MotoGP™ officially returns for 2024 on Tuesday morning when the Sepang Test gets underway. All 11 premier class outfits will hit the track as they prepare for the upcoming season, with our reporters ready to bring you updates as they happen in Malaysia. From new parts to key quotes and fast lap times, you won't miss a thing with our live text.

Thursday February 8th

18:55 - That's that. The Sepang Test is officially done. And what a return for MotoGP™ too. Bagnaia vs Martin is set to roll into another year, now with Bastianini thrown into the mix. Marc Marquez made great strides and is building in such ominous fashion. And Pedro Acosta, what more can you say about that absolute superstar. We'll back for another live text for the Qatar Test, chat to you then!

17:36 - A few more Sprint simulations have been done in the last hour. Here's a full rundown of them:


FD49: 17:43.984 
EB23: 17:44.591 
JM89: 17:45.002 
AE41: 17:46.495
MM93: 17:46.681
AM73: 17:47.221
PA31: 17:47.529
FB01: 17:47.774
JM36: 17:50.125

16:25 - Well, there are still plenty of guys out on track but no headline laptimes coming in. KTM are still playing with some aero pieces, including the interesting wing attached to the front fender. They've also been having a good giggle with Aprilia...

15:08 - P1: Enea Bastianini - 17:44.591, P2: Jorge Martin - 17:45.002, P3: Aleix Espargaro - 17:46.495, P4: Pedro Acosta - 17:47.529, P5: Pecco Bagnaia - 17:47.774.

That's right, Acosta's 9-lap dash was faster than the World Champion's. Remarkable.

15:07 - Not much going on we got our calculators out and did some maths to see who's done the best 9-lap Sprint simulation today. Results incoming (and they make interesting reading)!

14:39 - Well, we've been thinking it for a few days but now the factory Ducati boss has confirmed it: The Beast is back!

13:18 - Acosta has put together his first Sprint simulation of the Sepang Test and it's impressive. The rookie is only one second slower than Aleix Espargaro over 9 laps, and is SIX SECONDS quicker than the Sprint win in 2023. Chapeau.

13:05 - Fabio Di Giannantonio has crashed at Turn 9. Rider OK.

12:51 - Aleix Espargaro is not only fast over one lap (currently sits fifth), but he's fast over a longer distance too. The 9-lap run he did this morning was 7.3 seconds faster than Alex Marquez's Sprint-winning time. SEVEN SECONDS. Yes, the conditions are very different. Yes, the track is extremely grippy. But that's still fast.

12:46 - A lot of work is currently being put in on used tyres. A few Sprint simulations and longer runs for us to analyse later on too.

12:10 - Would you like to watch a video of bikes going really fast around Sepang? We thought so...

11:30 - Another adrenaline-filled morning at Sepang and now it's time for everyone to catch their breaths. Rain is still forecast for around 3pm here, so expect everyone to try and work through the usual lunch hour.

11:09 - That's a very good lap by Aleix Espargaro as he moves into the top five thanks to a 1:57.091. His teammate Maverick Viñales has improved this morning but is down in 12th. Difficult to know if Aprilia have taken a step over the winter or not right now. Both Viñales and Oliveira were pretty downbeat yesterday and the timesheets won't improve their mood this morning, but Espargaro can put a lap together when he needs to.

11:04 - Bastianini looks to be back to his very best this year as he becomes our fourth member of the 1:56 club. A 1:56.915 for The Beast slots him into third.

10:54 - Joan Mir has crashed at the final corner. He picked it up straight away and rode it back to the box.

10:52 - Take a bow, Alex Marquez! The Gresini Ducati man joins Bagnaia and Martin in the 1:56 club to move up to third. His Sprint sim yesterday was four seconds quicker than he managed en route to victory a few months ago, and now he's slamming in a 1:56.938. A big year ahead for the #73.

10:48 - Here comes the eight-time World Champion! A 1:57.270 puts Marc Marquez up to fifth and just over half a second behind Bagnaia. Can we scrap the Qatar Test and just go racing now? Anyone got Carmelo's number?

