The MotoGP test in Sepang came to an end, with Fabio Quartararo wrapping it up as the fastest rider, clocking an impressive time of 1:57.794, making him the only rider to break into the 1:57s. He finished three-tenths ahead of Jack Miller, while Honda HRC test rider Aleix Espargaro took third place on his final lap. But beyond the lap times, there were many interesting storylines.

Rookies

Ai Ogura continued to impress, as he finished fourth overall, just 0.414 seconds behind Quartararo. Notably, Ogura completed a race simulation and was quicker over 17 laps than the fastest Aprilia rider at this track last year.

Fermin Aldeguer finished the day in sixth, 0.627s off the leader. However, he was the only rider to crash during the test, but luckily, it was a minor incident at Turn 9, and he quickly rejoined.

Somkiat Chantra had the shortest test, as he had to skip Day 1, but he was able to continue without any interruptions on Day 2 and Day 3.

Key Takeaways

Yamaha had a busy test, bringing in a new chassis and swingarm updates, along with updated aerodynamic refinements. Quartararo’s time reflected the improvements, while Alex Rins finished in seventh as he adapted to the new bike. Jack Miller’s transition to Yamaha also drew attention, as his best lap was just half a second slower than his qualifying time at last year’s Malaysian GP.

Aprilia was also in the spotlight as test rider Lorenzo Savadori worked with a different spec for the 2025 bike. Interestingly, rookie Ai Ogura was seen testing new parts, suggesting that Aprilia is confident in his ability to provide valuable feedback. Meanwhile, KTM’s Pol Espargaro put in a strong show, finishing fifth, with Dani Pedrosa finishing in ninth. One of the notable changes was the new rear-end developments spotted on KTM’s bikes.

Honda had its share of excitement, with Aleix Espargaro splitting his workload across multiple bikes. His performance suggested that he is adapting quickly to Honda’s setup.

Ducati continued refining its package ahead of the season, with Michele Pirro testing new developments before Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia joined the mix. Ducati also revealed an updated aerodynamic package and a new chassis, similar to one seen on Marquez’s bike at the Barcelona test.