Acosta Tops Rain-Shortened Catalunya MotoGP Test as Martin Crashes and Ducati Skeleton Crew Goes Mugello Hunting
MotoGP3 min read

Acosta Tops Rain-Shortened Catalunya MotoGP Test as Martin Crashes and Ducati Skeleton Crew Goes Mugello Hunting

20 May 20261d agoBy Motorsports Global Desk

Rain cut Monday's Catalunya MotoGP test in half, but Pedro Acosta still set a 1m38.757 to top the timesheet for KTM. Jorge Martin crashed at turn seven, was checked at hospital and released, and Ducati arrived without three of its four GP25 riders due to Catalan GP injuries.

Key Takeaways

  • 1.KTM became the first manufacturer to test a 2027 850 cc engine when it ran the unit at Jerez late last year, and Aprilia has already publicly committed to "respecting" its own 850 cc plan despite chasing a current-rules title with Bezzecchi and Martin.
  • 2.At Tech3, Maverick Vinales continued building confidence following his return from injury, evaluating aerodynamic updates and suspension settings first seen at the Sachsenring tests.
  • 3.Three riders sidelined, a swing-arm to evaluate, Bagnaia 100-plus points off the championship lead and a Mugello race weekend that has historically been Ducati's home banker.

Pedro Acosta led the one-day Catalunya MotoGP test on Monday with a 1m38.757, with rain forcing manufacturers to cram a planned full-day program into the morning before water swept across the circuit shortly after midday. The Spaniard was followed by a tight pack of factory teams trying to extract last-chance data from the current 1000 cc machinery before the focus pivots fully to the Mugello round and, in the longer term, the 2027 850 cc rule reset.

KTM left Barcelona arguably the happiest manufacturer of the lot. Acosta concentrated mainly on engine configurations and base setup work despite a small technical issue limiting his track time early in the session, while teammate Brad Binder ran rear-shock and balance changes. The Austrian factory has resisted the temptation to throw radical new parts at the bike and is instead refining components it already knows.

At Tech3, Maverick Vinales continued building confidence following his return from injury, evaluating aerodynamic updates and suspension settings first seen at the Sachsenring tests. Enea Bastianini focused largely on electronics and base setup improvements.

The day's flashpoint came at Aprilia. Jorge Martin crashed at turn seven and was taken to the medical centre for further checks at hospital, with no fractures initially reported. Before the incident, the reigning world champion had been evaluating an older specification of the rear aerodynamic package — a sign Aprilia is still happy to A-B compare wing iterations rather than lock down a single direction with seven months still to run on the current rules. On the other side of the garage, Marco Bezzecchi worked through new settings and small riding-style adjustments after a frustrating Catalan GP weekend that left him just a point clear of Martin in the title race.

Trackhouse Racing, Aprilia's satellite arm, looked like one of the busier teams in the paddock. Ai Ogura tested an updated chassis and showed positive signs in corner entry, while Raul Fernandez ran through setup and electronics work despite still feeling sore from a Sunday race incident.

Ducati's day was unusually thin. Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio were all absent from the test following injuries and crashes sustained during the Grand Prix weekend, leaving Pecco Bagnaia carrying most of the factory's development workload. The Italian continued evaluating the new swing arm he ran at the Catalan GP, with Ducati trying to map where the part performs best across different load conditions. At satellite Pramac Yamaha, Jack Miller worked through several aerodynamic combinations including new front-wing concepts and updated side pods, describing the latest developments as another step in the right direction. Toprak Razgatlioglu completed his program at Pramac Yamaha despite the changing conditions.

Franco Morbidelli focused on finding a stronger setup direction after a solid race weekend in Barcelona, while VR46's Fermin Aldeguer continued adapting his package and experimenting with aerodynamic combinations.

Yamaha appeared to have one of the busiest programs of the day. Fabio Quartararo tested updated front-wing concepts alongside revised aerodynamic bodywork while the factory squad continued chassis evaluation work. Alex Rins was scheduled to run new fairings, though the changing weather limited his track time before the rain arrived in earnest.

The wider context is the 2027 regulation change, which drops MotoGP from 1000 cc to 850 cc, restricts aerodynamics and bans ride-height devices. KTM became the first manufacturer to test a 2027 850 cc engine when it ran the unit at Jerez late last year, and Aprilia has already publicly committed to "respecting" its own 850 cc plan despite chasing a current-rules title with Bezzecchi and Martin. Catalunya was effectively the last private test session of the European leg before riders disperse to Mugello on June 5-7 for the Italian Grand Prix.

For a Ducati factory team that had grown used to running four bikes at every test in 2025, the small crew at Barcelona was a reminder of how brutal the past fortnight has been. Three riders sidelined, a swing-arm to evaluate, Bagnaia 100-plus points off the championship lead and a Mugello race weekend that has historically been Ducati's home banker. Two weeks to fix it.

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*Originally published on [Motorsports Global](https://motorsports.global/article/acosta-tops-catalunya-motogp-test-martin-crash-ducati-mugello-2026). Visit for full coverage.*

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