MotoGP will return to semi-official track action this coming week at Sepang, with the now-traditional shakedown test allowing for limited track action to take place behind somewhat closed doors, just days before the season kicks off properly with a full three-day outing at the Malaysian Grand Prix circuit.
The January 29-31 test isn’t quite an official event; instead, it is organised by the teams, which means that media access (and, as a result, coverage) will be relatively limited - although not quite to the same extent as Formula 1’s current test at Barcelona, with media at least allowed access to the Sepang paddock and service road.
As always, it will see a reduced grid, one that has been constrained even further in 2026 by Honda’s move from band D to band C of MotoGP’s concession system, meaning that it is no longer eligible to take part in it with race riders Luca Marini and Joan Mir.
That means that the only full-time members of the 2026 grid who will line up for the three days of track action will be Yamaha’s four racers, the factory team of Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins and Pramac Racing’s Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlioglu.
Razgatlioglu qualifies twice over to ride at the shakedown test, based not only on Yamaha’s concession ranking but also on his MotoGP rookie status, and will be joined by fellow newcomer Diogo Moreira on the LCR Honda.
Coming after only one weather-struck day at Valencia (and a second day of closed-doors running for Razgatlioglu and Yamaha) following the final round of 2025, it gives the pair valuable time to continue their MotoGP adaptation, with Razgatlioglu in particular keen to work on a range of ergonomic bike modifications that he has requested from Yamaha.
It should be a busy test all in all for Yamaha, in fact, with an important new iteration of its V4-engined machine set to appear at Sepang. The previous version of the bike was raced by Augusto Fernandez (who will also be present at the shakedown) at the end of 2025, but the new version is expected to be radically different, with a wholly new aero package and a frame redesigned based on feedback from all four of its racers.
Moreira will be joined on track by fellow Honda rider Aleix Espargaro, who will continue to lead development of the firm’s current bike in the coming months while fellow test rider Taka Nakagami concentrates on the new 2027-spec 850cc machine. Honda will be looking to build on a strong end to 2025 with an improved package.
KTM, too, will be searching for improvements given that this is its first substantial pre-season testing programme in two years, after financial problems meant most of last year’s development work was seriously curtailed. Pol Espargaro will lead its testing programme, although he is likely to be joined by Dani Pedrosa as well.
Things are likely to be somewhat quieter for the two Italian factories, with only Michele Pirro and Lorenzo Savadori expected to be on track for Ducati and Aprilia. Both teams are set to make less substantial modifications to their machines than the other factories given the way in which both ended 2025.
However, with Savadori also now drafted in to replace the injured Jorge Martin at the pre-season test proper, he’s expecting a busy workload as he rides not just his own test machine but every other Aprilia in order to get them ready for their regular racers.
“At Sepang, I’ll have a lot of work scheduled on all eight bikes, including those of the Trackhouse MotoGP team, and there will be many new solutions to try, even during the following three days of official testing,” said Savadori in the team statement announcing Martin’s latest absence.
Likely shakedown rider line-up
Ducati - Michele Pirro
Aprilia - Lorenzo Savadori
KTM - Pol Espargaro, Dani Pedrosa
Honda - Aleix Espargaro, Diogo Moreira
Yamaha - Fabio Quartararo, Alex Rins, Jack Miller, Toprak Razgatlioglu, Augusto Fernandez
