Curtain falls on Buriram testing: Sensational Aprilia, Marquez crashes, Yamaha struggling

The curtain falls on the Buriram tests and the winter preparations; 2026 is about to kick off. Here’s how it went.

Aprilia with a record-setting Bezzecchi (let’s recall Bagnaia’s official best lap of 1:28.700) and Ogura 2nd; the Ducatis are in the mix, Hondas also make an appearance, and there’s no shortage of final aerodynamic trials, as we see in the cover photo. That’s the story from the afternoon session, between race simulations and a few final time attacks to officially conclude both the Buriram tests and all MotoGP winter testing. The second session wasn’t without issues either: Vinales had to stop temporarily at Turn 10 due to a technical problem. Noted was a third crash for Marc Marquez at Turn 3: precautionary check at the Medical Center but no issues for the rider, aside from stomach troubles he’s had since yesterday morning. The air fence, however, was damaged and a red flag was needed to restore it. On the restart, an incident without consequences for Alex Marquez. Thus the curtain falls on preparations for the 2026 MotoGP season; below is the final classification.

For all manufacturers, the main goal was to confirm all the positives seen in the previous Sepang tests, re-testing components already provisionally approved on a different track—above all the much-discussed aerodynamics. Aprilia brings home important data, especially because Bezzecchi’s and Martin’s comments are very similar, pointing in the same direction. Is Honda now closer to the others? "We can say that after the race," Alberto Puig told Sky Sport MotoGP cautiously. "We’ve made a good improvement; we can see it in the times and in the riders’ comments, but we’re still not at the top," he continued. There is optimism nonetheless: it will be the first year with “C concessions” after the step at the end of 2025; now they need to both confirm and keep progressing. At Yamaha, there were a few very timid signs at the end of the day, but it’s a complicated situation for both the factory team riders and the Pramac duo (starting today with updated aerodynamics): a reflection of a season that already appears clearly uphill...