After three days of Shakedown testing in Sepang, a new era of MotoGP™ is about to officially get going in 2025 as the three-day Official Sepang Test rapidly approaches over the Malaysian horizon – and there’s plenty to look forward to.

THE HEADLINE ACTS

2025 boasts fascinating storylines everywhere you look on the grid, but there are a few that stand out above the rest as we roll into testing.

For the first straight season, the famous #1 plate is in play. But it’s not on a Ducati this year. The off-season question was, ‘Will he, won’t he?’. It was only ever going to be the #1 slapped on the front of Jorge Martin’s Aprilia Racing RS-GP in 2025 and after a positive initial dip in the Noale factory waters at the Barcelona Test, the World Champion – and Aprilia in general – will be occupying plenty of the spotlight in Sepang.

How quickly will Martin get up to speed on his new thoroughbred? How fast is the 2025-spec RS-GP? Those are just two of the obvious questions we’ll be getting answered in the upcoming three days.

Two riders that will be on Martin’s radar throughout 2025 will be his 2023 and 2024 sparring partner, Pecco Bagnaia, and the latter’s new teammate – Marc Marquez. The dream team? Ducati Lenovo Team hierarchy certainly think so. And it’s hard to disagree. 11 Grand Prix World Championship titles are shared between the #63 and #93 as Ducati look to pick up where they left off in 2024. But how much better can the GP25 be than the ludicrously good, world-beating GP24? That’s something everyone will be looking at intensely, as well as how the two multiple World Champions gel as teammates.

We aren’t short of riders venturing into new beginnings in 2025. Last year’s rookie sensation, Pedro Acosta, is back donning the orange of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing this year as the 20-year-old hunts that sought-after debut MotoGP victory. Acosta and teammate Brad Binder will be spearheading the KTM project as factory riders, with expectations high for both to put the Austrian manufacturer back on the top step of the premier class rostrum.But there are also big changes in the next stable along.

Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales make up the 2025 Red Bull KTM Tech3 outfit, and both bring a bucket load of experience from rival manufacturers. How much can their valuable input and speed help shape the RC16 into a fearsome race-winning package?They’ve got the riders. Three MotoGP race winners and the most exciting young talent on the grid in Acosta. So can the Sepang Test spring positive vibes from KTM?

Elsewhere, Marco Bezzecchi is out to put 2024’s low-key campaign behind him as the 2023 MotoGP bronze medallist joins reigning Champion Martin in the factory Aprilia box. Both riders – hopping off a Ducati onto an Aprilia – complimented the RS-GPs front-end feel after the Barcelona Test, so can the duo act as Aprilia’s key to consistent success in 2025?The speed of ‘Bez’ compared to teammate Martin will be an interesting duel straight from the green flag in Sepang. But it’s also going to be fascinating to see and hear from the Italian about his adaptation, and how he compares to his rivals.

Another eye-catching change is Prima Pramac’s switch to Yamaha’s official factory Independent Team. The World Champions have Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira at the controls of their new YZR-M1s in 2025, and both the riders and team personnel will be laser-focused on getting to know every detail of the Yamaha as quickly as possible.(add something about shakedown comments/results here).

After taking part in the three-day Shakedown Test, it was Trackhouse Racing’s Ai Ogura who stole the headlines from the rookies as he was on a pace comparable to Maverick Viñales’ Aprilia showing at the same test 12 months previous. He completed a 17-lap run where he was actually quicker than the Spaniard, leaving reason for the Japanese rider and American team to be excited for 2025. Fermin Aldeguer was the next-best rookie but did have the unwanted label of only crasher during the three-day Shakedown Test whilst Thai debutant Somkiat Chantra continues his adaptation with two days of track action previous, having sat out Day 1.

It’s a pivotal pre-season for the two sleeping giants of MotoGP – Honda and Yamaha. Starting with the latter, Fabio Quartararo’s late 2024 surge in form and the subsequent P2 finish at the Barcelona Test – plus the general positive tunes he and Yamaha were singing – signalled progress was being made by the Iwata factory heading into the winter. The Frenchman and Yamaha are desperate to be back at the front fighting for victories every week; that goes without saying.

On the other side of the box, it will be intriguing to see how Alex Rins fares in 2025. The #42 was also able to bag a couple of top 10s in the latter half of the season to back up Yamaha’s gradual progress, and following a winter of getting more strength in his leg and after a year of experience on the Yamaha, the six-time MotoGP race winner will be hoping 2025 is the year he is a frontrunner again. The Sepang Test will give us a first indication as to whether or not Yamaha are in the ballpark of being able to challenge for the big points hauls this season. And with Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP helping steer the ship in the right direction, those extra hands – both on and off track – could prove to be the missing ingredient.

Let’s flip the page to HRC now. And the first question that stares us in the face is, ‘Can Honda give their riders a much-improved RC213V?’ We all hope that’s a very firm ‘yes’ after Honda HRC’s Joan Mir and Luca Marini scored a combined 35 points last season.There were some signs of encouragement in 2024 though. Castrol Honda LCR’s Johann Zarco was the shining light in HRC’s ranks last season, and the Frenchman’s performance and comments during the Sepang Test will be listened to with keen interest. Hearing from those three, plus new test rider Aleix Espargaro, will enable us to learn some key bits as to how Honda’s preparations are going.