Pedro Acosta Tops Final In-Season MotoGP Test at Misano
Ahead of the final flyaways, MotoGP held an in-season test at Misano to give teams a last opportunity to try new parts

Pedro Acosta Tops Final In-Season MotoGP Test at Misano

Acosta leads the way as teams get last chance to fine-tune bikes

The final in-season MotoGP test of 2025 at Misano provided the perfect opportunity for teams to experiment with new parts and assess the performance of their machines ahead of the closing flyaway rounds. Factory KTM sensation Pedro Acosta emerged as the standout performer, topping the timesheets with a fastest lap of 1m30.374s. The young Spaniard showcased his incredible speed and consistency, reaffirming why he is one of the brightest talents in the paddock.

Acosta’s performance at Misano not only reflected his raw pace but also the meticulous work KTM has put into their RC16 over the season. Despite facing multiple chain issues during the San Marino GP weekend, Acosta demonstrated that when everything clicks, he is capable of matching—and even outpacing—the best in the world.

Morning session drama

The test began with a flurry of activity as riders rushed to get their first laps in. Pedro Acosta immediately set the tone, posting a 1m32.297s to take the early lead from Enea Bastianini’s Tech3-run RC16. Acosta’s early pace put pressure on the field, forcing fellow riders to push harder as conditions improved.

Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia took turns topping the timesheets over the next two hours, demonstrating the competitive nature of the field and giving fans an early glimpse of potential updates heading into the final flyaways. However, it was Marco Bezzecchi who broke the morning’s barrier, posting the first sub-1m31s lap with a 1m30.779s, showing just how intense the competition at Misano had become.

Bezzecchi would later improve marginally, shaving off another half-tenth of a second, but with only ten minutes remaining in the morning session, Gresini’s Alex Marquez surged ahead with a lap of 1m30.714s. This brief shuffle at the top highlighted the fine margins that separate the riders in MotoGP and the precision required to consistently set competitive lap times.

Acosta reclaims top spot

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing

The afternoon session saw Acosta return to the forefront. With a masterclass of speed and consistency, he improved by three-and-a-half tenths, posting a 1m30.374s to claim the overall fastest lap of the day. His time, while slightly slower than Bezzecchi’s San Marino GP pole of 1m30.134s, was faster than Acosta’s own qualifying time, underlining his steady progress and adaptability in testing conditions.

Alex Marquez held onto second place, while Bezzecchi’s morning lap secured him third by the end of the day. Trackhouse Racing’s Raul Fernandez impressed by climbing to fourth with a 1m30.761s in the penultimate hour, narrowly beating Franco Morbidelli on the VR46 Ducati. Marc Marquez, despite his efforts, finished sixth on the factory Ducati, half a second adrift of Acosta’s benchmark time.

Fabio di Giannantonio and Francesco Bagnaia completed the top eight, with Bagnaia showing improvement despite a late crash at Turn 1. Reigning champion Jorge Martin adapted well to the Aprilia RS-GP, finishing ninth with a best lap of 1m30.945s, while Fermin Aldeguer rounded out the top ten on the Gresini Ducati.

Yamaha focuses on new V4 M1

Much of the spotlight during the Misano test was on Yamaha, who brought two V4-powered M1 bikes following their debut at the San Marino GP. Factory riders Fabio Quartararo, Alex Rins, and Jack Miller took turns assessing the bike, providing crucial feedback for Yamaha’s 2026 development plans.

Fabio Quartararo, however, remained critical of the V4 iteration, admitting that it felt “worse” than the previous inline-four model. He warned that simply switching to a V4 engine would not automatically solve Yamaha’s underlying challenges in MotoGP. In contrast, Jack Miller was more upbeat, praising the new M1 as “doing all the right things” and claiming it had “more strengths than weaknesses.”

Interestingly, Miguel Oliveira, despite being part of the test squad, did not get a chance to try the V4, finishing as the fastest Yamaha on the standard machine in 16th place. Quartararo and Rins, however, occupied the following three spots on the timesheets with their V4 bikes, reflecting Yamaha’s ongoing work to optimise the new package.

Honda, Aprilia, and Ducati testing

Other manufacturers were equally busy at Misano. Honda focused on aerodynamic improvements and allowed Luca Marini to test a new chassis, while Aprilia used the test to explore electronics, set-up tweaks, and parts evaluation that couldn’t be attempted during a regular GP weekend. Marco Bezzecchi ran a chassis already tested by Aprilia earlier in the year but sought to understand how it interacted with the evolved package of the RS-GP.

Jorge Martin continued adapting to the Aprilia after an injury-hit pre-season, experimenting with handlebar positions to find the ideal fit. Ducati, as usual, kept its cards close to its chest. General manager Gigi Dall’Igna stated that the team would not attempt “to pull a rabbit out of a hat” in a single day of testing. However, Marc Marquez revealed he tested different swing arms and compared aerodynamic packages from earlier rounds, demonstrating Ducati’s incremental approach to development.

KTM also trialled a new exhaust and swingarm, alongside several aerodynamic configurations, including a version of the bike without rear winglets. Despite the setbacks experienced in the San Marino GP, KTM riders including Acosta provided valuable insights into the RC16’s performance and potential improvements.

Riders absent due to recovery

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha V4

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha V4

Two riders missed Monday’s Misano test to focus on recovery. Joan Mir, still dealing with neck pain, skipped the session entirely, while Trackhouse Racing’s Ai Ogura was recovering from bruising and inflammation in his right hand following a high-speed crash on Sunday.

Three manufacturers also deployed their test riders: Dani Pedrosa for KTM, Michele Pirro for Ducati, and Takaaki Nakagami for Honda. Augusto Fernandez, despite racing over the weekend, sat out to maximise Yamaha factory riders’ track time with the V4 M1.

Takeaways from Misano

The final in-season test highlighted several key takeaways. Pedro Acosta’s pace demonstrated his ability to remain at the forefront of MotoGP even amid a challenging weekend. Yamaha’s V4 project showed promise but also underscored that development work remains crucial before 2026. Honda, Ducati, Aprilia, and KTM all made significant strides with parts and set-up testing, and the feedback gathered at Misano is expected to influence race weekend strategies in the upcoming flyaways.

Above all, the Misano test was a reminder that MotoGP is a sport of millimetres and tenths of a second. Fine-tuning bikes, integrating new parts, and managing rider adaptation are just as critical as the races themselves. Acosta, Marquez, Bezzecchi, and the rest of the grid used the test to edge closer to perfection, setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion to the 2025 season.

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