of the grid.
One of the major storylines from Thursday was the MotoGP Shakedown debut of Toprak Razgatlioglu, the Pramac Yamaha rookie.
The Turkish star ended the day fourth overall, just +1.556s off the lead, and crucially, he was also the fastest Yamaha rider on track.
Razgatlioglu experienced a minor hiccup during end-of-day practice start drills, but his overall pace showed strong promise in his first serious MotoGP outing.
Notably, Fabio Quartararo, Alex Rins and Jack Miller all sat out Day One, opting to begin their programmes on Day Two.
While lap times were the focus, the Shakedown is equally important for experimentation.
Ducati test rider Michele Pirro was seen running the latest GP26 machine, including a debut of new aerodynamic components late in the day.
Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori also logged valuable mileage as the RS-GP development continues.
Alongside Razgatlioglu, Brazilian rookie Diogo Moreira also gained experience in the premier class, finishing ninth overall in his early laps aboard the Honda.
The Sepang Shakedown is open only to factory test riders, rookies, and Yamaha’s full race squad.
It also marks the first opportunity to see prototypes such as the new Yamaha V4 project ahead of the Official Test from February 3–5.
That full-field session will, however, be missing injured riders Jorge Martín (Aprilia) and Fermín Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati).
2026 Sepang MotoGP Shakedown – Day One Results (6pm Final)
- Aleix Espargaró (Honda Test Rider) – 1:58.091
- Pol Espargaró (KTM Test Rider) +0.524
- Dani Pedrosa (KTM Test Rider) +1.052
- Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pramac Yamaha) +1.556
- Fernandez/Dovizioso (Yamaha Test Rider) +1.667
- Michele Pirro (Ducati Test Rider) +1.712
- Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Test Rider) +2.212
- Diogo Moreira (LCR Honda Rookie) +2.803
- Mika Kallio (KTM Test Rider) +5.112
Credit Photo : HRC
