The first official test of the 2026 season ended at Sepang International Circuit, with the Ducati Lenovo Team riders close to the fastest guys. Marc Márquez finished fourth and Francesco Bagnaia fifth.
A very demanding schedule focused on aerodynamic to evaluate the technical package for the next testing session in Thailand. Today, both riders completed a long run on tne Sprint distance. Marc, the fastest on Day1, completed 123 laps with a best lap time of 1’56.789 (Day1). Pecco’s best chrono instead – 126 laps – was 1’56.929 (Day1).
The final act of this first test will be the MotoGP season launch event, featuring all the riders and teams, scheduled on Saturday, February 7th, in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. KL26Launch: road show, entertainment and fun for all fans.
Marc Márquez (#93, Ducati Lenovo Team)
“I’m happy to be back on track. This is the most important feeling. We’ve tried a lot of new materials, but the ideas are pretty clear for Thailand. The path seems right, and now I also have to make a step forward physically. It’s been a long day; yesterday it rained, and today the workload was significant. We’re pretty confident in our aerodynamic choices, but we need to analyze the data. The simulation went well: I maintained the pace, and the feeling in the final laps was really good”.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63, Ducati Lenovo Team)
“I’m very happy with this test; I had a good feeling. We worked a lot on aerodynamics, and we’ve already made some more or less definitive decisions. We’re testing, and it’s the first one of the season, so the more laps we do, the faster we go. The simulation went well; there’s a lot more grip than in the race, and the tires also dropped less. Last year, I was very competitive in the time attack here, but I struggled in the long run. In a test, it’s much more important to work on consistency for the season. I pushed and rode as I wanted”.
Source : Ducati
