Get ready for a thrilling MotoGP season! The Sepang test has just wrapped up, and it's Alex Marquez who's on top of the world (or at least the Sepang track) as the fastest rider on the final day. But here's where it gets controversial... Marquez's time of 1m56.402s on his Ducati GP26 was just a hair away from the all-time Sepang record, set by Francesco Bagnaia in 2024. And this is the part most people miss: the conditions were perfect for fast times, with riders taking advantage of the morning session to set their best laps.
Fabio Di Giannantonio was the first to dip into the 1m56s range, but it was Marquez who ultimately took the top spot. As the temperature soared, riders switched to sprint simulations, but Marquez's time remained unbeaten. Ducati was poised to dominate the top four positions, but Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi had other plans, jumping to second place with a mere 15 minutes left in the session.
Reigning world champion Marc Marquez had a bit of a rough start, crashing early at Turn 1, but he quickly rebounded, setting a time just four thousandths of a second slower than Di Giannantonio. Bagnaia, who's been on a roll, finished fifth, with Franco Morbidelli close behind in sixth.
And now, a little controversy: Yamaha returned to action after investigating an engine issue that caused Fabio Quartararo to stop on track on Tuesday. With Quartararo absent due to injury, his teammate Rins led Yamaha's charge, finishing 12th. But here's the twist: Yamaha's new V4 engine was deemed safe for running, which begs the question - was the engine issue a red herring?
As for the final results, check out the table below. And don't forget to scroll through the photos from Day 3 of the Sepang test!
Sepang MotoGP Test - Day 3 Results
| Pos. | Rider | Team | Time/Gap |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | A. Márquez | Gresini Racing | 1:56.402 |
| 2 | M. Bezzecchi | Aprilia Racing | +0.124 |
| 3 | F. Di Giannantonio | VR46 Racing Team | +0.383 |
| 4 | M. Márquez | Ducati Team | +0.387 |
| 5 | P. Bagnaia | Ducati Team | +0.527 |
| 6 | F. Morbidelli | VR46 Racing Team | +0.728 |
| 7 | R. Fernández | Trackhouse MotoGP Team | +0.843 |
| 8 | P. Acosta | KTM Factory Racing | +0.851 |
| 9 | J. Mir | Honda HRC | +0.866 |
| 10 | E. Bastianini | KTM Tech3 | +0.888 |
| ... | ... | ... | ... |
So, what do you think? Is Yamaha's engine issue a real concern, or just a minor hiccup? And will Marquez's fast time translate into success on the track? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
