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Tag: MotoGP
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Ducati Test team returns to track for 3 days of private testing
Misano, 25 June 2020: The Ducati Test Team and Michele Pirro finally returned to the track in Misano after the lockdown, for three days of private testing on the circuit named after Marco Simoncelli, here on Tuesday.
The Ducati Test Team and Michele Pirro completed the third and final day of testing at Misano World Circuit Thursday, finally resuming activities on track after the long suspension caused in recent months by the Corona virus emergency.
After the Sepang Shakedown Test held in the first week of February, the rider of San Giovanni Rotondo was able to return in the saddle of the Ducati Desmosedici GP20 bike on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the Italian circuit located in Emilia Romagna, where he resumed the final preparations for the 2020 MotoGP season, which will finally kick off on the July 19 at the Spanish circuit of Jerez de la Frontera.
Thanks to the favourable weather conditions during the three days, Pirro was able to complete the testing program scheduled with the team engineers, completing a total of 178 laps, setting good lap times and putting in his fastest lap in 1:33.000 on the final day.
Moreover, the Ducati Test Team was also able to test the safety protocol that will be adopted during the MotoGP events scheduled for this year. Apart from the adoption of individual protection devices, the Italian team has also introduced a communication system between technicians and the rider via microphones and earphones, in order to allow normal conversations in the pit garages, while maintaining the appropriate safe distances.
A team engineer talks to Michele Pirro, test rider, at Misano on Thursday with protective gear. A Ducati image Michele Pirro (Ducati Test Team, #51)
“It was a positive three-day test, which has allowed us to regain some confidence with the bike after the long break of these months. Despite the scorching heat, the track, which was recently resurfaced, was in excellent condition and allowed me to feel comfortable immediately. We were able to set good lap times, which make us confident for the two races scheduled for September. We’ve been working on several electronics components and some aspects that were still pending after the Shakedown Test in Sepang. We are sure that thanks to these three days, the Ducati riders will be able to arrive at the first MotoGP race in Jerez ready to be immediately at the highest level of competitiveness.”
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Dorna Sports’ eSport projects thrive as Virtual GP announced
A look through the numbers as MotoGP Virtual Race 2 makes more record-breaking history and a first-ever Virtual Grand Prix is announced.
Paris, 23 April 2020: After the incredible success of MotoGP™’s first ever Virtual Race, a second event was announced and Virtual Race 2 was broadcast on Sunday the 12th of April. From Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) to Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) and Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), the line-up was star studded and the race action packed as the grid took on the Red Bull Ring in Austria.
Feedback on the Virtual Races from the MotoGP™ community, fans, partners and more has only continued to grow. 29 broadcast partners showed the second event, with titans of sports broadcasting beaming the race to audiences around the world. Partners such as Sky Italy, Canal+ in France, DAZN (in Spain, Italy and DACHS), BT Sport in the UK, ServusTV in Austria and Germany, Viasat in Sweden and many more showed the event in Europe, whilst the Americas received coverage thanks to the likes of NBC in the USA and Fox Brazil and ESPN in Latin America. Fans further east could enjoy coverage from partners including Motorsport TV Russia, Eurosport India and Fox Asia, with those Down Under covered by Fox Australia and TEN. SuperSport also broadcast the event in Africa, meaning the second MotoGP™ Virtual Race once again reached every inhabited continent on Earth – as did the first!
Reach and engagement were also impressive across social media and online, with a marked increase across the board. 520 pieces of digital content were created around the event – including the full broadcast – for a total of 75 million impressions as teams, riders and MotoGP™ got involved. That’s an increase of 25% on the first Virtual Race, with video views also increasing from 13 million to 14 million and the live second race itself gaining views to hit 3.2 million. Once again, more than 2.5 million interactions were made with content related to Virtual Race 2 as well, with fans finding plenty to talk about! In total, that all adds up to a grand total of 8.5 million minutes of Virtual Race 2 content that were viewed – an increase of over a fifth.
