2025 Sepang MotoGP Test Day 2 12:00 Times: Morbidelli Leads Quartararo, Test Riders Return

By David Emmett |

Testing is back underway at the Sepang International Circuit, and with the sun out, temperatures are rising, and it is turning into a much hotter day  than Wednesday. With Jorge Martin, Raul Fernandez, and Fabio Di Giannantonio all out with injury, Lorenzo Savadori has returned for Aprilia, while Michele Pirro is back on a Ducati. The development work goes on.

Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 464: Why Did Jorge Martin Crash At Sepang?

By David Emmett |

Late at night after the first day of the Sepang test, David, Neil, and Adam look back at a disastrous day for Aprilia, with both Jorge Martin and Raul Fernandez injured and back to Spain for surgery. Fabio Di Giannantonio also crashed, breaking a collarbone, and was one of several riders to crash. We break down why the crashes happened, why Jorge Martin crashed, and what the consequences will be for the rest of the preseason. And we break down what we saw from the first day of testing from each factory, and ask whether the rumours of Pirelli taking over from Michelin have any meat to them.

2025 Sepang MotoGP Test Day 1 Round Up: Aprilia's Day Of Disaster

By David Emmett |

It has been quite the day at the Sepang International Circuit. The first day of the official MotoGP test at Sepang and we are already three riders down. For the second consecutive year, Raul Fernandez has crashed during testing and ruled himself out of the remainder of the test, fracturing a metacarpal bone in his left hand, as well has his little toe. Fabio Di Giannantonio had a silly crash, landing a wheelie badly at the end of the day after doing his practice starts, and breaking his left collarbone.

But the biggest news is that Jorge Martin had a massive highside at Turn 2, after completing just a dozen laps. The force of the crash was so severe that he fractured the fifth metacarpal of his right hand and the third, fourth, and fifth metatarsals of his left foot. The injury on his right hand is to the head of the metacarpal, where the bone in the hand joins the bone of the little or pinky finger. The metatarsal bones are the long bones in his foot joining his ankle to his toes.

The injury to his right hand will probably rule the reigning world champion out for the Buriram test, which takes place next week, and will leave him to ride the fully homologated 2025 Aprilia RS-GP for the first time at the opening round of MotoGP in Buriram at the start of March.

The Blame Game

Jorge Martin Fractures Bones In Hand, Foot, Will Miss Sepang Test

By David Emmett |

Jorge Martin is to miss the rest of the Sepang test after fracturing bones in his right hand and left foot in a massive crash on Wednesday. The factory Aprilia rider had a huge highside at Turn 2 early in the day, his second in a couple of hours. In the crash, he suffered a closed fracture of the fifth metacarpal in his right hand, and closed fractures of the third, fourth, and fifth metatarsals in his left foot. In effect, he has broken bones in his right wrist and his left ankle.

Martin is to fly home on Thursday and have surgery as soon as possible. The aim will be to return to fitness as soon as possible.

The injury is a blow for Aprilia, as Raul Fernandez will also miss the rest of the test. That leaves them with two fit riders, one of whom is a rookie, to develop the 2025 RS-GP.

2025 Sepang MotoGP Test Day 1 Times: Quartararo Leads, Martin Injured

By David Emmett |

Fabio Quartararo led the first day of the MotoGP test at Sepang, the Monster Energy Yamaha rider improving on his time from the shakedown test and beating his own qualifying time for the race here in November. Quartararo was confident after the test, saying he had made his lap without pushing especially hard.

2025 Sepang MotoGP Test Day 1 16:00 Times: Quartararo Still Leads, Acosta Improves

By David Emmett |

Not much change in the times, as teams and riders knuckle down to the real work of testing. Fabio Quartararo is still fastest with a time set earlier this morning. Pedro Acosta has jumped up into second spot, though the Red Bull KTM rider is still nearly two thirds of a second slower than Quartararo. Alex Rins has also move up a few places.

Times at 4pm:

2025 Sepang MotoGP Test Day 1 14:00 Times: Quartararo Fastest, Martin And Fernandez Crash

By David Emmett |

Testing continues apace at Sepang, with all the risks that entails. Jorge Martin and Raul Fernandez are the two victims so far, both having crashed heavily. Martin was taken to hospital with pain in his left foot and right hand. Fernandez fractured a metacarpal bone in his left hand, which will likely see him sidelined for the rest of the day, and possibly the rest of the test. He also fractured the little toe of his left foot, but that won't affect his riding.

Times are largely unchanged from noon, riders focusing more on testing than on times.

Times at 2pm:

2025 Sepang MotoGP Test Day 1 12:00 Times: Quartararo Sets The Tone

By David Emmett |

Alex Rins was the first out of the gate at the Sepang MotoGP test, the Monster Energy Yamaha rider leaving pit lane as soon as the light went green at 10am, quickly followed by the rest of the MotoGP grid. The weather is dry but overcast, and the track conditions are good.

It was not an auspicious start for Jorge Martin, the reigning world champion crashing twice in the first two hours, bringing out the red flags in the second crash. He is currently in the medical center for a check up.

2025 Sepang MotoGP Test Preview: Who Is Testing What, And Why?

By David Emmett |

On the eve of the official Sepang IRTA MotoGP test, we are leaving the realm of blind guesswork and heading toward the world of speculation. We've seen the liveries, heard from the riders, even in at least one case seen the actual bikes. We've seen the times from the shakedown test, where test riders, rookies, and riders for teams with concessions have had up to three days on track.

(Many choose not to do all three days, as three days of shakedown and three days of official test takes a heavy toll, even for MotoGP riders in prime physical condition. There is no substitute for the brutal forces a 300hp, 157kg MotoGP machine impose on a rider.)

We know a little more from the shakedown test - times were fast, Fabio Quartararo two tenths of a second off his qualifying lap for November's race, and Ai Ogura posting impressive lap times throughout - but it is still hard to make a comparison with last year. Is the track in better shape? Is the grip better? Are the bikes faster?

Devoid of meaning?

2025 Sepang MotoGP Shakedown Test Day 3 Times - Quartararo Ends Shakedown As Fastest

By David Emmett |

Fabio Quartararo has ended the three-day shakedown test at Sepang as the fastest rider, and the only one to get into the 1'57s. The Monster Energy Yamaha rider was three tenths quicker than the rest of the field, and two tenths off his own qualifying time at the Malaysian GP last year in November.

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