10:42 - ACOSTA ALERT: On only his sixth day on a MotoGP™ bike, Pedro Acosta has just gone under the outright lap record by setting a 1:57.365. He's quicker than Bagnaia's pole lap from November. And is only 0.038 seconds behind Brad Binder. He's up to sixth. We're running out of superlatives for the rookie.

10:35 - Now that is impressive and I'm sure it'll raise a few smiles in the Repsol Honda box. Joan Mir pushes Marc Marquez out of the top six thanks to his 1:57.374. That's a whopping 1.1 seconds faster than he managed in Q1 just a few months ago.

10:30 - We knew it was coming at one stage and it finally has. Marc Marquez enters the top six for the very first time after posting a 1:57.404. The eight-time World Champion at last shows his hand with a time attack and, although he's leaped up to sixth, remains seven tenths behind the World Champ.

10:28 - Martin joins his principal title rival in the 1:56s but he can't better the Italian. Last year's runner-up again has to settle for second with a 1:56.854.

10:26 - UNBELIEVABLE! The World Champion produces what can only be described as pure genius to not only break the 1:57 barrier but completely and utterly blow it to pieces. A 1:56.682 is the greatest two-wheeled lap ever seen at the Sepang International Circuit and it comes courtesy of the #1, Pecco Bagnaia.

10:25 - BOOM! First flying lap of the morning for Jorge Martin and grabs back top spot with a 1:57.099. He's not done there though, history is just moments away surely!

10:21 - We have our first improvement of the morning: Pedro Acosta. The Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 rookie improves in time but not in position. He remains eighth with a 1:57.686. Whatever happens today, is he your most impressive man of the Sepang Test?

10:16 - All eyes this morning are on the timesheets and if we'll see the very-first 1:56 lap of Sepang. A few of the riders yesterday evening predicted we would see it, let's hope they don't let us down!

10:13 - No improvements and big headlines on the track this morning, but away from it Trackhouse Racing have confirmed the signing of legendary team boss Davide Brivio as their new Team Principal! A huge signing for the new American squad, signaling their intentions that they are not here just to take part. Welcome back to the MotoGP™ paddock, Davide!

9:58 - Good morning and welcome back to the final day of the Sepang Test! It's overcast and much cooler than the past two days, which is good news if you're a fan of fast laps. Plus, the forecast indicates we might get some rain later. So strap in, looks like we're in for a busy morning!

Wednesday February 7th

19:00 - Lots of interesting quotes filtering through from the riders. Keep a close eye on motogp.com for the best bits. We'll be back bright and early tomorrow for the final day of testing. Ciao for now!

18:00 - Chequered flag and that's a historic Day 2 finished here in Sepang. Brilliance from The Beast in the closing stages sees him take top spot. Surely we're going to get that magical, first 1:56 tomorrow, right?

17:54 - Marco Bezzecchi has crashed at Turn 7 whilst pushing for a late improvement. Rider OK.

17:39 - Simon Crafar in After The Flag believes Marc Marquez might be playing some games...

17:33 - What a shame! The Beast was just under two tenths up halfway around the lap but a mistake in the third sector means he isn't able to have the honour of being the first-ever rider in the 1:56s.

17:31 - HISTORY AGAIN! Out of nowhere, Enea Bastianini has just smashed in a 1:57.134 and he isn't stopping there...

17:20 - This is your 10 minute warning! After The Flag will be live soon bringing you best analysis of the day's action with Louis Suddaby, Elliott York and Simon Crafar.

17:11 - Alex Marquez has just finished a frighteningly fast Tissot Sprint simulation. The winner of last year's Sprint went under the fastest lap of the 10-lap dash on seven of his 10 laps. The two-time World Champion was flying.

17:00 - An hour to go and nobody has done more laps than Marc Marquez. 54 so far for the #93 as he looks to make up for lost time yesterday and get to grips with his new Ducati. He's yet to break the 1:58 barrier and sits 13th on the timesheets.

16:44 - Luca Marini put together an interesting run of 13 consecutive laps just before lunch, the longest of any rider out there. The Repsol Honda man clocked 10 laps in the 1:59s. Compare that to last year, when all four Honda riders managed a combined total of just 2 laps in the 1:59s in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix. Honda have made progress.

