HONDA TOPS OF DAY 2 OF MOTOGP PRE-SEASON; NO TRACK TIME FOR YAMAHA - Motorsportsclicks

Joan Mir was the fastest rider on the second day of the MotoGP collective test at Sepang, in a day affected by rain, extreme heat, and the complete absence of Yamaha bikes on track.

The afternoon session was cut short when rain arrived shortly before 5 p.m. local time. Track action had already been limited because of very high temperatures, which reduced running time for most teams.

Yamaha Absent Due to Engine Checks

Originally, only Fabio Quartararo was expected to miss the day after breaking the middle finger of his right hand in a crash at Turn 5 on Wednesday. However, Yamaha engineers detected a problem on Quartararo’s bike related to the new V4 engine. As a precaution, Yamaha decided not to send any of its bikes on track until the issue is fully understood. As a result, only 17 riders took part in the session.

Despite the difficult conditions, Joan Mir delivered an impressive performance that confirmed Honda’s clear improvement over the winter. The Spanish rider set a best lap of 1:56.874, which was faster than last year’s pole position.

The only other rider to lap in the 1:56s was Franco Morbidelli, who finished second with a 1:56.983. The Pertamina Enduro VR46 rider appears to have adapted quickly to his new Ducati, which he recently described as a mix between the GP25 and GP24.

Third place went to Fabio Di Giannantonio on the Ducati GP26. The Italian worked on aerodynamic tests in the morning and set a 1:57.049.

The two factory Ducati riders were less competitive. Francesco Bagnaia ended the day eighth with a 1:57.302, while Marc Marquez was only 15th with a 1:58.386. Marquez continued testing the “hybrid” aerodynamic package, combining the new fairing with winglets on the GP25’s windscreen.

It was a tough day for Alex Marquez, who finished 12th but suffered a high-speed crash at Turn 5. His Gresini Racing Ducati GP26 was heavily damaged, but the rider escaped without injuries.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – FEBRUARY 04: Alex Marquez of Spain riding a Gresini Ducati during MotoGP Testing at Sepang Circuit on February 04, 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Gold & Goose Photography/Getty Images)

KTM placed two riders inside the top five. Pedro Acosta was fourth after focusing again on aerodynamic work, including a narrower windscreen first used by test rider Pol Espargaro during the Shakedown. He also tested a new tail unit and seat winglets, which seemed effective, as shown by his 1:57.116.

Acosta finished just 10 milliseconds ahead of Maverick Viñales, who was fifth for the Tech3 team.

Further back, Enea Bastianini tested a new aerodynamic package with black fairings and finished tenth in 1:57.550. Brad Binder struggled more and ended the day 13th with a 1:57.753.

Aprilia also introduced a new aerodynamic concept for the rear of the RS-GP26, and Marco Bezzecchi was the best Aprilia rider in sixth place with a 1:57.141, improving clearly compared to Day 1. Trackhouse Racing also made a strong step forward, with Raul Fernandez close behind Bezzecchi and rookie Ai Ogura finishing ninth.

While Mir stood out, Honda’s other riders were far from the top. Luca Marini finished 11th, almost seven tenths behind his teammate. Johann Zarco struggled even more, ending 14th, 1.4 seconds off the pace.

Day 2 results: