We will find out the truth in just over twenty days, when the first race of the season takes place at Buriram. The fact is that the Sepang tests gave us a first taste of 2026, with technical innovations, developments, and, of course, lap times.
One of the most eagerly awaited moments was the Sprint simulation on the last day, which took place in the afternoon between 2:30 and 3:00 p.m. The riders opted for soft tyres, and the lap times provide us with a picture that leaves little room for interpretation.
Ducati was the star of the show, with Pecco Bagnaia and the Marquez brothers setting a pace that was superior to everyone else.
According to the lap times, in the first seven laps, Pecco and Alex were able to break the 1'58" barrier five times, while Marc only managed to do so on two occasions. The fastest lap was Alex's 1'57"295, while Bagnaia was about four tenths slower.
With four laps to go, Bagnaia's pace rose above 1'58", while the Gresini rider still managed to stay in the high 1'57" range for one lap.
In the direct comparison between the two, Alex showed a bit more efficiency than Pecco, while Marc seems to have a bit less. Apart from the first two laps at 1'57"6, the pace of number 93 immediately rose to 1'58" already during the third lap, without being able to lower it again. However, Marc managed to be consistent, between the low 1'58" and 1'58"6, showing excellent tyre management, so much so that in the last lap he was the fastest in comparison to his brother and Bagnaia.
Looking at the competition, Marco Bezzecchi's Sprint simulation proved to be an uphill battle. The Aprilia rider never managed to break the 1'58" barrier. The Viserba rider showed a pace in the high 1'58" range in the middle phase, even reaching 1'59" in the final phase, which was half a second slower than Alex Marquez.
As for Pedro Acosta, one of the most eagerly awaited riders in the Sprint, the KTM rider showed a pace in line with that of Bezzecchi. Like Marco, he too was never able to break the 1'57" barrier, despite a 1'58"073 on his second lap. His performance settled at 1'58.5, then rose to 1'59 in the last three laps.
In short, the Ducati trio of Alex Marquez, Pecco Bagnaia, and Marc Marquez showed superior performance to the competition, with everyone else forced to chase. Honda also carried out its race simulation with Mir and Marini: the Spaniard was faster than the Italian, showing a pace of 1'58"6 during the first seven laps, before also finishing at 1'59".