The third and final day of the pre-season shakedown test in Sepang concluded today with Aleix Espargaro once again topping the timing sheets for Honda.
Espargaro's 1:57.173 was the fastest lap of the three day test which will be good news for Honda as they seek to develop their bike for 2026.
Pol Espargaro finished the day in second for KTM behind his older brother while Fabio Quartararo came third following the news that he may be set to depart Yamaha at the end of the year for their Japanese rivals, Honda.
Over the last three days. teams have taken to the Sepang circuit in Malaysia to try out new components ahead of the 2026 season opener in Buriram, Thailand on 1 March.
Sepang Malaysia test MotoGP
While many riders such as Marc Marquez, Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia were absent from this round of testing, there was plenty of track time for rookie Toprak Razgatlioglu alongside his Pramac Yamaha teammate Jack Miller.
Aleix Espargaro managed the fastest times on both Day 1 and Day 3, while Miller was fastest for Pramac on Day 2.
Meanwhile, Brazilian rookie Diogo Moreira also got some valuable track time aboard a MotoGP bike, completing a good amount of laps on his LCR Honda.
The next round of tersting, scheduled to take place on 3 February, also at the Sepang International Circuit, will likely see more of the top riders and teams out on track as they look to hone in the performance of their respective bikes before the season begins.
Some riders tested several bikes, hence their names coming up several times on the timing sheets. Check out the final results for the third day of testing here:
| Rider/Team | Fastest Lap |
| 1. Aleix Espargaro (Honda Test Team) | 1:57.173 |
| 2. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) | 1:57.299 |
| 3. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team) | 1:57.490 |
| 4. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) | 1:57.755 |
| 5. Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team) | 1:57.892 |
| 6. Jack Miller (Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) | 1:58.094 |
| 7. Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team)
| 1:58.180 |
| 8. Diogo Moreira (LCR Honda) | 1:58.338 |
| 9. Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) | 1:58.464 |
| 10. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) | 1:58.465 |
| 11. Jack Miller (Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) | 1:58.497 |
| 12. Michele Pirro (Ducati Lenovo Team) | 1:58.889 |
| 13. Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing) | 1:58.948 |
| 14. Michele Pirro (Ducati Lenovo Team) | 1:59.017 |
| 15. Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing) | 1:59.292 |
| 16. Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) | 1:59.376 |
| 17. Mika Kallio (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) | 1:59.807 |
| 18. Yamaha Test Riders (Yamaha Factory Racing) | 2:00.162 |
| 19. Yamaha Test Riders (Yamaha Factory Racing) | 2:01.154 |
| 20. Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing) | 2:03.145 |
| 21. Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing) | 2:04.318 |
.
'Quartararo to join Honda in 2027'
Quartararo
is said to have signed a two-year deal with Honda, starting from the 2027 season.The French rider had impressive performances the previous season, but achieving results with the 2025 Yamaha was a difficult task. The former champion finished only ninth in the riders' standings, and scored a single Grand Prix podium at the Spanish GP in Jerez.Yamaha is bringing key changes to the upcoming MotoGP campaign. The new bike is called YZR-M1, and it is now equipped with a V4 engine.
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