Saturday action concludes with a familiar duo on top – but plenty of stories continue to build ahead of race action.

Day 1 is in the books at the Buriram Test and it’s 2025 runner-up Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) who tops the timesheets with a 1:29.262 in Thailand. Hot on his heels despite two crashes it’s reigning World Champion Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), 0.129 in arrears, with Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) just taking third as he edged out Aprilia Racing’s Marco Bezzecchi by just 0.011. It was a tight fight for that P3 as Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) lurked only another 0.005 back too.

Here’s what we saw on Saturday – on the timesheets and beyond.

BK8 GRESINI RACING MOTOGP, PERTAMINA ENDURO VR46 RACING TEAM, DUCATI LENOVO TEAM

Alex Marquez continued working out which aero package he prefers, and took that P1. His full-time teammate in the box, Fermin Aldeguer, is out injured and replaced by Michele Pirro, with the Italian completing the running 3.3s off Marquez but putting in some valuable track time.

After the highs of Sepang, Marc Marquez didn’t have it all his own way on Day 1 at Buriram. Two crashes for the reigning World Champion saw the first half of his day spent in the gravel or in the box. The first one was a fast one at the final corner as he was braking on the kerbs whilst the second was a small get-off at Turn 5, but rider ok. He also got back out there and finished the day in P2 on the combined times in somewhat classic style #93 bounce back.

Teammate Francesco Bagnaia was P12 but continued his positive pre-season form and was seen smiling throughout the day in the box. In the red corner there was more debate about the 2025 aero vs the 2024 package as well as different variations of the 2025 one itself. There’s now one day to decide…

From the blue of Gresini to the fluorescent yellow of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducatis. Fabio Di Giannantonio was up inside the top three for the majority of the day whilst Franco Morbidelli left it late to replicate what he showed in Sepang and pull off a leapfrog. The #21 jumped up the order into the top three in the closing 20 minutes, taking the chequered flag in third. Ninth at the conclusion of day one for ‘Diggia’ but with both riders strong throughout testing, there’re exciting times ahead for VR46.

APRILIA RACING & TRACKHOUSE MOTOGP TEAM

Aprilia’s pre-season has been the highlight of many within the MotoGP paddock and day one was no exception. Bezzecchi took fourth whilst teammate Jorge Martin was less than four tenths off the #72 despite riding the RS-GP at Buriram for the first time, ending the day in P13. Bezzecchi had a small crash on his way back to the pits but was perfectly OK. They had the latest spec of rear aero which was featured at Sepang as well as some new air ducts – but with a slightly different objective: to channel air to go around the riders legs.

Like in Bezzecchi and Martin’s garage, Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) also had the latest spec of rear aero on his RS-GP. The 2025 Australian GP winner put in a fast run at the end of the day too, moving up into the top three originally before concluding the day in sixth. Teammate Ai Ogura likes Buriram, the place of his debut in MotoGP last year and thus his best result of the season but did struggle to match the #25. Ogura back-to-back tested the rear aero with the one seen in Valencia last season, confirming which direction he wants to go in. 15th at the flag, expect the Japanese star to make bigger moves on the final day tomorrow.

CASTROL HONDA LCR, HONDA HRC CASTROL & PRO HONDA LCR

Leading Honda’s charge, a mighty effort from Zarco saw the Frenchman climb up the order to fifth with a flying lap putting him just 0.205s away from Alex Marquez in P1. It wasn’t all smooth for Zarco – literally – though, as he said he struggled with consistent control of the bike as it evolved from one lap to another. Elsewhere, teammate Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) continued to adapt to his new MotoGP environment and said it’s all about the fast corners. A challenging day in the soaring heat, he was 20th at the end of it all but expect his time to drop significantly if all goes well on day two; he stated he has homework to do and plans to watch other riders’ lines.

Despite only having one bike available after a technical issue, Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) was right in the thick of it once again, backing up Zarco’s pace and confirming Honda’s progress. He clinched seventh on the timesheets and confirmed that for him and teammate Luca Marini, there’ll be some aero-related items to try on day two before getting into the Grand Prix weekend.

RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING & RED BULL KTM TECH3

KTM’s charge on Saturday was led by Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) in eighth place. He was using the latest aero seen for the first time at Sepang, seemingly smaller than their previous incarnation. Teammate Enea Bastianini followed the same method of working as his teammate but struggled to match his pace as yet, finishing in P16.

There were small improvements made by Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as he finished 10th at the end of play on day one, stating that his day went “great”. He also used the smaller aero from Sepang but teammate Pedro Acosta left it until later in the day to make the switch to it. The #37 was the third-best KTM though and after the highs of Sepang where he was fourth and the best in orange, he finished day one in 13th – work to do for The Shark.

MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP & PRIMA PRAMAC YAMAHA MOTOGP TEAM

The adaptation period is very much continuing at Yamaha as they seek to find their way forwards with the V4. Fresh from a quick trip to Adelaide to welcome the Australian city onto MotoGP’s calendar from 2027, Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) was the best of the Yamahas in 17th and just over a second adrift of Alex Marquez’s top time. Teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu had a modified handlebar as well as a tweaked seat unit. Like in Sepang, there were no stegosaurus wings on the rear of the YZR-M1 due to height restrictions. Ergonomics are vital for ‘El Turco’, the tallest rider on the grid; the triple WorldSBK Champion was 21st on the opening day.

Unfortunately for Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), it was not a day one to remember. He wasn’t impressed with the performance of the bike out on track, showing his anger in the box as well as a clear signal to the bike itself. ‘El Diablo’ also had chassis variations to try as well as the latest swingarm at his disposal. On the other side of his box, Alex Rins was behind the 2021 World Champion but was less than a tenth of a second away; the Spaniard had a different chassis available to him that wasn’t seen on his teammate’s side but both had the latest spec aero. They finished the day in 18th and 19th respectively with just one more day remaining to get the bike in the best of shape possible.

There’s another whole day of track action to come before pre-season concludes, but the countdown is very much on now. Join us for Sunday from Buriram as the final test day gets underway – half an hour earlier than first scheduled from 9:30am (UTC+7) local time! Check out the full RESULTS HERE. 

More from a press release issued by Pertamina Enduro VR46:

Positive first day of Official MotoGP test for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, which is in third place with Franco Morbidelli and in ninth with Fabio Di Giannantonio at Buriram.

At the Chang International Circuit, the last Official MotoGP winter test got underway, and the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team had a solid Day 1 despite the very high temperatures. Franco Morbidelli finished the first day in third place, while Fabio Di Giannantonio ended in ninth place.

Consistent Day 1 for Morbidelli, who continued in Buriram the work started during the Sepang test. On the Thai track, Franco also focused on the setup of his Ducati Desmosedici GP, completing 59 laps overall. The heat did not slow down the Italian-Brazilian rider, who set a 1’29”451 as his best time of the day, a lap that secured him third place in the combined classification.

A solid day as well for Di Giannantonio, who worked on the updates to his Ducati: Fabio focused on confirming the work carried out during the Sepang test also in Buriram, where the first race of the season will take place. The rider from Rome ended Day 1 in ninth place in the combined classification after completing 66 laps overall, with a best time of 1’29”643.

The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will return to the track tomorrow for the second and final day of MotoGP collective testing in Buriram before the start of the season, which will kick off with the Thai Grand Prix, scheduled from February 27th to March 1st.

Fabio Di Giannantonio: “I’m much happier today than in Malaysia test. Today it wasn’t an easy day, but we were able to stick to the plan and try everything we had in the plan. I’ve never been very quick on this track, but it seems we found a way to go fast here too, and it’s very important. The feeling with the bike is good, we tried many things and some of them were an improvement on the bike. The goal is to put all the things together to get the best package possible, so let’s see if we can start to prepare the race weekend already. Tomorrow we will also try the new aero once again, let’s see if we can use it for the first race.”

Franco Morbidelli: “It was a positive day, we tried to adapt the setup to this track. We went back and forth with some setting solutions in terms of electronics and chassis, and it went well. We were able to adapt very well to the track and to the different tyres as well. I like the new aero package, it’s a bit different in some areas. The plan for tomorrow is to continue working on the setup but also doing a race simulation. We will try some time attacks in the morning. I feel well, I look forward to starting the season, we are fast. The test started well, and this is giving me even more will to start and more confidence.”

More from a press release issued by CASTROL Honda LCR:

• After completing 74 laps, Johann Zarco and the team had a solid day on Thai soil, as today marked the first of the two scheduled testing days before next week’s race.
• It was a steady day where hard work paid off in the end, with the #5 rider securing 5th place.
• However, there is still room for improvement, as the rider admits to missing some feeling to fully push. Tomorrow will be another chance to search for it.

More from a press release issued by Honda HRC:

Marini and Mir find their rhythm at the Buriram Test.

The last chance to experiment without the pressures of a race weekend for the Honda HRC Castrol squad as the Buriram Test commences, Joan Mir and Luca Marini positive after the first day on track.

The penultimate test of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship pre-season began at the Chang International Circuit, the Honda HRC Castrol team resuming their work from the previous outing in Sepang. Time between tests gave Honda HRC’s engineers the perfect opportunity to assess the data gathered, the most successful manufacturer in Grand Prix racing arriving in Thailand with several new ideas.

Joan Mir put in a best lap of 1’29.494 on his final run of the day to go seventh overall and end within a quarter of a second of Alex Marquez, fastest of the first day. Still working on the setup of his Honda RC213V, the #36 was left content with the time he achieved but is aiming to complete more laps tomorrow.

Ending the morning session in third place, Luca Marini remained within half a second of the top times throughout the entirety of the day. A total of 60 laps produced a best time of 1’29.774 for the Italian and saw him end in 12th as 0.9s split the top 16. Improving rear grip remains Marini’s main focus for the last day of the Buriram Test.

Now just a single day of testing awaits, a final chance to gather data and prepare the plan for the opening Grand Prix of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship season.

Joan Mir: “A good day overall but maybe not as straight forward as I was expecting because we had a few things to work on between the two bikes we have here. It lost us a bit of time in the morning, but after that we focused and got through a lot for a really positive part of the day. Our package isn’t perfect, but we can make a good lap time alone with it, so this is positive for the first day here. More tomorrow as we try a few final items and then turn an eye to the race.” 

Luca Marini: “Another step compared to the last test, improving a little bit more and more. Friday practice is where it matters, but I am satisfied with what we have done so far and what items we have been able to get through. Everyone worked well today as we chase our main target – more rear grip. Everything else is in a good position, especially when we compare to where we were one year ago.” 

More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Take P18 and P19 on Day 1 of Testing in Thailand.

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team’s Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins started the two-day Buriram MotoGP Official Test by getting a solid number of laps in and preparing for the upcoming Grand Prix of Thailand (27 February – 1 March). The teammates ended Day 1 in 18th and 19th place respectively in the overall rankings.

The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team sprung to action today at the Chang International Circuit for the two-day Buriram MotoGP Official Test. Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins completed the first day in 18th and 19th place respectively in the overall timesheets.

The Buriram Test Day 1 consisted of two riding sessions: Session 1 from 10:00-13:00 GMT +7 and Session 2 from 13:20-18:00.

The team was in high spirits having Quartararo back in the garage after he sustained a finger injury at the Sepang Test two weeks’ prior. The Frenchman was fully motivated to get back to work and ran a total of 67 laps on Day 1. His fastest lap was a 1’30.507s (Session 2), which put him in 18th place in the combined Session 1 + Session 2 timesheets, 1.245s from the top.

Rins enjoyed a productive outing. As the Chang International Circuit will be hosting the opening GP of the season next week, he and his crew are fully focused on bike set-ups. He completed 64 laps over the course of the first day. His best lap of 1’30.512s (Session 2) had him rank 19th in the Day 1 classifications, 1.250s from first.

The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team will be back at the Chang track tomorrow from 09:30-13:00 GMT +7 and 13:20-17:30 to wrap up 2026 preseason testing.

Fabio Quartararo: “It was a long day. We will try to figure out something to improve a bit more tomorrow. Yamaha know the list of priorities and what they have to do. I just focus on providing feedback on what it is we need. Today we changed quite a lot on the bike. Tomorrow, I want to keep the same bike and do some runs in a row with the same base set-up.”

Alex Rins: “With the parts – chassis, swingarm, etc. – already decided on, we focused on settings today, trying to understand the bike better and to see where we can improve. It was a productive day. We need to keep working, and Yamaha will keep working to give us further updates, and like this, we can improve a bit more.”

More from a press release issued by Pro Honda LCR:

• After completing 75 laps, Diogo Moreira and the crew had a consistent day on Thai soil, learning the track and continuing his adaptation to the category on a different layout.
• The rider admitted to noticing improvements and is working hard to find the best balance on the bike.
• On Sunday, a race simulation is planned ahead of next week’s race, and both the rider and the crew are fully determined to make the most of the day and finish the test in the best way possible.

Jack Miller: “It was a decent day. We worked through different chassis options and several set-ups, and overall the bike is working reasonably well. I‘m quite happy with our base setting, especially as the chassis feels like a clear step forward compared to Malaysia. Sector 1 and Sector 2 are still our weak points at the moment, which was expected, but in Sector 3 and 4 I feel strong, particularly with the tyre allocation we have here. There‘s still work to do and we know we‘re not going to find 10 km/h overnight, but in general I‘m enjoying the bike and we have a clear direction for tomorrow.”

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: “I‘m still in a learning phase and adapting to this bike, but I can see progress in many areas. The biggest challenge at the moment is understanding the rear tyre, while I feel more comfortable with the front. That said, I don‘t yet have the confidence to fully lean on it the way I used to with the Pirelli. I‘m trying to improve corner by corner, and tomorrow I would like to attempt a sprint-style simulation and maybe also a fast lap like Jack did today — he did a very good job. Step by step, we‘re moving forward.”