Senna Agius made his first MotoGP outing at the Red Bull Ring, riding for Tech3 during Pirelli’s test. The initial signs were encouraging. Team manager Nicolas Goyon said the young Australian found the motorcycle more natural than expected, while its full-size dimensions appeared to suit him particularly well. Agius reportedly felt more comfortable on the MotoGP machine than he had anticipated.

The test was not conducted with the new 850cc prototype intended for 2027. Instead, Tech3 put Agius on a modified current-generation 1000cc motorcycle fitted with Pirelli tyres, leaving development of the next season’s machine to more experienced riders. Unofficial timing reports nevertheless placed Agius less than half a second behind Maverick Viñales, the quickest rider on that configuration, and ahead of Takaaki Nakagami, Brad Binder and Izan Guevara.

Goyon said Agius was extremely pleased with the opportunity and made clear that the first run was primarily about bringing him into the team and beginning his transition to MotoGP. Tech3 will wait for the tests after Valencia before drawing firmer conclusions about his progress. For now, the debut provided a useful first step without making Agius responsible for the development programme of the 2027 motorcycle.

Tech3’s 2027 pairing

Agius will join Luca Marini in Tech3’s new rider line-up for 2027. That leaves Viñales without a MotoGP seat for next season, although Goyon stressed the importance of giving him the opportunity to complete the current campaign with the team. Viñales returned at Motegi after his injury and had not raced since the Sachsenring in July. He finished 18th among 22 riders in the damp opening practice session.