Buriram Test: Bezzecchi beats lap record to lead Ogura in Thailand.
Aprilia shine as pre-season concludes, with Marc Marquez edged down to third heading into Thai GP week.
Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) was under lap record pace on the final day of 2026 pre-season, setting a 1’28.668 at Buriram to close out testing with the fastest ever lap of the venue, be it the official race weekend record or not. Next up it’s Ai Ogura putting Trackhouse MotoGP Team into second, 0.097 off ‘Bez’, with the top three completed by Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) despite a third tumble in two days for the #93. Rider ok. With such a show of force from Aprilia and plenty to write home about, we can’t wait for next weekend. Here’s how testing concluded!
Aprilia Racing and Trackhouse MotoGP Team
Pre-season is done for Aprilia and it may be their best yet. Bezzecchi undertook a long run, led for most of the afternoon before firing in an all-time lap record in the final 15 minutes. A 1’28.668 is a major benchmark ahead of next weekend’s Grand Prix and with an average lap time of 1’30.454 after 20 laps, is the #72 in the strongest position for 2026? Both Bezzecchi and teammate Jorge Martin trialled rear aero variations, perhaps to use both at certain points throughout the year. It was P8 for Martin as the 2024 World Champion returns in earnest, and his reports on how he feels getting back to it were overwhelmingly positive.
Meanwhile, MotoGP Team pairing Ai Ogura and Raul Fernandez checked out some back-to-back testing of Aprilia’s rear aero too. Both were up inside the top ten on the combined times with less than an hour and a half of pre-season to go but the gauntlet was laid down in the final 30 minutes in Ogura’s time attack, 0.097s from Bezzecchi in P2. We make that most likely the third ever fastest lap of the track. Fernandez was 11th but all four Aprilias look competitive as 2026 looms.
Ducati Lenovo Team, BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP and Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team
It’s felt like the great debate of MotoGP’s 2026 pre-season: 2024 aero vs 2025 aero at Ducati. Straight out the box this morning having been second on day one, Marc Marquez topped the morning session and was spotted with the older of the aero variations, along with his teammate Francesco Bagnaia. It was a slow start for the reigning Champion in the afternoon as illness plagues him and when he did go out, he crashed at Turn 3 – but rider OK. Pecco was in great form, knocking eight tenths off his time from day one, and once Marquez headed back out too, he finished third and only just pipped Bagnaia in fourth.
If there was Tower of Champions for testing, it’d have gone to Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP). Comfortably clear in Malaysia, Thailand welcomed him to the top on day one and he was 5th on day two. He was also with the 2024 aero package as he follows the factory team suit. It perhaps didn’t conclude in the best way for the #73, who fell at Turn 9 but was all OK and did head back out. Stand-in teammate Michele Pirro improved his time and finished in 22nd.
Keeping up their solid pre-season, Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team’s Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio worked methodically on the final day of testing. Morbidelli left it late to go out in the afternoon but when he did, he finished seventh and whilst over one lap he’s quick, race pace may not be there. It wasn’t all straightforward for ‘Diggia’, with the #49 experiencing tech problems in the morning before finishing in ninth after setting his fastest lap in the last half an hour during his time attack. In contrary to Morbidelli, Di Giannantonio has strong pace but he suffered over one lap during the Buriram test.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3
Completing the top six and making it three manufacturers towards the sharp end of the order, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) ends the test much higher up than Day 1. Eight tenths quicker on Sunday as well and getting a Grand Prix simulation bagged, hard yards in high heat brought positivity. For teammate Brad Binder, the South African struggled but did put in a fast lap late on to move up to P12 with encouraging improvements over one lap coming at the end.
Having been the best KTM on day one, Maverick Viñales didn’t improve in outright one lap speed on Sunday, taking P15 overall. He seems to be preferring the 2025 package, whereas the other three RC-16s are on the latest spec. Teammate Enea Bastianini likewise didn’t leap up the timesheets although he did improve, taking a tenth or so off his time from the opening day. But that’s one-lap speed and racing is a far more complex game, so KTM will be interesting to watch come lights out.
Honda HRC Castrol, CASTROL Honda LCR and Pro Honda LCR
It was a quieter day for Honda on Day 2, but the positivity continues and they end the test in the top ten. Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) rocketed himself up into P10 by the final chequered flag of the day whilst Luca Marini, who was the fastest Honda for the majority of the day, ultimately took 13th. The pair were just under 0.8s off the pace of Bezzecchi at the top but head into 2026 in a strong position.
Elsewhere for the Japanese manufacturer, Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) spun some laps with Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) as they finished 14th and 19th respectively. Zarco worked on consistently controlling of the bike from one lap to another whilst Moreira’s goals were to learn from his rivals – where better to start than your teammate?
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP and Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP
For Yamaha, Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) did a long run before lunch and set an average lap time in the low 1’32s before going all-out for a time attack in the closing ten minutes. The Aussie got Yamaha into the 1’29s with a 1’29.701. Along with Grand Prix simulations, he and rookie teammate Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP had on Saturday. For Razgatlioglu, his final day didn’t start well with technical issues and in the end, the Turkish rider just missed out getting into the 1’30s.
Whilst it’s been far from the ideal start to 2026, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was their second-fastest rider on day two of testing in Thailand and able to join Miller in the 1’29s with just 0.029s splitting them both. Teammate Alex Rins was able to improve too and ended the test with his one-lap blast putting him around half a second from Miller. The all-new V4-powered Yamaha YZR-M1 is just that – all new – so they’ll be looking to move further and further forward as the first race weekend of the season approaches.
That’s next weekend, so get ready and strap in for the PT Grand Prix of Thailand. The first pole, Tissot Sprint win and Grand Prix victory of the year are soon on offer – and pre-season has revealed plenty of storylines set to unfold. Don’t miss it!
CombinedPracticeTimes
More from a press release issued by BK8 Gresini Racing:
Alex closes pre-season with a top5, Pirro back to the family.
Alex Marquez 5th – 1’28.961 (+0.293s): “Aside from the crash, which happened during the race simulation, it was a positive test. Yesterday we had the fastest time, today we were very close to the top. We’re not at 10/10 yet, but compared to yesterday we’ve already made a big step forward in confidence with the bike. Compared to last year, I feel more ready to fight for important results, but this year there will be many riders at top level and it will be a great challenge. I don’t feel pressure, I feel confidence and I can’t wait to start.”
Crash in FP4 – Turn 9 – Rider OK
Michele Pirro 22nd – 1’31.777 (+3.109s): “Obviously, I’m sorry to be here as a replacement for an injured rider. That said, we worked hard over these two days; the track is new to me and I didn’t have the chance to push in a time attack. In any case, I’m very happy to be back with Team Gresini after so many years. We’ll work throughout the weekend to help Ducati and Team Gresini.”
More from a press release issued by Pertamina Enduro VR46 Team:
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team ends the 2026 pre-season with confidence.
Positive feelings for Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio, who end the official MotoGP winter test in Thailand in seventh and ninth place respectively in the combined classification over the two days.
At the Chang International Circuit, the official MotoGP winter tests came to an end, and the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team also completed Day 2 with positive feelings and confidence ahead of the start of the 2026 season. Franco Morbidelli finished the final day of testing in seventh place, while Fabio Di Giannantonio secured ninth place.
It was a positive day for Morbidelli, who continued on Day 2 the work started on the first day of testing. Franco confirmed the good feeling with his Ducati Desmosedici GP, as shown by his time attack. On the second day of testing, the Italian-Brazilian rider improved his best reference time compared to Day 1. Morbidelli completed 61 laps overall, with a best laptime of 1’29”071, which placed him seventh both in the combined classification for the day and in the overall classification across the two days of testing.
Di Giannantonio also completed a positive Day 2, during which he carried out a race simulation with encouraging feedback. Fabio continued working on the updates to his Ducati Desmosedici GP and proved to be competitive in the time attack as well – in the afternoon he topped the timesheets, finishing the session in the Top3. The rider from Rome – who improved his laptime both from Day 1 to Day 2 and from the morning to the afternoon session – completed 68 laps overall. His fastest laptime was 1’29”173, which placed him ninth in both today’s combined classification and the overall classification across the two days of testing.
With the Buriram tests, the MotoGP winter comes to an end, and the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will be back on track in a few days for the Thailand Grand Prix, which will kick off the 2026 season from February 27th to March 1st.
Fabio Di Giannantonio: “Long testing days! And this one in Buriram was the hardest of my life because I tried so many things. But I am very happy about that, because we worked very well with the team, we could do everything we had in mind and in our work plan. In terms of speed, it wasn’t our best test because we tried so many things and it was difficult to find the perfect lap and rhythm. But I am happy with the base setup for the first race, it seems that the final one is the same as Sepang, and it’s a huge step. We arrive to the first race with a lot of clear ideas, feeling confident and great with the team. I’m fully confident that we can do a good job with the package we have. We are ready for the season!”
Franco Morbidelli: “It was a positive pre-season: we worked very well during these five days of testing; we cleared out many things. In this Buriram test, we understood few more things about the new bike, that is a bit smoother, quicker and faster on the straight, it gives a better comfort. We were able to improve the feeling step by step throughout the days. On this track, I was four tenths quicker than last year, that is positive. For the start of the season, we can be competitive, we had a good speed, even though the rivals were fast. But we are there.”
More from a press release issued by Honda HRC Castrol:
Honda HRC Castrol conclude pre-season testing in Thailand.
