Team launches and pre-season testing schedule

As the calendar turns to a new year, MotoGP’s attention shifts firmly to 2026, with teams preparing to unveil their latest bikes ahead of pre-season testing. 

It remains to be seen how aggressive manufacturers will be with their new designs, with a major regulation change mandating a switch to 850cc engines looming in 2027. Either way, it will be important for each marque to start the campaign on the front foot, as they will have to switch development resources towards 2027 sooner rather than later in the season.

The launch season is set to get underway on 13 January, with Pramac showcasing its 2026 livery at an independent unveiling in Italy after holding a joint presentation with Yamaha last year. VR46’s reveal will follow just a day later, and Valentino Rossi’s squad has promised a new livery for the upcoming season.

The first factory team to reveal its 2026 bike will be Aprilia, which is expected to take the covers off the latest iteration of the RS-GP on 15 January in Milan.

Ducati has again chosen the popular tourist destination of Madonna di Campiglio in northern Italy for its launch event on 19 January, while Yamaha will head to Jakarta on 21 January to reveal its first V4-powered MotoGP bike.

KTM will wait until 27 January before revealing the upgraded RC16, while Honda is yet to announce the date and location of its 2026 launch. The satellite LCR team will unveil its 2026 livery on 1 February, but has not yet shared the location of its season launch. 

MotoGP 2026 team launches:

As is now the tradition, the first on-track running of 2026 will be reserved exclusively for rookies and test riders from each manufacturer. Toprak Razgatlioglu and Diogo Moreira, who step up to MotoGP in 2026 after winning the titles in the World Superbike Championship and Moto2 respectively last year, will take to the Sepang International Circuit on 29-31 January, along with each manufacturer’s designated test riders.

The first proper pre-season test will follow at the same venue on 3-5 February and will be open to all race riders. Ducati has yet to confirm whether reigning world champion Marc Marquez will be fit to take part in the Sepang test after undergoing surgery on the right shoulder he broke in a crash at the Indonesian Grand Prix in October.

The second-ever MotoGP season launch event will take place in Kuala Lumpur and run for two days from 6-7 February, following a successful inaugural edition held in Bangkok ahead of the 2025 campaign.

The final pre-season test will be held at Buriram on 21-22 February, just a week before the season-opening Thai Grand Prix on 1 March. The timing of the Buriram test is significant, leaving teams with limited opportunity to introduce final upgrades before the first race of the year.

MotoGP 2026 testing

The 2026 MotoGP calendar features a record-equalling 22 rounds, with the departure of the Argentina GP offset by the addition of a new race in Brazil. Goiania will host the Brazilian Grand Prix on 22 March following extensive renovations, marking MotoGP’s return to the country for the first time since 2004.

MotoGP 2026 calendar

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— The Motorsport.com Team