The first day of testing in Sepang proved to be a real cacophony for the Aprilia troops, ending on a sour note. At the same time Fabio Quartararo, like a maestro on his Yamaha, orchestrated the fastest time of the day with an impressive 1'57.555 faster than in his 2024 qualification in Malaysia, leaving behind Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez, Fermin Aldeguer, Franco Morbidelli and Joan Mir.
The first day of official MotoGP testing at Sepang was marked by a domination of Yamaha , with fabio quartararo ahead of the times. On the other hand, Aprilia had a difficult day, particularly due to the multiple falls of its drivers.
The first day of official 2025 pre-season testing at Sepang was rich in emotions, performances and incidents. While fabio quartararo dominated the session with the best time of the day, the teams Aprilia have suffered a series of setbacks, with several pilots injured or in difficulty. Meanwhile, Honda showed encouraging signs, hinting at potential progress for the coming season.
fabio quartararo ended the day at the top of the standings, setting an impressive time of 1'57.555. This result confirms the high expectations placed on Yamaha , who benefited from an advantage thanks to the Shakedown test organized earlier. This additional preparation seems to be paying off, allowing Quarterly to get off to a solid start in these trials.
Behind him, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo) and Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) also showed their competitiveness, ranking second and third respectively. Fermin Aldeguer (VR46 Ducati) and Franco Morbidelli (Pramac Ducati) completed the top 5, demonstrating the collective strength of the teams Ducati.
Honda, who are looking to get back on their feet after several difficult seasons, showed positive signs on this first day. Joan mir finished fifth, significantly improving his performance from previous trials. Johann zarco, seventh, also impressed, notably with a wheelie on the main straight during the start tests, demonstrating his ease with the RC213V… Luca marini, meanwhile, finished 13th, confirming that Honda might finally be on the right track.
A nightmare day for Aprilia in Sepang
These performances give hope that the Japanese manufacturer's winter efforts are bearing fruit. However, it remains to be seen whether this progress will translate into concrete results in racing.
To Aprilia, the day was marked by a series of incidents and injuries. George Martin, the reigning world champion, suffered two spectacular crashes, including a violent highside that sent him to hospital for further tests. Raul fernandez, a TrackHouse team rider, was also affected, suffering a fracture to his left hand. Ai Ogura et Fabio DiGiannantonio have also fallen, just like Peter Acosta (KTM) and Augusto Fernandez (Yamaha), the latter falling at turn 9. Fortunately, all of the other riders involved in these incidents are unharmed.
Franco Morbidelli (Pramac Ducati) was also involved in an incident at Turn 6, but escaped without injury. Despite this, he finished in the top five, demonstrating a good adaptation to his new machine.
While Yamaha et Ducati confirmed their status as favorites, Honda showed encouraging signs that could herald a strong comeback. On the other hand, Aprilia is going through a difficult period, with injured riders and a bike that still seems to have stability issues.
The first day of testing at Sepang has therefore offered a mix of performances and challenges to overcome. The next few days will be crucial for the teams to fine-tune their machines and prepare their riders for the 2025 season. One thing is for sure: the competition promises to be tighter than ever.
MotoGP, Sepang J1 Final Test: times
Credit motogp.com
