Up Close With the Fastest in the World...

There are moments in motorsport photography that never lose their magic and for me, shooting the MotoGP pre-season test at the iconic Sepang International Circuit is one of them. This year marked my fourth time photographing the test, and somehow it still feels just as electric as the first.

The Sepang test isn’t just another date on the racing calendar. It’s the first real glimpse of what the new season might bring. New liveries. New aero packages. New rivalries quietly brewing in pit lane.

To be trackside for that once again is something I don’t take lightly.

Each year I walk through the paddock gates with the same sense of gratitude. The whine of prototypes being pushed to their limits, the smell of hot rubber under the Malaysian sun, the intensity written across engineers’ faces as data streams in it’s raw, it’s technical, and it’s beautifully human.

And through the lens, you’re not just capturing speed. You’re capturing anticipation.

What makes the Sepang test so special isn’t just the on-track action it’s the proximity. Fans aren’t held at a distant arm’s length. They’re right there, leaning over barriers, catching glimpses of their heroes as they roll through the pit lane.

Seeing riders like Francesco Bagnaia or Marc Márquez step off their bikes just meters away from fans creates an atmosphere that feels far more personal than a typical race weekend.

There’s something powerful about watching a young fan lock eyes with a world champion no TV screen, no filter, just presence. As a photographer, those are the moments you chase. The quiet exchanges. The signatures. The subtle nods.

The access makes the entire experience immersive in a way few other events manage.

If the test builds anticipation, the season launch in Kuala Lumpur ignites it.

Standing beneath the towering skyline of the Petronas Towers for the official MotoGP season launch felt surreal. The fusion of world championship racing and one of Southeast Asia’s most iconic backdrops created a visual spectacle that was impossible to ignore. Fans gathered in huge numbers, far closer to the riders than you’d expect for a global championship event. Riders walked the stage with the towers rising behind them, team colors glowing under city lights. It wasn’t just a presentation it felt like a celebration shared between the sport and its supporters.

And again, the accessibility stood out.

This wasn’t a closed-off corporate affair. It was open. Alive. Loud. You could feel how much Malaysia embraces MotoGP and how much MotoGP embraces Malaysia in return.

From the blistering midday heat at Sepang to the electric atmosphere in downtown Kuala Lumpur, the entire week felt immersive.

The roar of engines reverberating through your chest. The click of shutters in the media pen. The collective gasp of a crowd when a rider appears unexpectedly. The glow of the skyline reflecting off polished fairings.

It’s more than documenting motorcycles at speed. It’s documenting emotion — anticipation before a new season, hope for a championship run, belief from fans who travel miles just to get a glimpse.

Being able to photograph the MotoGP test at Sepang International Circuit for the fourth time is a privilege I’ll never normalize. And to pair that with attending the season launch beneath the Petronas Towers made it even more special.

Some opportunities remind you why you picked up a camera in the first place.

This was one of them.