Winners
Ducati’s competitors
Ducati has chosen not to implement the majority of its winter updates.
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The news must have been music to the ears of its competitors. In fact, Ducati is also set to use the same chassis as last year's model, while there is a "real possibility" that the aerodynamics will be carried over from 2024 as well. This means that the electronics and suspension will be the only areas where Ducati will introduce any upgrades to its championship-winning GP24.
Make no mistake, the GP24 bike was a class above the rest, remaining superior even after Ducati stopped making any significant changes in the second half of the season. It's likely that Ducati will still have a notable advantage at the start of the new season in two weeks. Nevertheless, Ducati's decision to introduce no meaningful upgrades to its engine, chassis, or electronics gives its competitors an opportunity to narrow the gap.
Ducati was so dominant last year that it won 19 out of 20 grand prix events. While winning may still be out of reach unless we see a repeat of Austin, the other manufacturers now have a better chance of finishing on the podium on a semi-regular basis. The fact that there are two fewer Ducati bikes on the grid will only boost the cause of Aprilia, KTM and the rest.
Even if there are no significant changes this year, it is worth noting that Ducati will have to maintain the same engine for the 2026 season as part of the engine freeze. Consequently, the most dominant manufacturer in MotoGP will be using a three-year-old engine, whereas Honda and Yamaha - assuming they continue to receive concessions - will be allowed to continue developing their engines until the end of the current rules cycle.
GP24 runners
Riding a one-year-old Ducati may not necessarily be a drawback this year.
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It remains to be seen if competitors will be able to take advantage of the mistake Ducati made during the winter, but the GP24 riders are certainly poised for a strong year.
After a season marked by a noticeable difference between the two versions of the Desmosedici, 2025 is expected to provide a more balanced competition among the six Ducati teams.
When Ducati made a major change to its engine in 2022, the factory team used a bike described as a hybrid model, while the other GP22 riders continued with the new but seemingly less effective engine. This time, however, all six bikes will be equipped with the same engine, eliminating an important factor from the equation.
was the quickest newcomer until the last day of testing.
Morbidelli is familiar with the GP24 from his experience at Pramac, whereas the younger Marquez quickly adapted to the new bike, achieving the top time at the Barcelona test in November and the Sepang test in early February.
This further supports the notion that this season will be similar to the 2022-23 one, when riders with one-year-old Ducati bikes were able to win races and emerge as championship contenders.
Marquez brothers
Both Marquez brothers delivered a notable performance in the trials.
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He was the odds-on favorite to start the season, even though he wouldn't acknowledge it publicly.
Marquez was also part of a small group of riders who completed a race simulation on Thursday, with a 23-lap run in the afternoon session drawing attention in the paddock. Although there isn't a lot of data to compare Marquez's long run with, the numbers were still too impressive to ignore concerns.
His performance in preseason testing should give him a confidence boost, considering the lingering doubts that arose following his career-changing 2020 injury. Marquez is probably correct in saying he can't replicate his 2010s form, but in his current condition, he still has the potential to dominate the competition.
Marquez is also expected to see his brother Alex more frequently at the front of the pack. The 31-year-old referred to him as the biggest surprise of pre-season, cautioning about the 2019 Moto2 champion's potential now that he has a suitable bike.
Alex Marquez had already shown considerable consistency in 2024, securing an impressive eighth place in the rankings, but his achievements were largely overshadowed by those of Marc.
The younger Marquez's premier class career has not unfolded as he had hoped, and he is still waiting for his first win, which slipped through his fingers multiple times during his rookie season with Repsol Honda in 2020. However, if he can continue to build on the pace he showed last year, he may finally meet the high expectations that people had from him at the start of his Moto3 career.
Yamaha
Quartararo caught the eye of Yamaha during the testing phase.
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As its main competitor, it's evident that Yamaha has made a significant leap forward this year.
Yamaha gained an advantage over its competitors by bringing in its racing riders for a pre-test session in Sepang, and then emerged as one of the fastest teams when the remaining teams arrived in Malaysia for the main test. The team showed improvements in both short run and long run performance, thanks to enhanced braking capabilities and higher top speeds, and it is likely that further progress will be made as Yamaha's new technical setup begins to show its full potential.
Read Also: Quartararo: Yamaha made more significant gains during the winter than they have in the past five years.At the same time, there are still some long-standing issues that the M1 is struggling to overcome. The M1 has been notably sluggish in low-grip conditions, and the team made limited progress addressing this issue during the Buriram test. Quartararo also experienced difficulties with the front end of the bike in Thailand, which contributed to him being nearly a second off Marquez's pace.
The Australian, who is enjoying the new setting and has quickly adapted to the M1, has the potential to play a significant part in Yamaha's revival.
Honda
Honda also achieved significant improvements, with lead rider Mir giving his stamp of approval to the updated components.