Just as quickly as it began, Joan Mir and Luca Marini have wrapped up the Buriram Test and now all attentions turn to the opening race of 2026. Honda HRC looking to make the most of the few days between the test and the race for final improvements.
Hot and humid conditions continued steadily throughout the second day of testing in Buriram, a final chance to acclimatise before the first race of the year. These conditions allowed the Honda HRC Castrol squad to run through a comprehensive testing plan to put everything in place for the 2026 season.
Concluding the Buriram Test as the tenth fastest rider on the second day and just over half a second off the quickest rider of the day, Joan Mir continued his strong form on the Honda RC213V. Top Honda throughout the Buriram Test, the 2020 World Champion was hoping for some more overall speed after a very competitive end to 2025 and a positive first test in Sepang but he remains confident Honda HRC’s engineers will find a few cards up their sleeves before the lights go out.
Diligently working until the very last moment, Luca Marini completed the last day of the last test in 13th and less than two tenths off his Honda HRC Castrol teammate. Throughout both the Sepang and Buriram Tests, the #10 has been able to post competitive times and consistently be within a second of the fastest rider. Times will be tight when the lights go out on Saturday and Sunday, but the Italian is confident in picking up where he left off and challenging for the top positions.
It’s time to put our learnings to the test as the newest MotoGP World Championship season is set to begin on Friday, February 27 at the Chang International Circuit when the bikes roll out for Free Practice 1.
Joan Mir: “We have had a pre-season with a lot of potential, but of course you’re always wanting more as a rider. This track for us, but especially me, has been more difficult than the last few circuits. The grip wasn’t quite there for us, and it was there for some other guys, so we spent a lot of the test playing with the geometry of the bike. There are a couple of options with the direction of the bike to try and make ourselves more competitive. We have a few days for everyone to find a couple more solutions before we go racing, so let’s make the most of it and be competitive when the racing starts.”
Luca Marini: “The bike has improved a lot with the engine, the aero and the braking phase and we have to be pleased with this. Everyone has worked hard over the winter and these two tests and I know they will keep working hard throughout the year. We need to stay focused on the things we are missing to go faster, just a little more time to improve these parts. I am looking forward to the race to see where everyone really is, Qualifying will be very important in this first race so we need to prepare well for it. I think our potential is easily in the top seven, maybe even more if we can find a few things with the bike in these next few days.”
More from a press release issued by KTM Tech3:
Final Preparations Complete: Red Bull KTM Tech3 set for 2026 MotoGP™ season opener.
Red Bull KTM Tech3 head into the opening round of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship with valuable mileage and data secured, logging a combined total of 248 laps across the two-day pre-season test at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand.
The intensive programme allowed Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini to further refine their KTM RC16 machines ahead of next week’s Thailand Grand Prix at the same venue.
Following a positive opening test in Sepang, the team arrived in Buriram with a comprehensive schedule of test items. Working across both sides of the garage, the focus centred on optimising base set-up, validating components introduced in Malaysia, and consolidating key configuration directions for the season opener.
On day one, Viñales set the eighth fastest time after a late improvement on his final run, while Bastianini concluded the session in 16th as he continued to build confidence with his race package at the 4.554km circuit.
The second and final day of running saw the riders complete race simulations alongside dedicated Time Attack laps, as the team worked through its final race-weekend configurations, building a clearer picture of its race package ahead of the first round. Viñales concluded the day in P14, with Bastianini in P18.
With the pre-season programme now complete, Red Bull KTM Tech3 conclude the Buriram Test with Viñales 15th overall and Bastianini 18th. The team will now focus on analysing the data gathered across all five days of winter testing, with attention turning to the opening race of the 2026 MotoGP season.
Maverick Viñales: “It was a busy test because we needed to confirm many items and make sure we have the right direction. On the second day we concentrated a lot on the race simulations and recovered important information for both the Sprint and the full race distance. We weren’t able to put it all together for Time Attack today, so I couldn’t put in a representative lap, but the Sprint simulation felt quite good and I was consistent. For the longer distance we still need to improve the balance of the bike and tyre management, but we now have a clear direction. Physically I feel strong — I completed a full race distance and a Sprint run without any issues, so that’s a big positive heading into the first weekend.”
Enea Bastianini: “To be honest, we have to take some positives and some negatives from this test, but we still need to improve in several areas. We tried different set-ups over the two days to understand where we are losing time, and the new chassis at the end of the test was a good solution for me. I have more references compared to last year, which helps, but we need to stay focused and analyse everything carefully before the race. I will be working hard over the next few days and the goal now is to put everything together next weekend.”
