MotoGP: Aprilia fastest, Yamaha stealing the headlines and some impressive rookie debuts – Tuesday’s test starts the talking points.
Fastest out of the blocks in 2026? Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and Aprilia. The Valencian GP podium finisher ended the Valencia Test with a 1:29.373, with Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) making it a Noale 1-2 to send the factory into the winter at the summit. P3 went the way of Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), with the top three split by less than a tenth during a busy few hours of crucial work at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo. But there was more to testing than the timesheets as the new V4-powered Yamaha M1 took the reins, and two rookies made their debuts.
Let’s get into what we saw unfold on Tuesday…
APRILIA RACING & TRACKHOUSE MOTOGP TEAM
Brand-new front aerodynamic changes across the board were the most obvious parts to spot when Bezzecchi ventured out on a black and white painted RS-GP. Front, side and rear upgrades were tested by the Italian, and it was quite a lot different to what we saw Aprilia racing with in 2025.
On the other side of the box, 2024 World Champion Jorge Martin got to head out on an RS-GP that was fitted with the chassis that Bezzecchi was racing with in the last few Grands Prix of the campaign. And it’s safe to say that it birthed an immediate positive feeling. After an injury-hit year, gaining much-needed experience was a priority ahead of the winter for the #89, but work for 2026 was also key as Martin also lapped with the new aerodynamic package. It was P2 and P16 for the Aprilia Racing stars, with the vibes high heading into the winter break at Noale.
Speaking of good vibes, table-topping Fernandez was pleased with his day at the office. While there was nothing new to try in terms of parts from Aprilia, those will come at the Sepang Test, both Fernandez and Ai Ogura leave Valencia with a good feeling on board their RS-GPs.
Ogura was able to test some different settings and try something with his riding style, with Fernandez also able to run through some electronic work that riders and teams aren’t able to do during a Grand Prix. P1 and P11 for Trackhouse, with Ogura completing the most laps of anyone (64), spelt a promising day for the American outfit.
DUCATI LENOVO TEAM, BK8 GRESINI RACING MOTOGP, PERTAMINA ENDURO VR46 RACING TEAM
Ducati’s day was solid as they began work towards 2026; in the factory squad, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) completed 32 laps and remained in the top six for the majority of the day. At the chequered flag, he was tenth and despite a crash at Turn 2 with just 45 minutes to go, Pecco was positive about the feeling he had on the first version of the GP26. Front-end feel on corner entry was much better, so the double MotoGP World Champion heads into the winter with a bigger smile on his face than before.
With just over an hour to go, his temporary teammate for the final two rounds of 2025 and the Valencia Test, Nicolo Bulega, briefly went P4 and top Ducati with his fastest laps of the Ricardo Tormo Circuit. In the end, he finished the day in an impressive P8, not a bad way to conclude his stint in the team. The Italian was also feeling a lot more comfortable on the MotoGP bike ahead of testing duties continuing in 2026.
The fastest Ducati honours went the way of Alex Marquez who was also vital in the development of 2026’s bike. He was P3 whilst teammate Fermin Aldeguer was fourth as the #54 got to put the GP25 through its paces for the first time. Notching up 93 laps between them and both securing a spot in the top four, it was a strong way to end 2025.
In the manufacturer’s other Independent team, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) secured seventh but had a small technical problem just before 3pm. With Franco Morbidelli sadly out injured, there was one positive in a dream come true for Celestino Vietti, who got a late call-up to replace him. Setting 21 laps, the Italian stated that quite simply, it was “the best day of my life” as he watched on in the afternoon following his early festive season present.
RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING & RED BULL KTM TECH3
Throughout the day, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was the fastest KTM rider on track and for plenty of it, the #37 was sporting a new side fairing. It was one of the main objectives from the day for the KTM quartet on track, with Acosta’s teammate Brad Binder also getting to try the RC16’s new side fairing set-up too. Overall, Acosta finished P5 on the timesheets having completed 53 laps, with Binder ending the day in P9 after posting 52 laps.
Tech3 Team Manager Nicolas Guyon confirmed that both Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales were trying a new seat configuration to help with the ergonomic set-up of the bike, something Bastianini in particular has struggled with in 2025. Viñales cut a positive figure at the end of the day, with aerodynamic work a big part of what the Spaniard did on Tuesday. Viñales finished the day in P6 and with a better feeling as he returns to full fitness, while Bastianini begins 2026 with a P17 on the timesheets.
HONDA HRC CASTROL & LCR HONDA
After Aleix Espargaro’s glowing reports of Honda’s new 2026 machine following test days at both Sepang and Aragon, Honda’s three factory-contracted riders had their first opportunity to try the updated RC213V today. A new engine, a fully reshaped and updated rear seat unit and aero, plus some small aerodynamic modifications to the side fairings were just the first step on a Honda machine that Alberto Puig is hopeful can push the Japanese factory back into the top five on a regular basis. Joan Mir finished the day in 12th, 0.022 clear of Johann Zarco in 13th, who was 0.022 clear of Honda HRC Castrol’s Luca Marini in 14th.
There were of course plenty of eyes on the newly-crowned Moto2 World Champion Diogo Moreira as he made his MotoGP debut. The Brazilian was adapting to life with the world’s best by using the RC213V that the factory riders finished the year with. 22nd and 1.824 adrift of top spot can go down as a successful first outing for the number 11.
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP & PRIMA PRAMAC YAMAHA MOTOGP
Yamaha grabbed headlines for two separate reasons today as three-time WorldSBK King Toprak Razgatlioglu made his public debut and the next step in their V4 project was taken. The Turk impressed at a circuit he’d never raced at before, managing to close out his first day as a MotoGP rider three-quarters of a second behind the Iwata factory’s benchmark, Fabio Quartararo, and even ahead of both Alex Rins and Prima Pramac Yamaha teammate Jack Miller.
Still yet to turn the new engine up to 100% power, it was clear the new project is missing top-end speed down the start-finish straight, but they will also remain in Valencia for a further day of testing tomorrow, with factory boss Maio Meregalli confirming chassis and aero parts set to be tested.
Quartararo’s 1:29.927 was good enough for 15th on the timesheets as the Yamaha engineers now head back to the factory with a huge amount of data that they’re hopeful they can use to fine-tune the M1 into a competitive package in 2026. The Frenchman confirmed they’re still searching for a base setting on the new V4-powered YZR-M1 and have another important private test on Wednesday in Valencia, with Rins confirming that the day was a positive one on board the V4.
So there we go. That’s a wrap from 2025, and we have official lift-off in 2026. Now, a much-needed winter break arrives before we gear up for the Sepang Shakedown and Official Tests in February.
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