2026 Sepang MotoGP Shakedown Test: Results - Day 1

Shakedown testing runs from 10am to 6pm each day.

Although full grand prix and official test timing data is not in operation for the Shakedown, some limited live timing info is available. We’ll update below with times and notes when possible...

HRC test rider Aleix Espargaro, entering his 22nd season as a professional rider, keeps improving and is now down to a 1m 59.199s, which puts him 1.2s clear of KTM's Dani Pedrosa.

Although Honda is joining the engine design freeze this season, after moving from D to C in the concessions ranking, they can continue to modify the RC213V's engine until next month's Thai season opener.

Official Sepang MotoGP Records:
Best lap: Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Lenovo, 1m 56.337s (2024)
Fastest race lap: Alex Marquez, Gresini Ducati, 1m 58.873s (2023)

Midday and Honda's Aleix Espargaro is 0.7s clear of Dani Pedrosa at the top of the times, with Augusto Fernandez third for Yamaha's V4.

Michele Pirro is up to fifth for Ducati, just ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu and Diogo Moreira. Lorenzo Savadori and Mika Kallio complete the line riders to have set a time.

Just to confirm, there is no lap count or best top speed data available, only a maximum speed of each rider's last recorded lap. The full timing info will be at the Official test.

Meanwhile, HRC test rider Aleix Espargaro sets the first 1'59s lap time, moving ahead of the KTMs at the top of the timesheets.

Razgatlioglu's Rookie of the Year rival, and reigning Moto2 champion, Diogo Moreira, joins the test. 

Morbidelli and team-mate Johann Zarco will unveil their official LCR colours (Castrol for Zarco, Pro Honda for Moreira) on February 1st.

It sounds like the red flag was to check for possible oil and the dirty track conditions. Testing continues.

Red flags were waved just after 11am to check the "track condition at Turn 9”. 

Aleix Espargaro had complained before the test that the track was in a dirty condition.

However, it's not clear if that is the cause of the stoppage or if fluid was dropped.

These are the lap times at 11am, after the first hour of testing.

A statement of intent by KTM, which has three test riders on track with the return of Mika Kallio. Meanwhile, it's team-mates Pol Espargaro and Dani Pedrosa who lead the early times.

Pramac's Toprak Razgatlioglu is the only Yamaha race rider so far on track, with Augusto Fernandez in action for the test team.

Michele Pirro (Ducati), Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia) and Aleix Espargaro (Honda) have also completed their first MotoGP laps of 2026:

2026 Sepang MotoGP Shakedown Test: Day 1 (Thursday - 11am)
	Rider	Nat	Team	Time
1	Pol Espargaro	SPA	Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16)	2:1.103s
2	Dani Pedrosa	SPA	KTM Test Rider (RC16)	+0.497s
3	Yamaha Test Rider*	N/A	Yamaha Factory Racing (YZR-M1)	+0.677s
4	Michele Pirro	ITA	Ducati Test Rider (GP26)	+2.277s
5	Lorenzo Savadori	ITA	Aprilia Factory (RS-GP)	+4.362s
6	Mika Kallio	FIN	KTM Test Rider (RC16)	+5.235s
7	Toprak Razgatlioglu	TUR	Pramac Yamaha (YZR-M1)*	+5.620s
8	Aleix Espargaro	SPA	Honda HRC Test Team (RC213V)	+7.863s