        The 2024 season officially gets underway with the first day of official MotoGP testing at Sepang. All riders are out on the Malaysian track, with Jorge Martin starting just as he finished last year, in that the team Prima Pramac rider was the quickest over the flying lap, setting a 1'57.951. The Spaniard is the only rider to duck under 1'58 so far. Behind the 2023 runner-up is a surprising Pedro Acosta who, after building confidence with the Tech3 GASGAS during the Shakedown, proved very competitive on Day 1, closing just 0.269 of a second from Martin. Fabio Quartararo looks solid with the Yamaha, third and very keen to make up for a 2023 season that was more complicated than expected. Fabio Di Giannantonio and Enea Bastianini round out the Top 5 in fourth and fifth position respectively. Marquez top ten, Bagnaia 16th The best Aprilia rider is Maverick Vinales, sixth ahead of the Ducatis of Alex Marquez, Marco Bezzecchi and Marc Marquez. The latter was able to move up into ninth at the end of the session, after a crash and a few technical setbacks hindered his progress earlier in the day. Rounding out the top ten is Johann Zarco, the first Honda rider. Eleventh for Yamaha new-entry Rins, while current world champion Francesco Bagnaia is down in sixteenth place. The Italian also suffered a crash, so expect to see significant improvement from him tomorrow. Luca Marini lies seventeenth with the Honda as he continues to adapt to a bike very different to the Ducati he rode up until a few months ago.       

The 2023 runner up was the fastest on Day 1, ahead of the GASGAS rookie and Fabio Quartararo. Marquez 9th with a crash, Bagnaia 16th

Sepang Test: Martin leads on day 1, Acosta already second

        World Superbike will get underway at Phillip Island in a little under two months, while MotoGP must wait until March for its season-opener in Qatar. That said, riders will be in action long before, taking part in the winter tests that serve as a prelude to the 2024 race season. From the prototypes to the production-derived, and from Moto2 and Moto3 to MotoE, here are all the relevant pre-season test dates. 2024 MotoGP tests, from Malaysia to Qatar As is tradition, the MotoGP winter tests will take place at the Malaysian track of Sepang, which will stage both the Shakedown (reserved to test riders, rookies and manufacturers in the lowest concessions bracket, or rather Honda and Yamaha), on 1-3 February, and the official IRTA tests, on 6-8 February, in which all riders will take part. These sessions will be followed by tests in Qatar, at the Losail circuit, on 19-20 February, just a few weeks before the 2024 season gets underway at the very same track. SBK tests: Jerez, Portimao and Phillip Island As for the production-derived top class, testing will begin at Jerez de la Frontera on 24-25 January, before teams move on to the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal to test on 29-30 January. The final sessions will play out directly at Phillip Island on 19-20 February, just a few days before the inaugural round is staged at the same spectacular Australian track. Moto2, Moto3 and MotoE Back to the world championship, and the minor classes will also take to the tracks for testing. Both Moto2 and Moto3 will have an official three-day test at Jerez de la Frontera, with alternating sessions from 28 February to 1 March, but this will be preceded by private tests at Portimao, on 22-23 February for Moto3 and on 24-25 February for Moto2. Lastly, the MotoE world championship will complete all its testing at Portimao, with riders getting to grips with the Ducati V21L around the undulating Portuguese track on 21-23 February, before returning on 21 March just prior to the first electric race of the season, taking place at the same circuit.       

Before the season gets underway, riders will take part in various test sessions. Check out where and when pre-season testing across the various classes will play out

MotoGP, SBK and more: all the 2024 official test dates

        A new MotoGP season will get underway in a couple of weeks but first the riders face two days of testing at Portimao, on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 March. The factory Ducati riders will take to the track with their Desmosedici GP machines as they continue to prepare for a new championship in which they are tasked with defending all three titles - rider, team and constructor - achieved in 2022. Bagnaia on his Ducati: "We are close to being 100%"  Current world champion Francesco Bagnaia admits: &ldquo;We are now very close to the first race of the season, and so this test will be crucial. In Sepang, we managed to do a good job and bring the new bike to the same level as last year's&rdquo;. Now it&rsquo;s all about working on the details: &ldquo;We are very close to being 100%, and I am sure we will be able to complete our work here&rdquo;. But there is also another important factor to consider: &ldquo;Portim&atilde;o is a very different track from Sepang, and, of course, so are the weather conditions. So it will be crucial to try the different fairings tested in Malaysia again to have more data to analyze before making a final decision". And then there is the new format: &ldquo;We will also have to work on the race weekend, especially the sprint race. It will be two intense days, but I am ready and excited to return to work." Bastianini impatient to represent Ducati on track  Enea Bastianini prepares to debut in these new colours and states: &ldquo;I am happy to get back on track this weekend and return to work to prepare for the new season. We are now practically two weeks away from the first race, and I can't wait!&rdquo; Hard work awaits though: &ldquo;Although we completed a good part of our program in Sepang, two very intense days await us here. It will be important to repeat some of the tests we did in Malaysia to have different data to compare&rdquo;. The fact that this same track will host the first GP is another aspect to consider: &ldquo;We will need to start working on fine-tuning the bike for the race and simulate a sprint race to understand how we will have to approach this year. We hope to find good weather on both days."       

Tomorrow marks the start of the last all-important two-day test for the reigning class, as the Ducati duo has revealed its aims and work schedule &nbsp;

MotoGP, here are Bagnaia and Bastianini’s plans for the Portimão test

        The 2023 Superbike edition will perhaps be remembered for the shortest ever winter, with just a three-month break between the final round of 2022 and the start of the following championship, but teams also face a busy pre-season of testing. The action kicks off today and tomorrow with Kawasaki, BMW and team Puccetti at Jerez, but from Tuesday 15 to Thursday 18 December the Andalusian track will welcome the production-derived bikes once more, starting with the factory Yamaha and Honda teams, plus BMW and more besides. This initial 2023 test will also involve Garrett Gerloff and Loris Baz, riding for team Bonovo, team MIE and, particularly, the GRT team&rsquo;s new recruits, or rather Dominique Aegerter and Remy Gardner, both of whom will be looking to make a strong start aboard the R1. &nbsp; Final preparations in January-February, before things get serious Action will then resume in January, on the 25th, with riders returning to Jerez for what may be the most interesting test of all. Almost all the big hitters are expected on track, with the factory Yamaha, Kawasaki, Ducati (out for the first time) and BMW teams, as well as GRT, Go Eleven, Orelac and GMT94, and Lorenzo Baldassarri who will make his debut Superbike appearance. As January draws to an end, there&rsquo;s time for a trip to Portim&atilde;o, where Ducati will organize a further two days of testing (31 January-1 February). This may be an opportunity for Danilo Petrucci to debut with team Barni, if they don&rsquo;t take to the track on 25 January at Jerez. &nbsp; 2022-2023 test calendar (in development) 1-2 December: Jerez 13-15 December: Jerez 25-26 January: Jerez 31 January &ndash; 1 February: Portim&atilde;o 20-21 February: official tests, Phillip Island       

A total of seven days of action at Jerez, followed by sessions at Portim&atilde;o

A busy SBK winter: all the 2023 test dates

        Important new regulation updates have been introduced for MotoGP. Having convened on 22 April at Portimao, the Grand Prix Commission has decided to make some changes for next season, reducing the already limited number of test days available to teams and riders in the top class. MotoGP test restrictions  In mutual agreement with Michelin, the Commission has opted to reduce the number of official test days permitted in the MotoGP class, a decision that is due to the increasing number of races on the calendar. The revised test programme is: One 1-Day official test following the final event of 2022 season, at the same circuit used for the final event. One 3-Day &ldquo;shakedown&rdquo; test prior to the first official test after the winter test ban period. For factory test riders and MotoGP class rookie riders only. One 3-Day official test, after the winter test ban period and before the first event of the season. One 2-Day official test, after the winter test ban period and before the first event of the season. Two 1-Day official tests on the Monday or Tuesday after a GP event at circuits and dates to be agreed by the teams and Dorna/IRTA. Technical updates  From 2024 it will be mandatory in all classes to use fuel with a minimum of 40% of non-fossil origin. This percentage will be increased to 100% for the 2027 season. The exact specification for the fuel characteristics will be published later. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Bagnaia: &ldquo;My movement is limited, I&rsquo;ll have to manage that&rdquo;       

The Grand Prix Commission is introducing further testing restrictions for the reigning class as of 2023

