The Valencia test has once again marked the true beginning of a new MotoGP season. Just two days after the final race of 2025, every rider and factory returned to the Circuit Ricardo Tormo for the first official test of the 2026 season. As always, the test did not give us all the answers, but it showed us enough to get excited.

For fans, it was a day filled with fresh colours, new numbers, updated bikes and a whole list of stories to follow over the winter. From rookies taking their first laps on MotoGP bikes to major technical upgrades from almost every manufacturer.

Here is everything we learned from a busy and revealing day.

Diogo Moreira’s first day as a MotoGP rider

One of the biggest talking points before the test was the arrival of the new Moto2 champion, Diogo Moreira, who joins LCR Honda for 2026. The young Brazilian has already made a small but symbolic change: he will race with number 11, instead of the number 10 he used throughout Moto2. The switch is necessary because Luca Marini already competes with that number.

Moreira completed his first laps on the Honda RC213V, finishing in the lower part of the timesheets. But for a debut, it was a solid and sensible start. He focused on adapting, learning, and staying calm. With Honda working hard to recover their competitiveness, Moreira’s rookie season could become one of the most interesting stories of next year.

There is even more motivation for him, as MotoGP returns to Brazil in 2026 for the first time since 2004.

Toprak Razgatlioglu makes his MotoGP debut

After months of speculation, three-time World Superbike Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu finally made his public MotoGP debut with Prima Pramac Yamaha. As expected, he also confirmed a change of race number. Since number 54 was already taken by Fermin Aldeguer, Toprak will race with number 7, a number he used earlier in his career.

His first day was extremely impressive. Riding a MotoGP bike for the first time at a circuit he had never raced, he finished only around six tenths behind Fabio Quartararo and showed the same spectacular riding style that made him a WorldSBK legend. Yamaha still has a long way to go with their new V4 project, especially with top speed, but Toprak gave them exactly what they needed on day one: confirmation that he is fast, focused, and not afraid of a challenge.

Aprilia

The fastest rider at the end of the day was Raul Fernandez on the Trackhouse Aprilia. Fresh from a podium in the race, he set a time of 1:29.373, leading a very impressive day for the Noale factory.

Aprilia brought several new aerodynamic parts, especially on Marco Bezzecchi’s bike, while Jorge Martin tested the chassis Bezzecchi had recently switched to. Martin admitted that some of the new aero was difficult to understand and that he still feels like a rookie with the RS-GP. However, he felt more natural on the updated chassis and expects big steps at the Sepang test.

Trackhouse, meanwhile, had a calmer day with fewer new parts, but both Fernandez and Ai Ogura finished with a strong feeling and plenty of valuable information.

Ducati

Even without bringing the full 2026 package, Ducati riders were near the front all day. The top Ducati was Alex Márquez in third, just ahead of teammate Fermin Aldeguer. Aldeguer completed the most laps of all Ducati riders and handled the GP25 like he had been riding it for years.

In the factory team, Francesco Bagnaia began his work with the first version of the GP26. Despite a small crash, he finished the day encouraged, saying he had much better front-end feeling on corner entry.

Nicolo Bulega also impressed during his final ride with the factory team as a temporary stand-in. His P8 finish suggested he is adapting quickly to the demands of the MotoGP bikes.

VR46 Ducati had mixed fortunes. While Fabio Di Giannantonio was fast and consistent, last-minute substitute Celestino Vietti described his debut simply as “the best day of my life.”

KTM

KTM spent most of the day working on a redesigned side fairing, tested mainly by Pedro Acosta and Brad Binder. Acosta remained the fastest of the KTM riders, and Binder followed not far behind.

At Tech3, Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales focused on ergonomics, especially new seat designs to improve rider comfort and control. Viñales ended the day looking confident and sharp, finishing inside the top six. Bastianini, still adjusting to the KTM, ended further back but stayed positive about the direction.

Honda

After Aleix Espargaro spoke positively about Honda’s new prototype, the factory riders finally had their turn. The RC213V featured a new engine, updated aero, and a redesigned rear seat unit.

Joan Mir finished as the top Honda, just ahead of Johann Zarco and Luca Marini. None of them set standout lap times, but the early signs were promising, especially compared to the struggles the team faced at the start of 2025.

Honda’s project is still in its early stages, yet their riders and engineers believe the new bike will bring them much closer to the top group in 2026.

And of course, the spotlight also fell on rookie Diogo Moreira. His 22nd place may look modest, but it was an encouraging first step.

Yamaha

Yamaha’s test was all about their new V4 engine, which is still running below full power. The bike clearly lacks top speed at this early stage, but Yamaha boss Maio Meregalli confirmed that several new chassis and aero items will be tested immediately in further private sessions.

Fabio Quartararo ended the day 15th, still searching for a perfect base setting. Alex Rins reported positive feelings, but both confirmed that there is still a long journey ahead.

Toprak Razgatlioglu’s debut was, of course, the headline. Finishing only 1.2 seconds off the lead on his first ever MotoGP bike showed enormous potential, not just for him, but for Yamaha’s new project.