Yamaha's V4 engine is roaring to the front! As the second day of the Sepang Shakedown Test wraps up, we're seeing some incredible progress, especially from Yamaha. This is the crucial period where factory test riders, manufacturers, and rookies get invaluable track time that's nearly impossible to replicate later in the season. And on day two, under sunny skies and the familiar heat and humidity of Malaysia, the riders pushed their machines to the limit.
Yamaha is clearly making waves! Jack Miller, astride Yamaha's new project, absolutely dominated the timesheets, clocking in at an astonishing 1’57.908. This time is nearly a full second faster than last year's day two leader, Alex Rins, and it signifies a significant leap forward for the Iwata manufacturer. It's not just Miller, either! We got our first glimpse of 2021 World Champion Fabio Quartararo in his 2026 gear, and he wasted no time, placing both his bikes within the top five. His teammate, Alex Rins, also showed strong form, finishing just behind in seventh on the timesheets but was actually the fifth fastest rider overall. Even rookie sensation Toprak Razgatlioglu is rapidly getting to grips with the V4 Yamaha, Michelin tires, and the Sepang circuit, shaving an impressive seven-tenths off his previous day's lap time. The Yamaha test team, with Augusto Fernandez and MotoGP legend Andrea Dovizioso, also put in solid work, achieving a best time of 1’59.351.
But here's where it gets exciting... Yamaha isn't the only one making noise. KTM is right on their heels! Pol Espargaro secured the second-fastest time, also dipping into the 1’57 bracket and missing Miller's top spot by a mere 0.025 seconds. Dani Pedrosa was also busy, completing 47 laps and placing both his RC16s in the top ten. Mika Kallio also joined the fray for KTM, posting a best lap of 2’04.376.
And this is the part most people miss... Honda is showing promise too, with Aleix Espargaro leading their charge in third place, just 0.133 seconds behind his brother Pol. Despite a minor technical hiccup – which is precisely what testing is for! – Espargaro's performance is a positive sign. Diogo Moreira is also steadily improving, shedding nearly a second from his day one time and now comfortably within the 1’59s.
Ducati's Michele Pirro put in a significant effort, completing 46 laps and achieving a best time of 1’59.155, only 1.2 seconds off Miller's leading pace. After a day one focused on aerodynamic developments, Ducati seemed to have a more focused approach on day two.
Finally, Aprilia's Lorenzo Savadori, arguably the busiest test rider on track, is tasked with fine-tuning all eight of the bikes that will be used in pre-season testing. He spent day two concentrating on the Trackhouse machines. On the technical side, it appears that the chassis that Marco Bezzecchi finished his 2025 season so strongly with, and which Jorge Martin favored in Valencia, is set to become the standard for 2026. The only remaining piece of the puzzle is finalizing the aerodynamics.
What's truly remarkable is that we have three different manufacturers occupying the top three spots, separated by less than a second and a half! Yamaha isn't just leading; they seem to have truly found their stride with their V4 engine. One more day of intense testing awaits in the Sepang heat before the full-time riders take over.
Now, for a bit of food for thought: With Yamaha showing such strong V4 performance right out of the gate, does this signal a shift in the power dynamic for the upcoming season? And considering the close competition at the top, how much of a difference will the final aerodynamic tweaks make for teams like Ducati and Aprilia? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below – do you agree with this interpretation, or do you see things differently?
