Bastianini Slashes One Second at Sepang Test 2026

MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Enea Bastianini delivered a notable step forward during the MotoGP 2026 Sepang Test by cutting almost one second from his lap time compared to his Malaysian Grand Prix qualifying effort from October last year, addressing a long-standing weakness in his recent campaigns.

Qualifying proved to be Bastianini’s Achilles’ heel throughout the 2025 season with Tech3 KTM. His best grid position was fourth, his worst 21st, with an average start of just 16th, often leaving him with too much ground to recover on Saturday afternoons despite competitive race pace.

While the multiple Ducati race winner managed to secure one podium finish in both a Sprint and a Grand Prix during 2025, the deficit built during qualifying regularly compromised his Sundays. As a result, the progress shown in Sepang was viewed as a key development heading into the new season.

Bastianini concluded the three-day test 11th on the combined timesheets, 0.8 seconds adrift of pacesetter Alex Marquez, but less than 0.2 seconds behind the fastest KTM rider, Pedro Acosta. For team management, this represented a clear improvement relative to last year’s form at the same venue.

The Sepang test also marked the first competitive outing for Bastianini’s new partnership with crew chief Andres Madrid, who previously worked alongside Brad Binder in the KTM factory squad. Building confidence and operational clarity between rider and crew was a central objective of the test.

“For Enea, one of the main targets was to build some confidence with his new crew chief, Andres, and this has very clearly been done,” said Nicolas Goyon, Tech3 team manager. “They’ve worked hard over the last three days, completing over 120 laps and working through the entire programme.”

Goyon also highlighted ergonomic changes as a critical factor in the Italian’s improved feeling on the bike. “We’ve made some adjustments to his position on the bike and he’s now feeling really comfortable and in control, which was another key aim for us this week,” he added.

“We are pleased that we can walk away from this week with another item crossed off our list. He finishes the test in P11, which is already a big step forward compared to last year,” Goyon concluded.

Bastianini set a best lap of 1m57.290s and described the Sepang test as encouraging overall. “I can be happy because it has been positive for me,” he said. “We started with a lot of work on the ergonomics of the bike, then yesterday a bit of set-up, and today some back-to-back runs with the aerodynamics.”

“We kept a lot of positive things and I’m satisfied, to be honest. But we still need to close the gap to the rider in front of us,” Bastianini added. “We are fast, but we saw some ‘56s today and for us that was too difficult.”

However, during Sprint simulations, a larger performance gap emerged, both to Acosta and the leading Ducati riders. Bastianini identified cornering performance as a primary limitation that still needs addressing.

“We’re missing turning,” he explained. “Turning is one of the keys to making a good lap time.”

He also revealed that technical issues affected his Sprint simulation. “From my side it was complicated, because I had a small problem, but not from the rear tyre,” Bastianini said. “I had a lot of vibration. We have solved part of the problem, but one of the issues is also front chatter.”

“Today, for the first time, it happened, and after three or four laps it becomes complicated,” he added. “But compared to last year, it is still much better.”

The final MotoGP pre-season test ahead of the 2026 campaign will take place at Buriram on 21–22 February, providing Bastianini and Tech3 KTM with a final opportunity to refine qualifying performance and close the remaining gap before the season officially begins.