FRIDAY 07/02
18:00 - And that's a wrap! A low key end to the Sepang Test, with no real pushes for the top in the end. But it's been a FASCINATING look ahead to the 2025 season, and there's more to come. First with our season launch in Bangkok, and then with the Buriram Test!
17:02 - Less than an hour to go now, and there's a fair amount of action out on track. Will we see any final laps to challenge the top or are we locked in with long runs?
16:30 - The Sprint simulations are still ongoing, and some impressive times are coming in. In 2024, Fabio Di Giannantonio set the fastest Sprint sim in Sepang with a time of 17:43.857, averaging 1:58.237 over 10 laps. Marc Marquez has just completed his session, recording a blistering 17:41.024, with a 1:57.930 average over the same number of laps. For reference, teammate Pecco Bagnaia's average was 1:58.243 in his simulation.
15:32 - Action back on track then. Expect some more Sprint sims to come in before we see time attacks later in the day, provided the weather holds!
15:00 - Away we go then for the midday report LIVE from the circuit with Louis Suddaby and Jack Appleyard! Watch it below or across MotoGP's social media channels!
14:26 - Rain is now falling at the circuit—let's see how this affects things after lunch! In the meantime, grab a cuppa and settle in for some analysis. Join Louis Suddaby and Jack Appleyard LIVE from the track at 15:00 (UTC +8) on MotoGP’s social channels for Midday Live!
14:00 - It's lunchtime in Malaysia, but a few riders are still on track, including Bagnaia. The Italian currently sits second on the timesheets behind Alex Marquez, who clocked a 1:56.493 this morning—just 0.156s off Bagnaia's official lap record from 2024. Will we see someone go quicker than that this afternoon?
13:30 - You may have guessed it, but things are quiet on track. Just a couple riders out currently. We saw plenty of change on the timesheets earlier in the day, but not many improvements since. Morbidelli is out on track, but is focusing on a race simulation currently rather than any sort of time attack.
11:16 - Another one! Alex Marquez is now top by just 0.007 as he deposes Bagnaia. Last year in Q2 he did a 1:57.275 to get on the front row. This morning it's a 1:56.493!
10:46 - Bosh! Another change at the top. Bagnaia has put in a double charge to take over, with a 1:56.6 and then a 1:56.500 exactly to go faster than Quartararo on both counts. It is HOTTING UP. Our eagle-eyed After the Flag reporters, Jack Appleyard and Louis Suddaby, inform us it's the first and final splits where he's losing out compared to his lap record in Q2 at the GP.
10:33 - El Diablo strikes back! The Frenchman is now two tenths clear with a 1:56.724. The next first sector was red too before something went down in sector two... six seconds off. For now he's back in, as are most of the grid. Morbidelli continues on track setting red first sectors though... can he put it all together?
10:24 - Voila! HOT ONES! Morbidelli is now top after a scorching 1:56.948 and Quartararo is just 0.029 behind. The 1:56s are here. Then it's Bagnaia around a quarter of a second off the top, in the low 57s for now. But watch this space!
10:00 - Wakey wakey! We're back out for the third and final day of the Sepang Test and there's action from the off on Friday. It's rather a familiar name on top as the red sectors stream in: Fabio Quartararo. The Frenchman is a stunning second clear of Aldeguer and immediately into the 1:57s with a 1:57.718. Are we going to see some real lightning laps this morning? That was the talk on the street. As a reminder, the all-time lap record here is the 1:56.337 Bagnaia slammed in last year for pole. He and Jorge Martin were the only two in the 1:56s that day...
THURSDAY 06/02
18:00 - The final push is over for Day 2! Morbidelli remains the man of the moment with that 1:57.210, with Quartararo's run of testing speed continuing in second. Alex Marquez is third ahead of rookie teammate Aldeguer, who is another one showing consistent speed throughout our time on track in Malaysia, from the Shakedown on. One big mover in terms of position by the end of play is Bagnaia, who was well down the order on Day 1 and moves up to fifth on Thursday. Mir makes it a second sixth in a row, another good showing for the #36 and the Honda HRC Castrol team!
17:45 - Some more timing changes with Pedro Acosta moving up to seventh in the timesheets. Marc Marquez has dropped to 14th, and after an attempt to improve that time, he found himself in the gravel, though he looks ok.
Joan Mir another improver, up to sixth overall. He hasn't had the best time aboard the Honda since joining a couple seasons ago, but perhaps better times are on the horizon for the 2020 World Champion?
And moments after writing that, the #36 has stopped due to technical issues. Still though, hugely encouraging stuff for Mir!
17:32 - Incidentally, Bezzecchi has completed 55 laps today, the second highest amount. The most? Ai Ogura with 59. The two full-time Aprilia boys getting through plenty of work in the absence of Jorge Martin and Raul Fernandez.
17:26 - Some changes in the top 10 then! Pecco Bagnaia has fired in his best effort of the Test for sixth overall, while Marco Bezzecchi has come to life on the factory Aprilia. Bez slots into eighth. After the Flag is going LIVE momentarily, so make sure you have the kettle boiled and the tea ready for the show!
17:00 - A reminder then that we have LIVE coverage of the Test coming up very shortly. After the Flag will bring you all the latest analysis and interviews from the riders themselves from 17:30 (UTC +8). Make sure you tune in for it!
16:54 - It's probably fair to say that Enea Bastianini hasn't quite yet set the world alight with the KTM over the first day and a half. However, he just went out with a new seat and new tyres with his RC16 which brought about his best lap of the Test to date, though he is still 1.8s off the quickest time so far.
16:46 - Some changes then as times begin to improve! Pecco Bagnaia jumps up to ninth ahead of teammate Marquez, before going even better next time around for sixth for the day! We hadn't seen the Italian at the top end of the timesheets over the previous day and a half, but it looks like a change in tack.
16:19 - It's not enough rain to really count as wet just yet though. Consequently we have plenty of riders back out, but Marc Marquez coming back in after an issue down at Turn 2. It feels like it's really prepped to RAIN though. Cloud cover and humidity to the max. So far it's not slowing them down though... the joys of the heat mean it's burning off before it's affected grip too much!
16:00 - But not for long....That threat of rain has come to fruition with drizzle around the paddock. A chance for wet weather practice for some though!
15:38 - Multiple bikes back out on track, but no lap times to threaten the top of the timesheets just yet.
15:22 - A quick cameo from Gino Borsoi, who gives us the double thumbs up for his team performance so far today, signs off our connection with the live. Focus switches back to the track, where it is all quiet right now.
15:12 - Meanwhile, we have bikes back on track. Well, one bike! Alex Marquez is out spinning his first laps of the afternoon. Expect others to follow suit shortly though, as some grey looking clouds lurk near the circuit and are on their way!
15:10 - Aprilia's new Technical Director Fabiano Sterlacchini is the first big name to join the guys for a chat in the paddock, and is giving some brilliant insights into the Noale factory's testing plan, particularly with the absence of World Champion Jorge Martin after he was forced to withdraw due to injury.
14:42 - Lunch continues on for riders, but not for MotoGP's hard working staff in the paddock! We'll have a midday report to bring you very shortly at 15:00, with Louis Suddaby and Jack Appleyard on the ground in Sepang to bring you the very latest developments. Tune in across our social media channels!
13:42 - And now Bez has opted to pit! Time to get a coffee and some lunch then folks, but before you do, here's a quick round up of the state of play. It's Morbidellli top ahead of yesterday's quickest Quartararo. Then it's Gresini duo Alex Marquez and Aldeguer in fourth and fifth. Johann Zarco is the top Honda in seventh, and he's sandwiched between Prima Pramac's Miguel Oliveira and Jack Miller, while Alex Rins, Marc Marquez and Joan Mir round out the top 10. To check out the timesheets in more detail, head on over to MotoGP's Live Timing!
13:38 - Even more so now. We believe it may be lunch time for most... with only Bez out on track at the moment!
12:33 - Sorry for the silence. It's a bit quiet out there at the moment. It may be we have a few race simulations underway but we'll be able to dig into those a bit better once they're concluded. So... let's see? It's Morbidelli, Quartararo, Alex Marquez, Ogura, Acosta and Marini on track. Lorenzo Savadori, now back out for Aprilia testing duties as Martin heads home, must have heard us taking an interest and came back in.
11:13 - Crash for Bagnaia! The #63 slid off at Turn 15 aka the final corner. No harm done, he's picked it up and headed back into pitlane.
11:04 - Morbidelli is now top! It's a 1:57.210 leading the way from the Italian, which is faster than his qualifying lap from here last year! It's also good enough to have put him on the front row for the 2024 Malaysian GP. Having said that... it would still have been nine tenths from pole after that ridiculous lap from Bagnaia for P1.
10:35 - BOOM. Aldeguer has knocked on and then kicked open the door to the 1:57 club! It's a 1:57.545 at the top now from the rookie, putting him seven tenths clear of Quartararo and Marc Marquez after they'd shuffled Bagnaia down the order.
10:10 - Pleasingly, it's a 1:59.000 exactly sitting atop the timesheets after the first flurry of laps, that set by Bagnaia. He's out early on Thursday, as are Morbidelli, Binder, Bezzecchi, Miller and, of course, Rins. The #42 is almost always one of those straight out on track.
10:00 - Good morning! Here we go then. After a dramatic Day 1, let's hope for a little calmer waters on Thursday as we get back to business prepping for 2025.
WEDNESDAY 05/02
19:30 - That's our lot from Day 1, and certainly no shortage of drama or headlines. Impressive outings for the Yamaha and the Ducati teams while Aprilia will be hoping their fortunes turn sooner rather than later. Day 2 gets underway at 10:00 (UTC +8) on Thursday. Make sure you join us then. In the meantime, why not enjoy Wednesday After the Flag show below!
19:20 - Late breaking news after Day 1 of testing in Malaysia. World Champion Jorge Martin has withdrawn from the Sepang Test. Following his heavy crash this morning, the #1 has sustained a right hand fracture and fractures in his left foot. We wish him a speedy recovery. Unfortunately he isn't the only rider to endure a rough opening day. Raul Fernandez has already pulled out of the Test due to injury, while Fabio Di Giannantonio has fractured his collarbone. The VR46 rider will return to Italy for surgery. We wish all three riders a speedy recovery.
Fabio Di Giannantonio has been diagnosed with a left collarbone fracture following his Turn 5 crash at Sepang Test.
— Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team (@VR46RacingTeam) February 5, 2025
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team rider will fly back tonight to Italy to undergo surgery.@MotoGP #SepangTest pic.twitter.com/lJ9SMdlSd7
18:00 - With Quartararo in his civvies and already on his way to start TV interviews, his benchmark time was left open to attack from the rest of the field... and Marc Marquez gave it a shot. The #93 got within just 0.051 of the top with a late push, but ends the day second fastest ahead of Alex Marquez in third. Aldeguer takes P4 ahead of Morbidelli, and Mir takes an encouraging P6 for Honda too!
17:28 - We have a response! 'El Diablo' is back on top with 1:57.555. With about half an hour to go, can anyone hit back?
16:50 - Another one in the 57s! Alex Marquez has deposed Quartararo from the top... but by just 0.016. Are we going to see a raft of fast laps in the final hour and a bit of action?
16:22 - Now we're talking! The action is heating up on track and some quicker times are beginning to come in. Marc Marquez fires himself up to second on the timesheets. A lovely salvo from the eight-time World Champion, though he is still just over half a second shy of Quartararo's time.
16:21 - We have a change in the top 10! Ai Ogura has produced a brilliant effort to jump up to eighth in the standings and slot in between Alex Rins and Miguel Oliveira. Super stuff from the rookie, giving the Aprilia garage something celebrate on what has been a difficult day for the Noale factory.
16:05 - Just under two hours to go then on Day 1 of the Spenag Test. Plenty of riders back out on track but as things stand, we have four Yamahas in the top 10, four Ducatis, one KTM and one Honda. Quartararo leads Acosta who fronts Gresini's pairing of Alex Marquez and rookie Aldeguer. Then it's a trio of M1s while Honda HRC Castrol's Joan Mir can take plenty of encouragement from his day, sitting ninth on the timesheets ahead of Pecco Bagnaia.
It's proven a tough day for Aprilia, with Jorge Martin and Raul Fernandez both out after heavy morning crashes, leaving Marco Bezzecchi as the most senior rider on the RS-GP, with rookie Ai Ogura the other. The Japanese rider sits 19th, one ahead of his factory counterpart. At Red Bull KTM Tech3, Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini are gaining valuable track time with their new machines, but as we write this, 'The Beast' has tumbled through the gravel trap at Turn 4. Viñales sits 12th, and Bastianini 17th, on the timesheets.
Plenty of time still to go in this test though!
15:47 - Back on track, and Pedro Acosta has jumped up to second on the timesheets. The #37 is 0.642s behind leader Quartararo. It's proving a fruitful day for the Yamaha factory, with all four of their riders currently inside the top eight.
15:05 - Indeed, you can watch along now!
14:53 - Most riders are still on their lunch break, but some have already returned to the circuit to kick off the afternoon session. Meanwhile, we’ve got some action of our own coming up—Jack Appleyard and Louis Suddaby will be LIVE at 15:00 with a midday roundup of all the action so far. Tune in on MotoGP's social media channels to catch the show!
14:45 - Following on from his morning crash and injury diagnosis, Raul Fernandez has withdrawn from the Malaysia Test. The #25 has a fractured metacarpal bone in his left hand. It is the second year in a row that Fernandez has withdrawn from the Sepang Test due to injury, and this will put a serious dent in his preparations for the new season. Here's hoping for a speedy recovery!
13:52 - Just coming up to the halfway mark on Day 1 then, and it appears riders' bellies have got the better of them with the vast majority back in pitlane and enjoying lunch. At this stage, it is Fabio Quartararo who leads the way on the timesheets thanks to a 1:57.754, with Greseini duo Alex Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer next on the timesheets. Stay up to date with all of the latest changes to the timesheets with MotoGP™ Timing Pass.
The morning's action also gave us a first glimpse of Marc Marquez in his factory Ducati gear, though the main headline of the day is Jorge Martin, who suffered a heavy, heavy crash early on in the day, and was taken to hospital for further evaluation.
13:30 - Bad news for Raul Fernandez unfortunately, with the Trackhouse rider suffering a fractured metacarpal bone in his left hand as a result of his crash. Trackhouse state they are evaluating further treatment for the Spaniard.
13:11 - We have Raul Fernandez in the medical centre for a check up and Martin has now headed to local hospital for a full examination after he crashed earlier. Track is pretty quiet as many will start to pause for lunch now too, with Miller, Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Marc Marquez, Binder and rookie Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) lapping at the moment.
12:45 - A few more crashes now: Raul Fernandez and Trackhouse MotoGP teammate Ai Ogura have crashed (separately!), and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) has taken a tumble at T13.
12:30 - The 1:57 club has been open to business for a little while now. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) is the only customer so far though - his 1:57.754 puts him more than seven tenths clear of the Gresini duo, now led by Alex Marquez.
12:00 - Crash for Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), he heads back to the paddock on the back of the scooter. Rider ok!
11:50 - Martin has crashed again, this time at Turn 2. Red Flags came out for a few minutes but we're green again now. He's heading for local hospital for a check up as he's suffering some pain in his hand and foot.
11:26 - Miller has banged in a 1:58.623 to go top and then followed it with a 1:58.696. He's now got a few tenths ahead of Oliveira as the two Prima Pramac Yamahas lead the way!
11:03 - Martin has crashed! Rider ok, the reigning Champion highsided at Turn 1. First crash of the test and first crash of his year, although he did have a tip off in the Barcelona Test too, finding the limits on his new Aprilia RS-GP.
10:58 - We're in the 1:58s! Oliveira tops the timesheets but it's a top seven dominated by riders who are already dialled in from the Shakedown. With the exception of... Marc Marquez. Early days though!
The #SepangTest is officially underway! ⏱️
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) February 5, 2025
Follow it with our Live Timing 🆓 trial
👉 https://t.co/ZYN07UYyMA pic.twitter.com/0fPCVAycUM
10:30 - Marc Marquez is out in his Ducati Lenovo Team colours! A moment that we're pretty confident may go down in history. The 1:59 club is now the top seven, from Aldeguer down to Bagnaia and with Marquez sitting third.
10:15 - HERE HE IS. The reigning champion is out and lapping, although there hasn't been a real push for the top yet from Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing). Some riders have made it into the 1:59 bracket already though, with rookie Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Racing MotoGP), Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP), Marini and Bagnaia first to it.
10:00 - Here we go! The green lights go on in pitlane and we're officially underway! First out: Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) and aforementioned fan of media debriefs, Binder. Miguel Olivieira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) haven't taken long to follow suit either.
TUESDAY 04/02
Meanwhile at Ducati Lenovo Team... the day has arrived. Marc Marquez is walking around the paddock dressed in red (!). We saw a cool preview at the Barcelona Test but now it's down to business as he and Francesco Bagnaia test out the GP25 and learn how to do it as teammates. We caught up with both on Tuesday...
As we get ready for the green light on Wednesday, let's start with a quick recap of those aforementioned rookies. Hear their thoughts on the Shakedown Test!
It's the first official media day of the year and for the rookies, their first ever. Sitting still on a chair and speaking to the media has been a pure thrill for all, most especially Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), a vocal advocate of the voicenote. Just kidding, we love a good chat to get a bit of an insight into where everyone is and what they're expecting from the test - and year - ahead. Who doesn't?