Sepang Shakedown Test Day 2: Jack Miller Leads as Yamaha Impress in 2026 MotoGP Running

Sepang, Malaysia: Day 2 of the 2026 MotoGP Sepang Shakedown Test concluded under hot and humid conditions, with teams and riders logging crucial track time as preparations continue for the opening racing month of the season. Factory test riders, Yamaha’s full-time riders, and MotoGP rookies were all in action, making the shakedown an invaluable phase of pre-season development.

Yamaha enjoyed a standout day at the Sepang International Circuit, led by Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) who topped the timesheets with a blistering 1’57.908, dipping into the 1’57 bracket and going nearly a second quicker than the fastest lap recorded on Day 2 of the 2025 shakedown. The result underlined Yamaha’s encouraging early progress with its new V4 engine package.

Just a few tenths behind in fourth place, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) made his first on-track appearance of 2026 and immediately placed both of his machines inside the top five. Alex Rins also featured strongly, finishing seventh overall on the timesheets but classified as the fifth-fastest full-time rider.

Rookie Toprak Razgatlioglu (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) continued his adaptation to MotoGP machinery, improving by seven tenths compared to Day 1 as he gained experience with the Yamaha V4, Michelin tyres, and the demanding Sepang circuit. Yamaha’s test programme was further supported by Augusto Fernandez and MotoGP legend Andrea Dovizioso, who set a combined best lap of 1’59.351.

KTM remained firmly in contention, with Pol Espargaro finishing second overall and just 0.025s adrift of Miller’s benchmark, also breaking into the 1’57s. KTM test rider Dani Pedrosa completed an extensive 47-lap run, placing both of his RC16 machines inside the top ten, while Mika Kallio also logged mileage with a best lap of 2’04.376.

For Honda, Aleix Espargaro emerged as the fastest rider, posting a 1’58.066 to claim third place overall despite encountering a technical issue during the session. Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) continued to make progress, cutting nearly a second from his Day 1 time to move into the 1’59 range.

Ducati was represented by test rider Michele Pirro, who completed 46 laps and set a best time of 1’59.155, reducing his Day 1 lap by over six tenths and finishing 1.2 seconds off the day’s fastest time. Following the aerodynamic developments unveiled on Day 1, Ducati experienced a comparatively calmer second day focused on data gathering.

Aprilia saw extensive running from Lorenzo Savadori, the busiest rider on track, as he worked through an intensive test programme involving eight bikes for pre-season preparation. Aprilia confirmed that the chassis used by Marco Bezzecchi during his strong finish to the 2025 season, and later favoured by Jorge Martin in Valencia, is set to become the standard base for 2026, with final aerodynamic refinements still under evaluation.

With three different manufacturers filling the top three positions and the times separated by little more than a tenth, Day 2 of the Sepang Shakedown highlighted the competitiveness of the 2026 MotoGP field. One final day of running remains in Malaysia before teams regroup ahead of full pre-season testing.