Quartararo tops MotoGP’s Sepang shakedown test for Yamaha

Factory Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo topped the times in this week’s MotoGP shakedown test at Sepang with a last-minute flier.

Quartararo broke the 1m57s barrier with just 10 minutes remaining on Saturday evening, despite race control waving red and white flags and warning against light drizzle on track.

The 1m57.794s effort from the 2021 champion was four tenths up on the best time set during the same three-day test last year, when then-rookie Pedro Acosta led the way for Tech3 KTM.

New Pramac signing Jack Miller made it a 1-2 for Yamaha with a time of 1m58.103s, as the Japanese manufacturer took full advantage of the concession systems that allowed it to run race riders during the test.

Meanwhile, Honda test rider Aleix Espargaro looked rapid in only his second test appearance on the RC213V, the three-time grand prix winner setting an identical time to Miller in the final minute to grab third.

Espargaro was followed by Trackhouse rookie Ai Ogura in fourth, the Japanese youngster comfortably outpacing Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori at the Malaysian venue.

Ai Ogura, Trackhouse Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

KTM tester Pol Espargaro topped the times on the opening day and wound up fifth in the overall order after improving to 1m58.291s on Saturday morning aboard the RC16.

Gresini recruit Fermin Aldeguer was second-fastest of the rookies and sixth overall, with Yamaha rider Alex Rins and Pramac’s Miguel Olivera finishing seventh and eighth respectively to cap off a strong test for the Iwata-based brand.

These were the only riders who beat the pace-setting time from Day 2, a 1m58.745s set by Rins.

Dani Pedrosa ended up fractionally slower on another KTM test bike, but was still classified ninth in the overall standings.

Ducati test rider Michele Pirro spent much of the test fine-tuning the new GP25 and thus ended up almost two seconds off the pace in 10th.

Although Honda was allowed to utilize its race riders in the shakedown as part of the concession system, both Joan Mir and Luca Marini were absent as they attended the launch of the new RC213V in Jakarta on Saturday.

Johann Zarco, the marque’s top points-scorer in 2024, also skipped the Sepang shakedown, with rookie Somkiat Chantra the only rider to represent the satellite LCR team.

The Thai rider set a best time of 2m00.550s across the three days of running.

MotoGP's Sepang shakedown - Day 3 results