Mini revolution in MotoGP: here’s how winter testing will change

        The news arriving from Japan could have a direct bearing on the MotoGP pre-season, set to begin in a month&rsquo;s time. As of now, Dorna has everything in place in accordance with requests from the Malaysian authorities in order to be able to raise the curtain on the 2021 pre-season in Sepang come mid-February. A process that involved the organisation of exclusive charter flights for MotoGP paddock personnel and concentrating everyone in just one "bubble hotel". The entire group would only be able to move between the hotel and the track, using public services. Rental cars with a particulate filter would not be permitted. But the general worsening of the pandemic, particularly in a key nation like Japan, could have a destabilising effect on these plans. On the one hand, Japanese factories are very protective of their employees and, on the other, the possibility to be unexpectedly joined by other teams is something that cannot be excluded. A risk that could be avoided by refocusing activity in Europe, following the framework that Dorna successfully used last season. Transferring the pre-championship to Europe - to southern Spain and Portugal - would allow the Japanese engineers to follow the modus operandi of 2020, when they would &lsquo;seek refuge&rsquo; in Andorra between the races. On paper this looks like a &lsquo;safer&rsquo; approach, rather than attempting to move 1500 or 2000 people to Asia and being at the mercy of any unexpected changes in situation. But there are of course a number of economic factors that we cannot evaluate and that will clearly have a bearing on any decisions. In any case, and bearing in mind Dorna&rsquo;s management of the championship last year, we&rsquo;re sure that it would be the safest solution for world championship staff. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, the future of Suzuki: Pablo Nieto a possible replacement for Brivio       

The worsening of the pandemic, particularly in a key nation like Japan, could have a destabilising effect on the first pre-season tests of 2021

MotoGP: Japan in a state of emergency, repercussions for the Sepang test?

With the 2021 SBK calendar already announced, it&rsquo;s time to think about pre-season testing. Some teams have already begun to prepare for the upcoming season with test sessions at Estoril and Jerez, while others will not return to the track until the new year. While we await the plans of Honda and BMW, here&rsquo;s the schedule for Kawasaki, Ducati and Yamaha, plus that of many independent teams linked to the aforementioned manufacturers.  It&rsquo;s curtains up at Jerez for Kawasaki and Ducati   The date is set for 20-21 January at the Angel Nieto track in Andalusia. Kawasaki will rent the track and will &lsquo;host&rsquo; other teams, including Aruba Ducati, with riders Scott Redding and Michael Ruben Rinaldi, who will be up against KRT riders Johnny Rea and Alex Lowes.  The green teams will also include Orelac with rider Isaac Vinales, a newly formed partnership, while the red side will also feature Barni and Go Eleven, hard at work with their respective new hires, Tito Rabat and Chaz Davies.    Rounding out the line-up at the two-day test is the HRC MotoGP test team, on track with German Stefan Bradl and the Honda RC 213V, the only prototype we&rsquo;ll see at Jerez. British rider Sam Lowes and Frenchman Johann Zarco will be out on two road bikes.  Crazy March for Yamaha   The blue bikes will be out at Misano in mid-March but before this Kawasaki will be on track at Portimao, on the 4th and 5th of the month. KRT will then move to Estoril, again in Portugal, for a test on the 25th and 26th, while the R1 bikes of Razgatlioglu, Locatelli, Gerloff and Nozane will be out at the Marco Simoncelli circuit on the 15th and 16th.  Dorna has organised an official test for all teams and riders entered in the series. The 2021 championship will be presented at Barcelona, with Superbike, Supersport and Supersport 300 all present at the Catalunya Circuit, the host of one of three Spanish rounds on the 2021 calendar.    April, full steam ahead as the championship gets underway   Battle will officially commence over the last weekend of April, when SBK returns to Assen. In order to arrive fully prepared, the Yamaha teams will go first to Arag&ograve;n, another track to feature on the calendar this season. Further Ducati and Kawasaki tests will be announced in due course by their respective press offices.  All the material will need to be transported to the Dutch &lsquo;university&rsquo;, the first test bench in a season that envisages 13 international events. The Superbike category will feature three races per weekend, so every last detail need to be fully functional and ready to go.  Translated by Heather Watson  SBK, will Rabat be the next &quot;King of both Worlds&quot;? 

KRT and Aruba will go head to head at the Angel Nieto track, together with Orelac, Barni and Go Eleven. Yamaha will begin at Misano in March, while BMW and Honda are still to confirm their testing plans