2025 Sepang MotoGP Test Day 3 Final Times: Alex Marquez Ends Sepang Test As Fastest

By David Emmett |

Alex Marquez leaves the Sepang MotoGP test as fastest, the Gresini Ducati rider ending the final day with a best time of 1'56.493. The Spaniard just nipped ahead of Pecco Bagnaia early in the morning, the factory Ducati rider setting a time of 1'56.500. Both Marquez and Bagnaia were two tenths faster than Bagnaia's best time at the Sepang test last year, but just under two tenths slower than his record pole time at the 2024 race weekend. 

A very happy Fabio Quartararo was third fastest on the Monster Energy Yamaha, the Frenchman setting his fastest ever lap around Sepang and improving his time from last year by around eight tenths of a second. Franco Morbidelli was fourth fastest on the Pertamina VR46 Ducati GP24, and he was a tenth faster than Marc Marquez on the second factory Ducati.

Pedro Acosta was the fastest KTM rider in sixth, while there were two Hondas in the top ten, with LCR's Johann Zarco ahead of factory Honda rider Joan Mir.

The test is now complete, and the riders head to Bangkok for the season launch tomorrow. Then, three days later, they reassemble at Buriram for the final two-day test of 2025, ahead of the start of the season. 

Final times from day 3 at Sepang:

Pos No. Rider Bike Time Diff Prev
1 73 Alex Marquez Ducati 1'56.493    
2 63 Francesco Bagnaia Ducati 1'56.500 0.007 0.007
3 20 Fabio Quartararo Yamaha 1'56.724 0.231 0.224
4 21 Franco Morbidelli Ducati 1'56.948 0.455 0.224
5 93 Marc Marquez Ducati 1'57.042 0.549 0.094
6 37 Pedro Acosta KTM 1'57.175 0.682 0.133
7 5 Johann Zarco Honda 1'57.204 0.711 0.029
8 36 Joan Mir Honda 1'57.279 0.786 0.075
9 72 Marco Bezzecchi Aprilia 1'57.328 0.835 0.049
10 42 Alex Rins Yamaha 1'57.351 0.858 0.023
11 54 Fermin Aldeguer Ducati 1'57.401 0.908 0.050
12 43 Jack Miller Yamaha 1'57.452 0.959 0.051
13 33 Brad Binder KTM 1'57.614 1.121 0.162
14 79 Ai Ogura Aprilia 1'57.754 1.261 0.140
15 10 Luca Marini Honda 1'57.789 1.296 0.035
16 12 Maverick Viñales KTM 1'57.865 1.372 0.076
17 88 Miguel Oliveira Yamaha 1'57.960 1.467 0.095
18 23 Enea Bastianini KTM 1'58.011 1.518 0.051
19 35 Somkiat Chantra Honda 1'58.129 1.636 0.118
20 51 Michele Pirro Ducati 1'59.121 2.628 0.992
21 32 Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 1'59.169 2.676 0.048
22 4 Andrea Dovizioso Yamaha 1'59.929 3.436 0.760
No time set
  7 Augusto Fernandez Yamaha      
    Records      
Year No Rider Bike Time Session
2024 1 Pecco Bagnaia Ducati GP24 1:56.337 Q2
2023 73 Alex Marquez Ducati GP22 1:58.979 Race
2025
MotoGP
Sepang, Malaysia
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Comments

Looks like Yamaha have really found something (or some things). Rins is half a second quicker than the Malaysian test last year and .4 quicker than Q2 in last year's race weekend. Miller is adapting to the new bike and team well. Dovi is helping out with testing duties while Crutchlow is on the mend. Didn't they both point to the rear grip issue? Hope Yamaha find something there. The championship needs more players not on a Duc.

Business as usual for Ducati--four riders in the top five with DiGi missing. Bummer. And it would have been interesting to see how Martin fared. Another bummer. 

Acosta was only .2 seconds quicker than the test last year. Is he the new benchmark at KTM? What's up with Binder? He's .3 seconds slower than last year's test. Did he not go for a fast lap?

Zarco and Mir only .1 second quicker than Mir's best time from last year's test. Maybe the bike is less of a mess, but where is the speed? 

I'd be really careful about Yamaha's lap times. Yamaha usually show well at Sepang. Fabio himself said that the track was super grippy which always helps them find rear edge grip. So they take a step up the order when there's grip, at the right track but other tracks, lower grip, better times maybe but the back to the usual order.