Ducati MotoGP riders set to test alongside WorldSBK stars at Portimao

After bringing you the news that all factory WorldSBK riders will be in action later in Jerez later this month, a second test in Portimao will follow as all 10 factory riders will again be in action.

But joining them will be Ducati’s big-hitters from MotoGP as GPOne are reporting that Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez will be aboard Panigale V4 R machines.

• Alex Rins: More days to test, more things to test 
• di Giannantonio: ‘You have to trust the process’

Marquez made his Ducati debut during last year’s post-season test at Valencia, but the Portimao outing will be his first outing on the road bike.

Also testing their Panigale V4 R bikes at Portimao will be Jorge Martin, Enea Bastianini, Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Alex Marquez and Franco Morbidelli.

The two-day test is organised by the official Aruba.it Ducati team, but that doesn’t mean that other WorldSBK riders won’t be in attendance. 

The Sepang shakedown test takes place between February 1-3. 

Pedro Acosta, the only rookie, will be joining the test riders on track with Honda and Yamaha race riders also eligible under the new concession rules.

Then comes the main test at Sepang on February 6-8, where the entire MotoGP grid will be aboard their new bikes for the first time in 2024. 

Another two-day MotoGP test will follow in Qatar on February 19-20 before the season-opener in March.