There’s not too long to wait to see more showstopping action, either. On Sunday the 3rd of May – the original date for the Spanish GP – another world first will be broadcast: the Red Bull Virtual Grand Prix of Spain. The event is to show solidarity with and in aid of the Official Charity of MotoGP™, Two Wheels for Life, supporting their efforts in the fight against Covid-19. It will begin at 15:00 (GMT +2) and will see all three Grand Prix classes – MotoGP™, Moto2™ and Moto3™ – compete in a unique three-race online event.
A screen shot of the MotoGP Virtual Race 2 recently. A MotoGP image. Premier class teams can field one rider each, with the exception of the Repsol Honda Team, who can enter two as reigning MotoGP™ Champions. In Moto2™ and Moto3™, ten riders can enter in each category, with the right of entry given in Championship order following the QNB Grand Prix of Qatar. Who will it be? All will be revealed as the event approaches…
Catch up on anything you missed from the first and second editions, including plenty of behind-the-scenes content, and then stay tuned at motogp.com, esport.motogp.com and across social media for more as the Red Bull Virtual Grand Prix of Spain gets closer and closer and more details are unveiled.
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The 2020 MotoGP season will be a surprise for everybody: Petrucci
Paris, 2 April 2020: While the wait continues for the 2020 MotoGP World Championship to start, the Ducati Team rider revealed in this interview how he is spending the days and what he expects from the new season.
The 2020 MotoGP Season was supposed to begin nearly one month ago in Qatar for the Ducati Team, where just a few weeks earlier they had completed the last MotoGP pre-season test. Unfortunately, at the same time in Europe, the Covid-19 started to spread, stopping not just the sporting world but also whole countries, like Italy, which was one of the worst-affected nations by the virus.
A mandatory isolation period has been introduced by the Italian Government to stop the spread of the virus, and of course, also Danilo Petrucci is respecting the measure in his house in Terni. “For sure spending so much time at home, staying away from our friends is not the ideal situation. But at this time it is the only way that we have to solve this problem together. By staying at home following the instructions that are given us by the Government, we can help each other. The situation is difficult, but it can only improve if we endure it a little bit more”.
File photo of Danilo Petrucci from Ducati. The Ducati rider also explained how he is spending these days at home: “I am trying to use this time to solve some physical issues, like the problem I had at my shoulder last year in Valencia and some that I have in a leg. I am doing some physiotherapy at home, some light training and I am also focusing on my diet”.
Of course, during these days of lockdown, Petrucci doesn’t have the chance to train on a bike, and he declared that what he is missing the most is doing motocross with his teammate Andrea Dovizioso. “I hear Andrea nearly every day, and we text each other a lot. In these days, I miss the most doing motocross with him and training together, also because right now I can’t really ride anything!”
The last time the Ducati riders were able to sit on the Desmosedici GP20 bikes was more than a month ago, during the final winter test that was held in Qatar from 22nd-24th February 2020: “I was delighted with the test at Losail. I think I was one of the few riders that covered the whole distance in the race simulation by completing 22 laps. The bike is an evolution of the previous year, but the big difference now is the tyres. We worked a lot on trying to adjust the bike setup and the riding style”.
Speaking about the future, Petrucci declared his goals for 2020 and his expectations from the championship, now that the new calendar has tightened up towards the end of the season: “This is my second year with the Ducati Team, and I am proud of it. This year I would like to improve my performance compared to last season. In 2019 I got my first win in MotoGP, and I was able to fight for the third position in the standings until there were two races to go. This year I want to fight for that placement during the whole championship. For sure, this season will be a surprise for everybody. We are not used to such an intense programme! The calendar is extremely tight, especially in the last months, so we need to do a good mental and physical preparation and try to rest now because then we won’t have time. Honestly, I can’t wait to face this demanding calendar!”
Watch the whole interview on the Ducati Corse Instagram and Twitter accounts.
