- Best time: Raul Fernandez (Aprilia) in 1:29.373 minutes
- Toprak Razgatlioglu makes his debut on a Yamaha with a V4 engine
- Testing only began at 1:20 p.m. due to a wet track
First impressions under difficult conditions
The first winter test for the 2026 MotoGP season began just two days after the race in Valencia. After overnight rain, the track remained wet until noon. It was only possible to ride from 1:20 p.m. onwards after the track had been dried manually. The test time was extended until 5:30 p.m., allowing for just under four hours of track operation.
Aprilia once again at the top
Raul Fernandez secured the fastest time with a lap time of 1:29.373 minutes. The gap to Marco Bezzecchi was only 0.027 seconds. Both riders used different development stages of the RS-GP, including modified aerodynamics and electronic fine-tuning. Aprilia also tested revised aero elements at the front, sides, and rear, some of which were camouflaged to hide details.
Alex Marquez followed in third place, 0.084 seconds behind, confirming the close field in the leading group. Behind him were his teammate Fermin Aldeguer and KTM rider Pedro Acosta.
KTM with updates and initial changes
KTM focused on new side and rear fairings designed to offer greater stability and traction. Pedro Acosta set his fastest lap with the previous aero package, but later switched to the Evolution with a new aero concept. A spectacular save in turn eight prevented a crash after the new fairing caused some brief unrest.
Brad Binder worked for the first time with his new crew chief Phil Marron, who previously worked with Toprak Razgatlioglu in the Superbike paddock for a long time.
Ducati: Electronics and variants for 2026
Ducati focused primarily on fine-tuning the electronics. According to team manager Davide Tardozzi, the side fairings should be visibly changed, while the engine remained at 2025 specifications.
Alex Marquez was already able to test current factory parts, which should be important for the development of the 2026 package. Ducati also used two special paint jobs: silver-gray for Francesco Bagnaia and yellow for Nicolo Bulega, both in honor of the company’s 100th anniversary in 2026.
Yamaha officially enters the V4 era
The test day was a milestone for Yamaha. The brand switched from an inline four-cylinder to a V4 engine in 2026. All four riders had such a motorcycle at their disposal; in addition, comparison machines with inline four-cylinder engines were available. The new V4 M1 was the same as the one Augusto Fernandez had already ridden in Misano and Malaysia.
Toprak Razgatlioglu made his first official appearance with Pramac-Yamaha. The motorcycle was without sponsors, as the Turkish rider is still under contract with BMW. Finishing 18th, 1.294 seconds behind, he was the second-best Yamaha rider. He received support from Andrea Dovizioso and his new crew chief Alberto Giribuola, among others.
Honda: Work on the 2026 prototype
Honda continued the test program for the prototype, which had already clocked up its first kilometers with Aleix Espargaro during the race weekend in Valencia. Diogo Moreira’s bike was painted in neutral colors, as LCR is looking for a new title sponsor for 2026. For Moreira, who finished 21st, the focus was on getting used to the more powerful MotoGP bike.
Incidents and technical problems
Several defects caused interruptions in the schedule.
- Nicolo Bulega had to retire his Ducati early on due to a technical problem.
- Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins both came to a halt with the older Yamaha inline engines.
- Fabio Di Giannantonio also suffered a defect on his Ducati.
The only crash of the day was by Francesco Bagnaia, who went down in turn one but was able to return to the pits under his own steam.
Overview of lap times
Raul Fernandez’s best time of 1:29.373 minutes remained untouched. The top 10 were within 0.358 seconds of each other, with 16 riders within one second.
- Raul Fernandez – Aprilia – 1:29.373
- Marco Bezzecchi – Aprilia – +0.027
- Alex Marquez – Ducati – +0.084
- Fermin Aldeguer – Ducati – +0.177
- Pedro Acosta – KTM – +0.208
- Maverick Vinales – KTM – +0.247
- Fabio Di Giannantonio – Ducati – +0.268
- Nicolo Bulega – Ducati – +0.288
- Brad Binder – KTM – +0.338
- Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati – +0.358
- Toprak Razgatlioglu – Yamaha – +1.294
- Diogo Moreira – Honda – +1.824
- Celestino Vietti – Ducati – +3.138
Fazit
Trotz des verzögerten Testbeginns lieferte der Valencia-Test wichtige Hinweise auf die Entwicklung der Hersteller für 2026. Aprilia bestätigte die starke Form aus dem Saisonfinale, während Yamaha den historischen Schritt zum V4 vollzogen hat. KTM und Ducati präsentierten zahlreiche neue Aero-Lösungen, und Honda arbeitete weiter am Prototypen für die kommende Saison. Die auffälligen Fortschritte von Toprak Razgatlioglu und Diogo Moreira rundeten einen intensiven Testtag ab.
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