Yamaha resumes cautiously, Marquez slides out, all-time record in sight at Sepang

Yamaha back on track on the third and final day of MotoGP testing in Sepang. Here’s how the morning session went.

The first news of the third day of testing is the return to the track of the Yamaha bikes, without Quartararo but with Augusto Fernandez “moved” into the garage as his replacement. Bagnaia’s outright record of 1:56.337 is extremely close, as the morning ends with a 1:56.402 as the best time! It’s set by Alex Marquez, who leads an all-Ducati quartet at the top before we find Marco Bezzecchi’s Aprilia.

They need to make up for the time lost yesterday afternoon due to rain—in Yamaha’s case, to cautiously try to recover an entire day. “Following further investigations carried out overnight between Japan and Italy to identify the cause of the technical issue encountered on our bike during the afternoon of the first day of testing, and based on the findings collected so far, Yamaha has decided to resume its on-track activities at the Sepang International Circuit”: this is the official note announcing their return to action. After the complete stop yesterday to take corrective action, the riders have now been given the green light to get going again.

Except for Quartararo, who as we know has already left Sepang with a minor injury, and Dovizioso, who did not complete any laps in the Malaysian morning. On the report, however, is a harmless low-side for Marc Marquez, while aerodynamic testing continues especially for all the Ducati riders, who tried both ‘standard’ fairings and hybrid solutions in search of the best feel. Aerodynamics are also in the spotlight for the other manufacturers, from Aprilia’s “hedgehog” tail section to new fairings, but not only that—KTM was seen with new swingarms and frames. The afternoon will also be dedicated to some race simulations, which were missed yesterday due to the arrival of rain.