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V for… virtual! Alex Marquez wins the first ever MotoGP Virtual Race
The Repsol Honda rider takes the spoils as drama hits early for Quartararo and Viñales
Paris, 29 March 2020: Repsol Honda Team’s Alex Marquez managed to avoid the chaos around him to clinch an impressive victory on his MotoGP™ debut in Sunday’s first ever Virtual MotoGP™ Race. The inaugural #StayAtHomeGP was filled with thrills and spills as ten MotoGP™ riders put on a show to bring a little light relief and entertainment to a tougher time for many MotoGP™ fans around the world – with more than twenty households connected up behind-the-scenes to make it a reality.
Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Fabio Quartararo started the race from familiar territory after the Frenchman stormed to pole position in the five-minute qualifying session that preceded the race, a quarter of a second clear of Pramac Racing’s Francesco Bagnaia and over half a second clear of Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales, who completed the front row.
A virtual MotoGP scene, image by MotoGP It was then drama from the off as the lights went out, with polesitter Quartararo alongside Viñales, Alex Marquez and Bagnaia on the run into San Donato and the holeshot anyon’e guess. It was Quartararo who ultimately emerged ahead but he was clearly too late on the brakes when the front-end of his Yamaha M1 washed out from beneath him, incredibly and unfortunately taking out 2021 teammate Viñales in the process.
Alex Marquez and Bagnaia avoided the incident and were able to break clear, with reigning World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) settling into third place after an attempted lunge up the inside by Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan Mir. Further back, Quartararo was fighting back through the field after his spill, up to fifth after getting the better of Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and the rookie highsiding in spectacular style whilst trying to get back ahead of the Frenchman…
As the leading two crossed the start-finish line at the end of the opening lap there was absolutely nothing between them, having already swapped places, and paint, a good few times. Bagnaia would once again dive past Alex Marquez into Turn 1, but the Spaniard responded immediately after as the Italian ran wide.
Meanwhile, chaos was breaking out behind the leading two. Mir was the first to crash out after getting an almighty shunt from his teammate Rins, of all people, and Quartararo wasn’t too far behind, tucking the front at Turn 1 for the second lap in a row. However, the Frenchman respawned on track… before Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) then rode straight into him and the pair crashed out, dropping the polesitter even further down the order.
Onto Lap 3 and Alex Marquez was beginning to edge further and further clear of Bagnaia at the front, with the gap starting to stretch to over half a second. The Pramac rider wasn’t throwing in the towel just yet, however. Just behind them, Viñales was recovering well from his earlier incident and had Marc Marquez in his sights after taking advantage of a mistake from Rins to take fourth.
Alas, Viñales then crashed out after braking too late into Correntaio and running into the gravel trap, the factory Yamaha rider visibly annoyed at himself as he slapped his controller in fury. Seconds later though, Marc Marquez would have a crash of his own, allowing Viñales to blast back ahead of the Repsol Honda and into the final podium place.
As the pack filtered through to start the penultimate lap, the podium looked decided but there a battle heating up between Marc Marquez and Quartararo for fourth place. The first MM93 vs FQ20 fight of 2020 would unfold with the Frenchman coming out on top thanks to a move at Casanova-Savelli, despite Marquez throwing everything he had into Arrabbiata 1 as he tried to stop the Yamaha man breaking clear…
Back at the front, Alex Marquez kept his nerve on the final lap to take victory by over seven seconds, joined on the podium by Bagnaia and Viñales. Quartararo ended up fourth, despite setting the fastest lap of the race with his final lap, with Marc Marquez completing the top five. Rins came out on top in the battle of the Suzuki teammates after he took sixth, ahead of Mir in seventh, with Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3), Lecuona and Espargaro completing the top ten.
An incredible and historic #StayAtHomeGP had pretty much everything: crashes, clashes and a rookie taking the victory! The good news is we don’t have to wait long for the next Virtual MotoGP™ installment either, with a handful of other premier class stars getting their chance to shine in the coming weeks…
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MotoGP class scrutineering carried out remotely
Manufacturers supply sample engines and digital drawings of their aero-body in order to complete homologation
Paris, 23 March 2020: There are a number of questions that the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and subsequent delay in competition raises for the MotoGP™ World Championship, and one of those is the technical homologation. In the MotoGP™ class, the engine must be the same specification for the whole season – the only exemptions being for factories qualifying for concessions – and each rider also has the limit of two aero-body versions per season and per rider that they are allowed to homologate.
Normally, the engine specification for the season is homologated on the Thursday of the first Grand Prix, as is the first of the two aero-fairings. Due to the cancellation of the MotoGP™ class at Losail, that wasn’t possible for every factory. However, the QNB Grand Prix of Qatar remains the official starting point of the season and the point at which the rules for homologation begin being enforced.
MotoGP File photo: Marc Marquez in action in 2019 at Phillip Island. Like every year, the 2020 engine specifications (except KTM and Aprilia machines as they qualify for concessions) must remain the same during the whole season and each rider has to homologate the first aero-fairing.
The FIM, IRTA, MSMA and Dorna all agree that for reasons of equality and fairness the homologation must therefore be carried out remotely and digitally as soon as possible.
Under normal circumstances, factories have two options. Either they can supply a list of sample engine parts to the organisation, providing a means of comparison with engines used throughout the season to verify no changes have been made, or they can supply digital drawings. Normally, each factory chooses to supply either a full sample engine or a sample for all the parts that the engine contains.
This means that if a manufacturer has riders using different engine specifications, like for example an Independent Team rider using an engine design from a past season, they must supply every sample.
Honda are the exception, as they were the only manufacturer that did supply all their sample engine parts at Qatar. The rest of the factories were not able to do so this year due to the extenuating circumstances, and have instead sent their sample engines to the organisation, which must match those in the machines at the first 2020 event.
Digital drawings of each rider’s first aero-body must also be supplied and these must likewise be homologated if they are within the technical restrictions provided in the rulebook.
The FIM, IRTA, MSMA and Dorna make every effort to focus on simplicity for both the manufacturers and the enforcement of the rules. MotoGP™ has never considered a shutdown period in which all factories must cease any and all development for a set period of time, at any time of year, primarily due to the difficulty of policing such a regulation.
Development on any other part of the machine not subject to homologation may therefore continue, as is the case during any season.
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Emotional first win for Nagashima in Qatar
The Japanese rider pays tribute to his friend Shoya Tomizawa – the winner in 2010 – as he takes his first victory
Losail (Qatar), 8 March 2020: Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) blew the competition away in the final stages of a top class Moto2™ race at the QNB Grand Prix of Qatar, claiming his first Grand Prix victory in style – 10 years on from late friend Shoya Tomizawa’s first Moto2™ win at the same track. 2019 Qatar GP winner Lorenzo Baldassarri (FlexBox HP 40) claimed P2, battling it out with Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) to the end as the ‘Beast’ picked up his second intermediate class rostrum in third.
It was Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) who took the holeshot from second on the grid, the Italian quickest off the mark as polesitter Joe Roberts (American Racing) slipped back to third, Bastianini also attacking the American to make it an Italian 1-2. The number 33 didn’t take long to attack for the lead either, with the two duelling as Roberts then came under pressure for third from Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo).
The star of the mid-part of the race was about to take over at the front, however, as Marini moved for the lead and began to push to make a gap. But Roberts was up into second and the closest challenger for some time, with the group behind then descending into varying levels of chaos and genius as the moves came thick and fast.
Tetsuta Nagashima wins Moto2 on Sunday. A MotoGP image Lap 6 then saw Roberts go for an overtake at Turn 1 but the American ran wide, handing the position back to Marini. By Lap 8, just a second and a half split the top eight, with Bastianini, Baldassarri, Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Warm Up pacesetter Nagashima setting similar lap times. However, Marini then started to stretch the field, taking just under half a second out of second place Roberts on Lap 9 and 10 and on Lap 11, the gap was up to 0.9 seconds as another personal best lap was slammed in by the SKY VR46 rider. Could anyone respond?
By Lap 12, the gap was back down to six tenths and Nagashima was starting to look a serious threat in P5 having gone over half a second quicker than Marini that lap. With eight to go the Japanese rider was up to P4 past Bastianini, sat just over a second behind race leader Marini, and the Moto2™ race in Qatar was shaping up nicely as the battle entered the final seven laps…
Beta Tools Speed Up’s Jorge Navarro was starting to reel the leaders in too. Just as he did for much of 2019, the Spaniard was coming into his own on used tyres and with little over five laps remaining, a mistake from Marini allowed the leading six to bunch up and Roberts led. Bastianini then snatched the baton with five to go, and suddenly it looked like it was game over for Marini as he began to plummet. The leading four were now Baldassarri, Bastianini, Roberts and Nagashima with four to go, and the Japanese rider was looking ominous in his mission to the front. The Ajo rider first picked off Roberts for P3 before taking control of the race at Turn 2 with three to go – and immediately starting to creep away..
The number 45 had three tenths in his pocket as the race entered the final two laps, with the battle for the remaining podium places starting to heat up. Remy Gardner (Onexox TKKR SAG Team) was latching onto the back of Navarro as five riders scrapped it out behind Nagashima, who – by the time he’d clocked onto the final lap – was over then a second clear. Simply stunning latter race pace for the Japanese rider made victory suddenly seem a done deal, and Nagashima would make no mistake on the final lap to take an emotional first Grand Prix victory – 10 years since Tomizawa, who was “like a brother” to him, made history in 2010.
Behind him, it was a close but clean fight to the flag. Baldassarri and Bastianini battled it out with some brutality to decide the podium, crossing the line with almost nothing to split them, as Roberts took his best Grand Prix finish in fourth after an impressive weekend – including going fastest on Friday and taking pole. Fifth went the way of Gardner after the Australian made up some impressive ground in the latter stages, ahead of Navarro, who was forced to settle for sixth.
Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) took seventh after a solid performance on race day, with Aron Canet (Aspar Team) once again the fastest rookie and once again doing plenty to impress as he debuted in the intermediate class in P8. Xavi Vierge and Tom Lüthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP) completed the top ten.
Bo Bendsneyder (NTW RW Racing GP) slipped back from his second row qualifying on Sunday, but nevertheless brought home a good haul of points in P11, ahead of Marco Bezzecchi by the flag. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Beta Tools Speed Up) was 13th, just beating Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) to the line by 0.016. The Brit was involved in the late race incident that put paid to Marini’s chance at points too as the two got a little close and the Italian crashed out, rider ok. Stefano Manzi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) therefore completed the points.
That’s it from the Moto2™ season opener at Losail International Circuit, with plenty of drama and action to tide us over until the next race. After his emotional and stunning win, Nagashima heads the standings for the first time in his career – can he retain that next time out?
Moto2 Race top-5 winners:
1 – Tetsuta Nagashima – (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – Kalex – 40’00.192
2 – Lorenzo Baldassarri – (Flexbox HP 40) – Kalex – +1.347
3 – Enea Bastianini – (Italtrans Racing Team) – Kalex – +1.428
4 – Joe Roberts – (American Racing) – Kalex – +1.559
5 – Remy Gardner – (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) – Kalex – +1.901 -
Roberts lights up the desert to break the lap record on Day 1
Losail (Qatar), 6 March 2020: After some impressive form in preseason testing at Losail International Circuit, Joe Roberts (American Racing) came out swinging on Day 1 of the QNB Grand Prix of Qatar and smashed the lap record in FP2 to end Friday on top. The American was nearly two and a half tenths clear of his closest competition, Marco Bezzecchi, with Luca Marini in third as Sky Racing Team VR46 riders completed the top three.
