Shakedown Test 3

The 2026 Shakedown Test concluded with a statement of intent from Honda, as Aleix Espargaró finished at the top of the timesheets for the second time in three days. The Spanish veteran posted a blistering 1:57.173, a time that would have placed him on the second row of the grid during last year’s Malaysian Grand Prix. His performance serves as a massive confidence boost for the HRC project, with Aleix notably claiming the early version of the RC213V is "the best bike I've ever ridden." It was a family affair at the front, as his brother Pol Espargaró secured second place for Red Bull KTM, trailing by just 0.126 seconds. Yamaha also showed continued progress with their new V4 engine, as Fabio Quartararo finished third overall. While Quartararo was roughly half a second off the top pace, he reported significant gains in top speed compared to the old inline-four configuration. His teammate Alex Rins and Day 2 pace-setter Jack Miller followed closely in fourth and fifth, ensuring three Yamahas finished in the top five. The battle of the rookies saw a shift in momentum on the final day. Brazilian Diogo Moreira impressed the paddock by jumping to 6th overall, finishing ahead of veteran test rider Dani Pedrosa. Moreira managed to outpace Toprak Razgatlioglu, who finished 8th; however, the Turkish star was pleased with his progress, having improved his lap time in every single session of the test. The day ended slightly prematurely for some as a late rain shower dampened the track with ten minutes remaining, scuppering any final "glory runs" and bringing a successful three days of prototype testing to a close.