Ducati

The big news at Ducati was the factory team's decision to stick with last year's GP24 engine for 2025 and ๊2026𒐪. Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez will also start the year on the 'old' chassis and fairing.

Here is Marc Marquez,💃 who was in a league of his own during a Grand Prix race simulation run, with the old fairing:

Compare Marquez's fairing with Bagnaia on the new fairing (bigger low♕er duct, smaller side winglets꧋) during day one:

Ducati again tried some new rear seat aero at Buriram. But as this isn't part of the Aero Body restrictions it can 💮be added or removed at any time:

Ducati's carbon fibre swingarm doesn't feꦜature the kind of aero tweaks seen on some other bikes:

A 'squashed' factory Ducati in holeshot mode:

Aprilia

With Jorge Martin out injured, Marco Bezzecch🎃i did an impressive job at Buriram, being fastest during a Sprint simulation and third on the overall timesheets (behind only the Marquez brothers) during his time attack.

Here, the evening light shows the details of Bezzecchi's Aprilia, including front fork wings, fairing design and swingarm. The Italian said the bike he finished the 🤪test with would be th🅷e bike homologated to start the season:

A cl🦄ose up of the 'rabbit ear' Aprilia aero on the back of a Trackhouse maꦛchine:

Raul Fernandez rode despite recent꧒ hand surgery. Note the vent (arrow) directing air from the front of the bike to an area under the seat. Is it for cooling, or aero purposes?

An Aprilia carbon fib🔥re swingarm with protection from the exhaust heat. Aprilia is the only manufacturer not to use Akrapovic, choosing SC Project exhausts:

Bezzecchi was among the riders who suffered wheelspin during 🔴a practice start at Buriram, probably from the front holeshot device being set too low for the gri🐻p available:

KTM

KTM finished the test fourth on the timesheets with Pedro Acosta, who was second best to Marc Marquez (but an average of 0.6s pe♓r lap slower) during his 20-lap race simulation.

As at Sepang, the factory team of Acosta and Brad Binder continued wit🅘h the larger rear seat 'salad box' (p🥃erhaps housing the electronics):

However, here is Tech3's Enea Bastianini still using the stand𝄹ard rear seat unit, albeit with the revised one-on-top-of-the-other exhaust position:

The KTM swin🥀garm remains the most radical in MotoGP thanks to the saw-tooth aero:

Close-up showing the front wing, fender wing, fork wi꧂ngs and radiator vanes on the R෴C16:

A front view, highlighting the fender wing, fork wings and fair🍨ing aero shapes:

Acosta's RC16 in hoಞlesh♉ot mode for a practice start:

Yamaha

After challenging for best-of-the-rest behind Ducati at Sepang, Yamaha had a more modest showinꦬg at Buriram with Fabio Quartararo (8th) and Jack Miller (10th) its only riders in the top ten.

The Monstℱer bikes of Quartararo ⛦and Alex Rins were again in full livery:

However, the lates💛t M1 aero sculpting was much easier to s💜pot on the unpainted Pramac bikes of Miller and Miguel Oliveira:

Yamaha frames are normally black (see Rins above), so a silver frame usually ꦿmeans a new design...

The M1 s🧸wingarm is officially descꦐribed as being made from a mix of 'Aluminium/CFRP (carbon fibre)':

Yamaha's latest version of the lower fairing du𒅌ct, directinℱg air under the bike during cornering:

While side fairing design is merging in a similar direction, there remains a split between the recta🔥ngle box-shaped fr🧸ont wings of Ducati and Honda, with the drooping curves of Yamaha and Aprilia (and KTM in the middle):

Quartararo's Yamaha as low as it can𒀰 go during a practice s😼tart:

Honda

Engine power remains a concern but Honda finished the pre-season on a positive note with Joan Mir posting the sixth fastest lap at Buriram as well as a Sprint simulation beaten only by Marౠco Bezzecchi.

Luca Marini preferred the new Honda fairing at Sepang, when Mir and Johann Zarco picked tꦓhe standard design. Marini appeared to switch back to the older version at Buriram, run💜ning the same aero as the other RCVs:

♔The Buriram light highlights the Honda fairing 💃on Zarco's LCR bike:

A close-up of the Honda front fa🌊iring shape and fork wings:

The all-aluminium Honda swingarm. The ride height device can also be seen poki💫ng out of the lower fairꦕing:

The ride-height device in maximum 'holeshot𓆉' lowering configuration, during a practice start by Zarco: