Fernandez and Bezzecchi headline the timesheets, Yamaha’s V4 era begins, and MotoGP’s newest rookies get their first taste of the premier class
The opening test for the 2026 MotoGP season closed with more intrigue than a Grand Prix weekend, as Aprilia ended Tuesday on top and Yamaha stole much of the spotlight with the long-anticipated debut of their new V4 engine. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) capped off his increasingly confident late-season form by clocking a 1:29.373 — the best lap of the day — while Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) made it a Noale 1–2. Alex Márquez (BK8 Gresini Racing) rounded out a tightly packed top three, all within a tenth of a second.
But the real story went far beyond the stopwatch. Valencia offered a first glimpse of how the grid is shaping up under early 2026 development, with sweeping aerodynamic revisions, chassis experiments, aggressive engine prototypes, and two high-profile debuts setting the paddock buzzing.
Below is the full breakdown of what unfolded.
APRILIA RACING & TRACKHOUSE MOTOGP TEAM: AERODYNAMIC RESET AND IMMEDIATE SPEED
Aprilia entered the test with perhaps the most visibly revised motorcycle in pit lane. Bezzecchi’s RS-GP rolled out in a stark black-and-white livery masking a radical set of aerodynamic changes — a completely reworked front fairing, new sidepod geometry, and a redesigned rear aero assembly. The evolution was substantial enough that engineers described it as a “new direction,” distinct from the aero the factory carried through the 2025 season.
Bezzecchi — who ended 2025 looking increasingly at home on the RS-GP — evaluated both the aero redesign and an updated chassis that Jorge Martín has now officially inherited. For Martín, fresh off a turbulent, injury-hampered year, Tuesday served as a needed reset. His pace wasn’t headline-grabbing (P16), but the Spaniard stressed that the new chassis gave him an immediately improved front-end feel and braking stability — traditionally the DNA of Aprilia’s strengths. He also cycled through the new aero package and long-run settings, focusing on rebuilding rhythm rather than chasing a time.
Trackhouse, meanwhile, approached the test differently. Fernandez had no new hardware to evaluate — Aprilia will ship the full technical upgrade package to the Sepang Test in February — so the goal was refinement. With no pressure on parts development, Fernandez and rookie teammate Ai Ogura dug deep into electronics, mapping, and ergonomic adjustments rarely possible during a race weekend. Ogura topped the lap-count charts with 64, using the day to fine-tune the RS-GP’s corner entry behavior and ride-height balance.
Their combined performance — Fernandez P1, Ogura P11 — sent Trackhouse into winter testing with one of the most optimistic outlooks of any independent team.
DUCATI: STEADY PROGRESS AND A GLIMPSE OF THE GP26
Ducati entered Valencia with the burden of expectation that accompanies a decade of technical dominance. And while the headline times came from others, Ducati’s work was deliberate and encouraging. The 2026 focus is clear: improving agility on entry and regaining the smooth mid-corner stability the latest Michelins seem to reward.
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo) was upbeat despite a small low-side at Turn 2 with 45 minutes remaining. He praised improved front-end feedback from the GP26 prototype — an area he had repeatedly highlighted as limiting him during the 2025 campaign. His 32 laps were more diagnostic than performance-oriented, and his P10 felt secondary to the positive direction.
Nicolo Bulega — drafted in for the final two races and the test — impressed again, briefly topping the Ducati contingent before finishing P8. Ducati’s engineers have praised the former WorldSSP Champion for his precise feedback and adaptability, and Valencia reaffirmed that he is ready for a full testing role in 2026.
Gresini had one of the strongest combined outings: Alex Márquez closed the day as top Ducati (P3), while rookie sensation Fermín Aldeguer took P4 after logging nearly a race-and-a-half’s worth of laps. Both riders offered valuable data for the GP25’s final development cycle before the transition to next year’s machine.
Further down the pit lane, Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46) claimed P7 despite a minor technical hiccup mid-afternoon. With Franco Morbidelli sidelined, Celestino Vietti got an unexpected but emotional MotoGP debut — 21 laps that he described simply as “the best day of my life.”
KTM FACTORY & TECH3: NEW FAIRING, NEW SEAT PACKAGE, SAME RAW SPEED
Pedro Acosta was again the spearhead of KTM’s testing program, finishing P5 and consistently evaluating a new side-fairing configuration. KTM’s engineering group has leaned heavily into improving top-end stability and reducing the RC16’s sometimes aggressive aerodynamics under braking, and Tuesday’s runs were part of that broader shift.
Brad Binder mirrored the same development plan, ending P9 after 52 laps.
Tech3 riders Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales worked on a redesigned seat unit — an area Bastianini had struggled with throughout 2025 due to fit, weight transfer issues, and discomfort during full-fuel stints. Viñales also focused heavily on aero, emerging from the day with renewed optimism and a solid P6.
Bastianini’s P17 didn’t reflect the progress made, but his feedback was key as KTM continues tuning ergonomics to mitigate rider fatigue over long runs.
HONDA HRC: A NEW START WITH A NEW BIKE
After months of speculation, Honda’s 2026 RC213V finally made its public debut with all three factory-contracted riders evaluating it together for the first time. The updates were substantial: a new engine spec, redesigned rear seat unit, reprofiled aero, and early-stage modifications to the side fairing. HRC boss Alberto Puig has been candid that the priority is simple: “Return to the top five.”
Joan Mir ended the day P12, mere hundredths ahead of Johann Zarco (P13) and Luca Marini (P14). The trio’s times were close — a sign that the new package is at least consistent, even if still early in development.
Perhaps the most-watched debut of the day belonged to newly crowned Moto2 World Champion Diogo Moreira. Using the outgoing 2025-spec Honda, Moreira logged a respectable P22, 1.8 seconds off Fernandez. For a first day on a MotoGP bike, the Brazilian’s calm adaptation impressed team engineers — especially his stability under braking, historically one of Honda’s toughest areas for rookies.
YAMAHA: THE V4 ERA BEGINS — AND TOPRAK ARRIVES
No garage drew more attention than Yamaha’s. The long-rumored V4-powered YZR-M1 finally took center stage, representing Yamaha’s biggest philosophical shift in decades — abandoning the in-line-four that defined their MotoGP identity since the Rossi era.
And if that wasn’t enough, three-time WorldSBK Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu made his highly anticipated (and contractually quiet) debut. Even at a circuit he had never raced, the Turkish superstar immediately showed his trademark braking talent, finishing ahead of both Alex Rins and Jack Miller. His first-day deficit to Fabio Quartararo was under a second — an impressive benchmark in MotoGP terms.
Engineers confirmed they have not yet run the V4 at full power, focusing instead on mapping, vibration analysis, and early-stage chassis pairing. Straight-line performance was visibly lacking compared to Ducati and Aprilia, but Yamaha will remain in Valencia for an additional private test day before flying back to Iwata with terabytes of new data.
Quartararo finished P15 and stressed that the team is still searching for a base setup — a normal situation for a brand-new engine and chassis philosophy. Rins echoed the sentiment, calling the day “positive and productive” despite the modest timesheets.
FINAL THOUGHTS: 2026 BEGINS WITH MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS
And with that, the book closes on the 2025 season. Testing has officially begun for the new era, and Valencia delivered compelling storylines:
- Aprilia look fast — and still have their major upgrades coming in February.
- Ducati’s GP26 has already addressed a major weakness.
- KTM’s fairing and ergonomic changes seem promising.
- Honda’s rebuilding project finally has a real foundation.
- Yamaha’s V4 may be raw, but its potential — and Toprak — stole the show.
MotoGP now heads into a hard-earned winter break before reconvening at the Sepang Shakedown and full Official Test in February.