16:30 - An hour and a half left of Day 2 here in Sepang and the track is fairly busy again. Let's hope we see some time attacks in the closing stages.

15:53 - The Beast bares his teeth and jumps up to seventh thanks to a 1:57.680.

15:49 - Bagnaia and Bastianini have finished their pasta and are the first riders back out on track after the lunch break. Marc Marquez now joins them.

15:29 - Missed this one earlier but Fabio Di Giannantonio had a technical problem. Received a Miller Taxi style push back from a very helpful Malaysian marshal on a scooter.

15:17 - Just under three hours remaining and there's not an awful lot happening at the moment. Time to go find a coffee somewhere. I'm sure Ducati or Aprilia won't mind us using their espresso machine.

15:01 - Crash for Johann Zarco at Turn 15. Rider OK.

14:08 - Yamaha team boss Maio Meregalli just joined Simon and Jack, and confirmed they've locked in their new aero package.

14:00 - It's lunchtime on Day 2, which can mean only one thing... crank up the Bon Jovi because WOOOAAAAHHH WE'RE HALFWAY THERE! Will we see the first-ever 1:56 this afternoon? Let's see. But first, time for some chicken satay.

13:52 - Miguel Oliveira, Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaro are all lapping together under the blazing sunshine to see if Aprilia have solved their issues with the heat. In Thailand last year, Viñales and Fernandez were forced to retire and Espargaro said he "couldn't breathe" because of the heat coming off the bike. Plus, they had serious reliability issues in the hotter temperatures. They both need to be solved if Aprilia are to be serious contenders in 2024.

13:20 - When was the last time we were able to say this? Yamaha are currently sat at the top of the top speed charts courtesy of Fabio Quartararo. Yes, slipstream and misjudging a braking marker can play a part. But it's another positive sign coming out of the Yamaha camp.

13:00 - Three hours now ticked off and no change at the top. Most people now working with used rubber but, unlike at a Grand Prix weekend, we don't know just how old those tyres are and, as a result, how impressive the lap times are. Let's see if anybody ventures out for a longer run or even a Sprint simulation later on.

12:41 - A crash for Pedro Acosta at Turn 9. Rider OK.

12:34 - Enea Bastianini has just been out trying some new aero for Ducati. A few teething issues to overcome, however, as he's straight back down pitlane with it maybe having caught the edge of a kerb.

12:07 - Two frantic hours down and now everyone seems to be settling into the bulk of their testing work. Top five is currently Martin, Binder, Espargaro, Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio. The new VR46 rider was probably the form man, outside of Bagnaia and Martin, in the second half of last season and he's clearly picked up where he left off.

11:48 - Only one man has failed to improve today: Marc Marquez. He's 18th on the combined timesheets and 21st on the Day 2 timesheets. Work to be done down at Gresini Racing then.

11:30 - What an opening 90 minutes to Day 2 that was. In October 2022, Jorge Martin became the first man to set a 1:57 lap of Sepang. Fast forward 18 months, the top 11 riders are now all in the 1:57s. All five factories are inside a top ten covered by only 0.615 seconds. MotoGP™ is well and truly back.

11:13 - APRILIA & ALEIX ARRIVE! A 1:57.446 sees the #41 slot into third as the Italian factory take the fight to Ducati and KTM. Those three now occupy the top three spots and they're split by 0.173 seconds. Nice.

11:07 - We've been patiently waiting for the World Champion to show his hand and he finally does. Pecco Bagnaia becomes the third man of the day to go under his pole lap from last year's Malaysian Grand Prix. A 1:57.469 enough to see the #1 jump up to third.

11:05 - ACOSTA ALERT: Not wanting to miss out on the fun, the rookie moves into the top five with a 1:57.726 - his best lap of the week by a good four tenths. That would have put him fifth on the grid for last year's Malaysian Grand Prix. The hype is real ladies and gentleman.

10:58 - We've currently got a KTM in second, a Honda in sixth and a Yamaha in seventh. Jorge Martin said yesterday Ducati are going to go have some serious competition in 2024 and, judging by this opening hour, he isn't wrong.

