Marquez Leads, Yamaha Gains Ground at Jerez Test

Marc Marquez tops the Jerez MotoGP Test as Yamaha’s engine upgrade steals the spotlight; momentum shifts across the grid ahead of Le Mans.

Subscribe to our Telegram channel for instant updates!

Marc Marquez’s name at the top of the leaderboard wasn’t surprising, but this time, it was less about outright speed and more about control. While his test-topping 1:35.876 was the only sub-1:36 of the day, the Ducati Lenovo rider spent much of the session testing swingarms and working through front-end feel. The goal? Predictability — something he lacked on Sunday, when he crashed out.

But while Ducati’s depth continues to shine, it was Yamaha’s relative surge that caught the paddock’s eye.

Yamaha: From Survival to Revival?

For the past two seasons, Yamaha’s test days have followed a familiar script: hope, disappointment, and vague optimism. This time, though, there’s something tangible.

A new engine — not the anticipated V4, but a heavily revised inline-four — gave both Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins reason to believe. Rins praised a 3 km/h increase in top speed, while Quartararo spoke of improved rideability. The pair even ran 1-2 briefly before settling at P3 and P4, respectively.

Is this the beginning of Yamaha’s renaissance? It’s too early to tell, but for once, it feels like they’ve gained ground on the straights rather than just surviving the corners.

KTM and Aprilia: Playing the Long Game

Over at KTM, Monday’s goal was less about glory and more about groundwork. Pedro Acosta bounced back from an early crash to go fifth overall, while Maverick Viñales — perhaps the most surprising P2 of the day — focused on refining throttle response and aero.

KTM is working towards simplification: not to slow the bike down, but to make the weekends less chaotic. Fewer unknowns, more time to push.

Aprilia, meanwhile, quietly got on with business. Marco Bezzecchi ran more laps than anyone (99 in total), experimenting with braking and aerodynamics. Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura clocked in a combined 173 laps for Trackhouse — sheer mileage being their metric of progress.

Honda: Same Questions, Slightly New Tools

Honda’s Jerez outing wasn’t revolutionary — and maybe that’s the point. For a brand still digging out of a competitive slump, incremental gains matter. A new swingarm made its debut, and Johann Zarco offered some encouragement with a top-three time in the morning.

Still, there’s a sense that Honda is collecting data without direction. Joan Mir and Luca Marini completed solid runs, but there was little movement on the stopwatch. Somkiat Chantra crashed but returned, while Takaaki Nakagami played musical chairs with three different machines.

For Honda, Jerez was a test of endurance more than anything else.

The Jerez test didn’t just set the stage for Le Mans — it revealed which teams are ready to fight, and which are still figuring out their weapons. As the paddock packs up, one thing is clear: momentum is shifting, and the balance of power in MotoGP is no longer set in stone.