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It can be questioned whether Honda made a wise decision by not using its racing drivers at the Sepang shakedown, but by the end of testing at Buriram on Thursday, it had moved firmly into the top 10 on the leaderboard.
Like Yamaha, Honda still needs to address some inherent weaknesses of the RC213V, as a lack of top speed and grip is still hindering its performance. However, the overall atmosphere at Honda is extremely optimistic.
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Mir has given his approval to the direction Honda has taken after two disappointing seasons that made him consider retiring, while Marini is now in his second season with the Japanese team and doesn't have to face the same challenges he encountered when he first switched to Honda in 2024 after three years with Ducati.
The battle between Yamaha and Honda is also expected to intensify, with Mir having matched Quartararo's speed during a sprint simulation at Buriram.
Marco Bezzecchi
With Jorge Martin sidelined by injury, Bezzecchi has capitalized on the opportunity at his new Aprilia surroundings
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Aprilia's confidence in Bezzecchi has already been validated by his injury.
The Noale-based brand was extremely pleased with Bezzecchi's feedback from the very beginning, making it effortless for them to rely on him when Martin became unavailable.
In addition, the 1m29.244s time he achieved on the final day of testing was the fastest lap set by an Aprilia rider at Buriram. This was particularly impressive as the Chang International Circuit has never been a suitable track for Aprilia, with its long braking zones not being well-suited to the RS-GP.
It was clear that the hard work Aprilia put in during the winter was paying off for Martin, finishing just three spots behind in seventh position. It remains to be seen how long it will take Martin to get accustomed to the bike when he resumes racing, but Bezzecchi will be able to take full advantage of the improvements as soon as the season begins in Thailand later this month.
Losers
Jorge Martin
Martin is racing against the clock to be fit for the 2025 opening match, having missed out on most of the pre-season training.
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Martin completed only 13 laps in the Sepang test when he crashed at Turn 2 and was hospitalized. Missing almost the entire pre-season is already a significant disadvantage for any rider, but getting so little track time on a completely new bike is a major setback that can put someone months behind schedule, as Morbidelli's experience shows.
Regardless of what caused the accident, the outcome is evident for Martin, who now has a pressing deadline to mend from his Sepang injuries. Aprilia has a long-term vision with Martin, and would be willing to allow the Spaniard the time he needs to get accustomed to the RS-GP, but it's undeniable that this is a calamitous start to his championship defense.
Read Also: Aprilia disputes Michelin's explanation for Martin's Sepang crash.It's worth noting that this is the first time Martin has switched manufacturers in his MotoGP career, so the learning curve he will face when he returns to competition will be extremely steep. Even Bezzecchi hasn't hesitated to admit that he hasn't fully adapted to the RS-GP after six full days of testing, including in Barcelona, so one can imagine how long it will take Martin to get used to the bike, especially during race weekends when he needs to understand its nuances.
KTM (and Tech3)
KTM's off-track issues have begun to negatively affect its on-track performance.
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The financial difficulties at KTM's headquarters were bound to affect the performance of its racing team. Although it's unclear exactly where KTM ranks, initial indications suggest it has dropped behind its European competitor Aprilia.
It can also be expected that one of them will make a significant move once the season starts. However, the main concern is the two Tech3 riders, who have been relatively unknown in preseason testing.
The team was driven by a wish to eliminate its weak riders. However, the new riders signed to replace them have struggled on the RC16 so far.
The Italian rider stated that he is still adapting to the KTM as if it were a Ducati, finding it difficult to grasp its behavior when he uses the rear brakes. His riding technique is also hindering him from fully utilizing the RC16's capabilities upon entering the corner, an area where the bike is renowned for its strength.
Francesco Bagnaia
Bagnaia didn't have a trouble-free pre-season testing and appears to be lagging behind Marquez.
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Francesco Bagnaia sees Marquez's move to Ducati as a fresh challenge in his career. Having narrowly missed out on the 2024 title to Martin, Bagnaia believes defeating Marquez would help him regain his status as the top rider in MotoGP. However, the pre-season testing suggests that he will have to be at his best to win a third title in the premier class.
Whether Bagnaia can overtake Marquez for the championship title is a separate issue. What's evident is that Marquez had an outstanding pre-season, and Bagnaia now has to try to close the gap to him.
Read Also: 10. "Jack Miller's Ducati was fast, but he encountered issues with rear grip and acceleration."The difference between the two riders was striking at Buriram; while Marquez rose to the top of the rankings, Bagnaia had to discard an entire day due to a series of issues and "start from scratch" again. The final day of testing progressed smoothly for him, but by then Marquez had made further progress with his program, increasing the gap between the two. Bagnaia did manage to complete some longer runs, but not a full race simulation as Marquez did.
One would be wise to not count out Bagnaia without good reason, but his preparations for the new season have not proceeded as smoothly as one might have expected.
MotoGP takes a brief pause before the season commences in Thailand in two weeks' time.
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