10:54 - That's a seriously impressive lap from Joan Mir. He sets Honda's best-ever lap of Sepang with a 1:57.872 to go sixth. That's a massive six tenths quicker than he did in Q1 here last year - where he was Honda's top qualifier.

10:52 - So close for Brad Binder. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing man is fired up this morning and also goes under Bagnaia's previous fastest-ever Sepang lap. A 1:57.327 for the South African to put him second.

10:36 - HISTORY IS MADE! There we have it, the new fastest-ever lap of the Sepang International Circuit and, of course, it's been set by Jorge Martin. The Spaniard fires in a 1:57.273 to the amazement of everyone in pitlane.

10:33 - There are red sectors everywhere at the moment, so the laptime to remember is 1:57.491. That is the fastest-ever Sepang lap set in Q2 last year by Pecco Bagnaia. Will it be beaten today? You'd have to think so.

10:31 - ANOTHER NEW FASTEST LAP! What a start to the morning. Quartararo's enjoyed top spot for a few seconds before Marco Bezzecchi stole it away. Only for Brad Binder to slam in a 1:57.685 and stick KTM at the top of the timesheets. Ridiculous!

10:28 - NEW FASTEST LAP! That is quite simply stunning from Fabio Quartararo. The Frenchman sets a 1:57.888 to take top spot away from Jorge Martin. It's his fastest-ever lap of Sepang and on only Day 2 of the test. It's still very early, but... are Yamaha back?

10:25 - Alex Rins improves to seventh and he's impressed early on with Yamaha. Simon Crafar reporting yesterday that the team have been surprised with his braking ability, even going as far as saying he's already matching Fabio Quartararo - a man widely regarded as one of the best brakers on the grid.

10:18 - Here we go. Marco Bezzecchi is our first improver and a significant one too, as the Italian jumps up to second and halves Martin's advantage down to just 0.088 of a second.

10:15 - It'll be interesting to see what Marc Marquez can do today. The eight-time World Champion was maybe a little subdued when he spoke to us yesterday. And you can understand after a challenging day with plenty of minor issues. However, despite admitting he isn't too comfortable right now, we're only at Day 1 of 2024. There are a lot of laps still to be made.

10:08 - Whilst we wait for the first improvers of the day, why don't you check out the highlights from yesterday to refresh your memory of what happened on a busy first day here at Sepang.

10:00 - So, green flag waves at the bottom of pitlane and we are underway. Marco Bezzecchi the first out on his striking Pertamina Enduro VR46 machine. Slightly cloudy today, meaning the heat isn't as intense for the riders, the teams and us stood in pitlane.

9:59 - Good morning everyone! How are we? Welcome back for coverage of Day 2 from Sepang. 20 of the full-time premier class grid will be out there today with Michele Pirro and Lorenzo Savadori stepping in for the injured Franky Morbidelli and Raul Fernandez - who we of course wish the very best to! 

Tuesday February 6th

19:10 - Right, more interviews to come on motogp.com but we're signing off the live text for now. See you all bright and early tomorrow for Day 2!

19:00 - Not the first day Marc Marquez was hoping for, and it sounds like there's still a lot of work to do.

18:35 - What did Day 1's fastest man have to say in After The Flag?

18:26 - 17th today for Luca Marini, but the new HRC rider isn't too disappointed.

18:00 - Chequered flag on Day 1 of the Sepang Test and it's Jorge Martin who takes top spot ahead of Pedro Acosta and Fabio Quartararo. We'll bring you some key quotes from the riders after the opening day of action, so don't go anywhere.

17:59 - Some more interesting quotes in After The Flag from Ducati, this time on the rumours linking them with Fermin Aldeguer.

17:57 - Clock ticking down now and we haven't spoken about the World Champion too much. 16th for Pecco Bagnaia, but Davide Tardozzi confirmed on After The Flag it looks like there's some good news coming. 

17:51 - Jack Miller is down at Turn 2. Rider OK.

17:41 - We've been waiting all day for it to happen and now it has. Marc Marquez joins the party by firing up to 9th with just under 20 minutes remaining on the clock.

17:32 - Few riders pushing on now for a late improvement. Marco Bezzecchi is the one of them, but he's gone over the limit and has crashed out unhurt at Turn 4.

17:15 - This is your 15 minute warning: After The Flag starts at 17:30 (UTC+7)! Tune in for the very best analysis and live reactions from your favourite MotoGP™ riders.

17:00 - Just an hour left of Day 1 at the Sepang Test and, despite the odd red sector here and there, Jorge Martin has not been challenged for the vast majority of the day. Will the Prima Pramac Racing man hold on to top spot?

16:54 - ALLEZ LES BLEUS! After struggling all year with their one-lap qualifying pace, Fabio Quartararo and Monster Energy Yamaha has just gone third overall. The Frenchman's 1:58.228 is two tenths shy of his best lap from the 2023 Malaysian Grand Prix.

16:22 - First big movers of the afternoon! LCR Honda's Johann Zarco improves by just under a second to jump up from 20th and 7th - and becomes the top Honda in doing so. Then Marco Bezzecchi also found a second to go from 19th to 6th on the timesheets.

16:15 - Few more interesting bits to note. Acosta is currently fastest of anyone through Sectors 1 and 3, whilst Martin is top in Sectors 2 and 4. In terms of the Speed Trap, it's Marini (Honda), Acosta (KTM) and Marc Marquez (Ducati) tied at the top having clocked 336.4kph. Interestingly, though, Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha, who's top speed struggles have been well documented in recent years, currently sit only 1kph behind in fourth.

16:05 - Whilst we wait for some late afternoon improvements, let's take a look at who's been the busiest out on track so far. Jack Miller is currently most deserving of a beer tonight after doing 46 laps, with his KTM teammate Brad Binder, Pedro Acosta and Maverick Viñales all having done 40 laps.

16:00 - A steady start after lunch, as everyone lets their Nasi Lemak settle. The top five remains unchanged with now just two hours remaining on Day 1. Will someone throw a soft tyre at it and topple Martin from top spot?

15:56 - Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing) has crashed at Turn 2. Rider OK. 

15:10 - Whilst we wait for everyone to return from lunch, we spoke to the factory team bosses about the new concessions system introduced for this year. Some big help for Honda and Yamaha, plus restrictions for Ducati, but what do they all think?

14:35 - I hope Simon is talking about some new aero and not After The Flag with Louis Suddaby and Elliott York later...

14:20 - Simon Crafar caught up with some of the boys down at GASGAS earlier...

14:02 - Crash for Marc Marquez at Turn 15. Must have been a small one, however. He's picked up his GP23 and is lapping again.

14:00 - Four hours down, four to go and it's Jorge Martin leading the way with the first, and definitely not the last, 1:57 of the week. He's joined in the top five by Acosta, Di Giannatonio, Bastianini and Viñales. Time for some lunch.

13:56 - Word from Gresini is that it was only a very minor issue for the #93. He's already back out on track.

13:43 - Another technical problem for Marc Marquez, this time he's stopped at Turn 1. They're struggling to get that Gresini Ducati dialed in so far today.

13:10 - Miguel Oliveria (Trackhouse Racing) has crashed at Turn 12. Rider OK.

13:01 - The third hour is in the books and it's still Jorge Martin leading the way. We've had to sound the Acosta Alert as Pedro's up to second, and only a tenth behind his Shakedown best, with Fabio Di Giannantonio completing the top three.

12:54 - It's not been the ideal start for Marc Marquez. His first run lasted only four corners and he now sits 20th.

12:27 - Some good news to report. Raul Fernandez is now back out on track after that scary highside this morning.

12:17 - Taka Nakagami (Idemitsu LCR Honda) has crashed at Turn 2. Rider OK.

12:10 - Martin is fired up this morning. He's just gone even quicker and is into the 1:57s already. His 1:57.951 is only half a second away from Bagnaia's fastest-ever Sepang lap from Q2 last year and it's not even lunch on Day 1! Crazy.

12:01 - Hour two completed and the Aprilias are taking the fight to Martin. Last year's runner-up is still flexing his muscles at the top, but both Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaro have now joined him in the 1:58s.