Nicolas Goyon, Team Mananger: “The Buriram test marks the end of an intensive winter preparation for us. We know that this is a circuit that doesn’t necessarily suit our bike that well, but we used the time on track efficiently to make positive steps forward. Over these two days we confirmed the configurations for both riders — Maverick completed a full race simulation and Sprint run with different set-ups, which gave us a clear understanding of the direction to take. On Enea’s side, he used the time to evaluate several combinations and found a better package towards the end of the test. The outright positions are not the full picture of the work completed, but the important thing is that we now have a lot of data we can analyse and make final changes to the bike before heading into the first race. Job done for the winter — now the championship begins.”
More from a press release issued by CASTROL HONDA LCR:
Castrol Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco has completed the second and final day of testing at the Buriram Circuit, finishing 14th on the combined standings.
- The Frenchman and his crew have wrapped up the Buriram Test with improved initial feelings on the bike and have found adjustments that will help deliver solid performance.
- In the afternoon, Zarco completed a race simulation and shared positive feedback.
- Having gathered valuable data and made effective changes, and after 157 useful laps, both Zarco and his crew are now ready for the first Grand Prix of the 2026 season, scheduled for next week here in Thailand.
More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:
Jack Miller: “Today was busy and tough — I‘ll definitely sleep well tonight. We completed two long runs of around 20 laps each, and that‘s part of the process when you‘re working with a new motorcycle, trying to understand it and develop it. We know there are clear areas we need to improve, but overall I feel good on the bike and I can feel it getting better step by step. That‘s encouraging, and I‘m looking forward to going racing. We‘re aware that this track is a challenging one for us, especially with the long straights, but we have a clear plan for the first updates and everyone is pushing hard. I‘m pushing the guys, and at the same time trying to give them the most precise feedback possible to shorten the development process. Handling-wise I feel comfortable, and I firmly believe the engineers are doing everything they can. Considering this bike was basically built six months ago, being around a second off on a single lap shows we‘re moving in the right direction.”
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: “Today my focus was on race simulation work and also on riding behind Jack. I think I understood much more about the bike and I‘m starting to understand these tyres better as well. The more I ride, the more comfortable I feel. I know I still have a lot to improve, also mentally. When I was riding behind Jack and saw how much he leaned on the front tyre, I was sure he was going to crash. But then I saw how smoothly he carried the corner, and I realised it‘s my mind that needs to adapt and trust these tyres more. I was able to do six or seven laps on the same set of tyres with consistent lap times, which is positive. I‘m looking forward to continuing this learning process.”
More from a press release issued by Pro Honda LCR:
Pro Honda LCR rider Diogo Moreira has completed a positive and productive second and final day of testing at the Buriram Circuit, finishing 19th on the combined standings.
- From the early laps this morning, Moreira posted a strong lap time, just one second off the top, demonstrating both speed and adaptability to the bike.
- In the afternoon, the Brazilian rider and his crew made solid progress, completing a race simulation with positive feedback and notable improvements.
- With a wealth of data and high motivation, and after 148 laps, Moreira and the Pro Honda LCR team wrap up the Buriram Test and are now prepared for the first Grand Prix of the 2026 season, scheduled for next week here in Thailand.
More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Complete 2026 Preseason Testing in Thailand.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins returned to the Chang International Circuit today for the final day of 2026 preseason testing. They completed their testing schedules and took 17th and 20th place respectively in the Day 2 and the combined Buriram MotoGP Official Test results.
With the 2026 MotoGP season due to start in one week’s time, the teammates made the most of today’s two riding sessions (Session 1 from 10:00-13:00 GMT +7 and Session 2 from 13:20-17:30) and worked diligently to find a good base set-up.
Quartararo got another 55 laps in on Day 2. He clocked a 1’30.206s in the morning session, which had him take 17th place in the Session 1 results. In the afternoon, he dipped under the 1’30s mark. His 1’29.701s, set in the final stages, had him rank 9th in the Session 2 results and 17th in the combined Day 2 rankings, 1.033s off today’s top time.
Rins completed 54 laps on Day 2. His 1’30.234s best morning time put him in 18th position in the Session-1 timesheets. He wrapped up Session 2 in 16th place with a 1’30.122s. This time has the Spaniard rank 20th in today’s overall classifications, 1.454s from the fastest rider.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP will be back in action at the Chang track from 27 February – 1 March to kick off the 2026 MotoGP season with the Grand Prix of Thailand.
Fabio Quartararo: “We are in the process of figuring out how the new bike works compared to the previous one. We need a bit more time. Hopefully, we will make more steps in the coming months. In terms of pace, we still need to improve. We will work hard on this. My finger is not fully healed yet at the moment, but I will be fine for the first race.”
Alex Rins: “The test and the preseason have been completed. We need to keep working. I tried to give my best feedback to the engineers to improve the bike. Physically, I’m feeling super strong. I did a really good preseason in terms of the gym, so I’m ready for the season.”
