Marc Marquez tops the Sepang timesheets but warns: "The priority is something else

A champion’s comeback for Marquez, who, after overcoming his latest injury, topped the timesheets on day one of MotoGP testing in Malaysia.

“How is Marc Marquez?” was the question many were asking before MotoGP got back underway at the Sepang International Circuit for the first test of 2026. What we saw today tells us that the reigning champion is doing alright, even if he’s not yet at 100% physically. He ended the day at the top of the times and that shows the speed hasn’t gone anywhere (was there any doubt?), though he did short runs and will likely have a slightly more intense program tomorrow. It’s been 121 days since the crash and injury in the Mandalika race, and today was a good way to restart.

The nine-time world champion recounted his day to MotoGP’s official channels, explaining that his sensations evolved from morning to afternoon: “The morning was a bit complicated and strange, which delayed some of the things we had to test. I told the team I needed a few laps for myself. Then in the afternoon we started trying some aerodynamic things, I felt more relaxed on the bike. It was the first day, we’ll see how I wake up tomorrow. I’ll try to survive this test and continue my preparation for the test and Grand Prix in Thailand.”

Even though he’s fastest on the timesheets, he doesn’t mind; right now Marquez’s thoughts are mainly on his physical condition and his feeling with the bike: “Everyone pushes when they ride these bikes—he explains—but right now it’s not the most important thing to be at the top of the standings or behind. Now the priority is for the shoulder to work the right way, that was my biggest concern. I need laps, I need to continue my preparation both physically and technically. We’re happy, the speed is there, but we need to work on consistency. Today I did very short runs, 2–3 laps, because I wanted to keep the shoulder fresh for the next two days.”

Ducati has brought a new aerodynamic package for the Desmosedici GP26 and, even if he’s not in top form, the Spanish rider is trying to best understand its pros and cons to give precise feedback to the engineers in the box: “It’s a big change—he says—and as riders we need to be super patient with the new aerodynamics, because the bike’s balance changes a lot. We have to keep working and it will be important to make the right decision. The fact that the test and the GP in Thailand are very close forces us to be very smart and precise about everything.”

There are still four days of pre-season testing to make decisions ahead of the start of the 2026 MotoGP races. It’s crucial to study every technical innovation in depth to understand what to greenlight and what to discard. It’s true that Marquez is someone who can be incredibly fast even on far-from-perfect bikes, but he still wants to put together the best possible package for an assault on his tenth world title.