11:54 - Red Bull GASGAS Tech3's Augusto Fernandez has crashed at Turn 9. Rider OK.

11:50 - If you're just joining us, here's a recap of what happened with the Red Flag first thing this morning.

11:46 - Okay, Martin means business. His next lap is a 1:58.210 and he's 1.5 seconds clear of everybody else. We need whatever he had for breakfast.

11:44 - We can safely say Jorge Martin has blown off the cobwebs. With his 15th lap of the day, the Prima Pramac Racing man jumps to top spot with a 1:58.904.

11:40 - Want to see all of the MotoGP™ bikes on track together for the first time this year? Thought so.

11:20 - Bagnaia is finally back out on track and we're sure is hoping he can finally get the year started after a minor blip this morning.

11:03 - Marc Marquez's start to 2024 has lasted four corners. The Gresini Racing man has stopped with an issue at Turn 4 on his out lap.

11:00 - So, a dramatic opening hour here in Sepang. Aprilia Racing's Maverick Viñales holds top spot early on, ahead of Repsol Honda's Joan Mir. Top Gun's 1:59.639 compares to Pedro Acosta's Shakedown-topping 1:58.189.

10:45 - An update from Trackhouse Racing.

10:38 - Green flags and we are back underway. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Jack Miller wasting no time to get back out on track. Minimal damage to Bagnaia's machine, so the Italian will be back out soon you'd imagine. Very different story for the Trackhouse Aprilia of Fernandez, though. We'll keep you posted on how he is once we have further info.

10:25 - It was the World Champion, plus Trackhouse Racing's Raul Fernandez. They both went down at Turn 11 in separate incidents. Bagnaia, would you believe, went down on his out lap - the worst possible start to 2024! Fernandez then also crashed a few minutes later and in a big way too, with his bike catching fire in the gravel trap. Bagnaia has returned to the box and is OK, whilst Fernandez we're told is also OK but is heading to the medical centre for precautionary checks.

10:11 - Well, early drama. Red flag after only 10 minutes of action. Maybe it's to do with the World Champion too as he's stopped on Live Timing and there are some puzzled faces in the factory Ducati box. We'll find out what's happened exactly.

10:00 - Green flag waves at the bottom of pitlane and we are off! Monster Energy Yamaha's Alex Rins is the first man out, quickly followed by the World Champion Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing).

09:58 - Good morning! The bikes are warming up, the sun is shining and we are ready to get MotoGP™ started for 2024 in just a few minutes.

Monday February 5th

21:00 - Right, we're off to get some sleep ahead of the first day of MotoGP™ in 2024 tomorrow. We'll be live from 10:00 (UTC+7) local time here in Sepang to bring you all the very latest. Happy MotoGP™ Eve!

20:00 - Moto2™ World Champion Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) grabbed the headlines at the Sepang Shakedown by finishing fastest overall. The Spaniard stunned to be only a tenth of a second slower than Brad Binder's Q2 laptime for the Malaysian Grand Prix, and here's what he had to say after the three days of riding.

19:45 - For the opening day of action, we will only have 21 of the 22 MotoGP™ riders on track as Franco Morbidelli continues to recover from a nasty training crash at Portimao last week.

17:00 - Time for Yamaha to launch their 2024 season here in the Sepang pitlane. It's a huge year for the Japanese factory as they look to keep hold of Fabio Quartararo, lure in a new Independent Team and return to the top of the timesheets. How confident is boss Lin Jarvis feeling?

16:00 - There's nothing quite like the feeling of arriving in Sepang on the eve of the first day of riding. There'll no doubt be a few butterflies in a few stomachs around about now!

14:00 - After a disastrous 2023 campaign, there have been some very positive noises coming out of both the Repsol and LCR Honda garages after their participation in the Sepang Shakedown. Will the Japanese giant be back fighting at the front this year?

11:30 - The riders are here. The teams are here. The bikes are here. We're ready to go testing!

10:30 - Hello everyone and welcome to Sepang. A huge three days of action coming your way from tomorrow, but let's recap some of the big stories heading into tomorrow after what we saw at the Shakedown Test.