MotoGP rolls in Jerez in a key test for the future of the season.

April 28, 2025. – After an unforgettable Spanish Grand Prix, the action continues at the Jerez-Ángel Nieto Circuit. This Monday, the MotoGP teams returned to the track for a crucial day of official testing for the future of the season. With most of the factories involved, the event takes on strategic importance in a championship where Ducati is setting the pace with a superiority that few dispute.

Aware of its current advantage, the Borgo Panigale-based firm isn't letting up and anticipates significant improvements, the development of which is taking a fundamental step forward today. But the rest of the manufacturers aren't planning to give up either. Yamaha also had this test marked as an absolute priority, seeking to confirm the recent strides forward that have begun to emerge in recent races.
As Honda announced yesterday afternoon, Takaaki Nakagami was finally taking over from Aleix Espargaró for this test. With three bikes available in their garage, the team is planning an intense day of data collection and technical analysis. Meanwhile, due to his crash on Sunday, Franco Morbidelli's team decided to have him sit out the test due to a neck injury. According to VR46, his training program for today was light, so they have chosen to prioritize his recovery.

The riders began hitting the track at 10 a.m. Maverick Viñales and Pecco Bagnaia were among the first to ride, while among the testers, Pedrosa on a KTM and Savadori on an Aprilia were in action. Marc Márquez set the first benchmark of the day with a time of 1:37.294, still some way off the pole position achieved on Saturday by Fabio Quartararo with a time of 1:35.610.

By mid-morning, the timesheets reflected a wide variety of manufacturers in the top positions: Marc Márquez's Ducati led, followed by Fabio Quartararo's Yamaha, Johann Zarco's Honda, and Marco Bezzecchi's Aprilia. We'd have to go a bit further to find the best KTM, with Brad Binder in seventh place.

After three intense hours of testing, the first part of the race concluded with the usual practice starts. Up to that point, Marc Márquez led the standings with a best time of 1:36.184, closely followed by Fabio Quartararo, Johann Zarco, Marco Bezzecchi, and Fabio Di Giannantonio, who completed the top five.

After a brief break, track action resumed at 1:20 p.m., marking the start of a second 4-hour, 40-minute session. Fabio Quartararo led the afternoon timesheets with a time of 1:36.489, although he was unable to improve on Marc Márquez's 1:36.184 from the morning session. By 3 p.m., almost all the riders had completed their laps, but none of them were able to beat the Ducati rider's morning time. With 25 minutes remaining in the session, Marc Márquez was the only rider to break the 1:35 mark, setting a time of 1:35.876, with Maverick Viñales in second place with a time of 1:36.237. Frenchman Fabio Quartararo took third best time with a time of 1:36.353. Alex Rins was fourth (1:36.507). Yesterday's Grand Prix winner, Alex Márquez, finished in tenth place with a time of 1:36.833.

This day of testing brought to a close a unique and unrepeatable Grand Prix in the history of motorcycling. After an unforgettable 40th anniversary and with its sights already set on the upcoming events on the calendar, Jerez bids farewell, once again, as a key stage in the heart of MotoGP.