Joe Roberts smashes the lap record on Friday in FP2. A MotoGP image Free Practice 1 in the sun began with Tom Lüthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP) topping the timesheets, but the Swiss veteran had a tricky start to FP2 after crashing at Turn 14 while on a session best lap – rider ok. There were no such troubles for Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) though as the Japanese rider, who finished P11 in FP1, shot to the top of the times with the fastest lap of the weekend, and he remained near the top by the end of play too. In the early stages, plenty of riders were beating their FP1 times, and by the end all those down to Lüthi in 11th overall had gone faster. The Swiss rider also suffered a second crash and headed for the Medical Centre – rider fit.
By the end of the shuffle it was Roberts who moved up from having taken fifth in FP1, the American blasting the lap record and Bezzecchi then moving up to second on his final lap. Marini took third, less than a tenth off his teammate, with Nagashima pushed down to P4.
Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) had a better afternoon to finish P5 overall, the Spaniard having crashed in FP1, and FP2 crasher Augusto Fernandez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) slipped to P6 after his tumble ended his session early. Bo Bendsneyder (NTS RW Racing GP) had a great FP2 to finish P7 overall on Day 1, the Dutchman moving up from P18 in FP1 and putting in one of NTS’ best sessions to date.
Now into his second year of Moto2™, Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) ended the day in P8 despite a crash, edging out compatriot and fellow sophomore Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2). Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who was second in FP1, slipped to tenth despite marginally improving his laptime – but he did clock the fastest ever Moto2™ speed at Losail: 296.7km/h.
Lüthi was P11, ahead of the Qatar Test’s fastest man: Jorge Navarro (Beta Tools Speed Up), who crashed on Day 1 too. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) was next fastest, ahead of Aron Canet (Aspar Team), with the Spaniard the fastest rookie once again – and currently the last man who would move through to Q2.
Remy Gardner (Onexox TKKR SAG Team) suffered a spectacular highside on the exit of Turn 1 in FP2, the Australian heading to the medical centre for a checkup, and Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40) was another high profile crasher on Friday.
Moto2 is set to light up Qatar again on Saturday as Roberts heads a top 18 split by less than a second. What a way to start the year in the intermediate class as qualifying starts to rear its head on the Doha horizon. Tune in for Moto2 FP3 at 13:50 local time (GMT+3), with Q1 getting underway at 18:00 .
Day 1 top times:
1 – Joe Roberts – (American Racing) – Kalex – 1’58.4212 – Marco Bezzecchi – (Sky Racing Team VR46) – Kalex – +0.248
3 – Luca Marini – (Sky Racing Team VR46) – Kalex – +0.338
4 – Tetsuta Nagashima – (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – Kalex – +0.500
5 – Xavi Vierge – (Petronas Sprinta Racing) – Kalex – +0.638 -
Quartararo fastest on Day 2: MotoGP testing
Qatar, 23 Feb 2020: Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) set the fastest lap of the Qatar Test to top the timesheets on Day 2 with a 1:54.038, the Frenchman going a couple of tenths faster than the laptimes we saw at the event last season. Day 1 pacesetter Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was 0.162 in arrears in second, with Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completing a top trio split by 0.226 as Yamaha and Suzuki continue to look very strong.
Fabio Quartararo fastest on the Day 2 of MotoGP testing. A MotoGP image In the Yamaha camp, the timesheets make for positive reading. Quartararo shot to the top with just over an hour and a half of Day 2 remaining with the best time of the test, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) claiming P4 and Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) sitting P9. Quartararo commented that he had a better day than he did on Saturday, despite the Iwata factory having a couple of issues with engine braking. But things seem positive from the likes of Viñales – tipped by a couple of riders as the man in the best shape as it stands – and all the Yamahas are inside the top 10. Rossi stated they’re ready, too.
At Team Suzuki Ecstar, meanwhile, Alex Rins and Joan Mir both had a bumpier ride on Day 2 after proving the men to beat on Saturday, with crashes for both, riders ok. Nevertheless, the two Spaniards looked in good shape on the whole as they continued to test the new GSX-RR chassis, as well as some electronic, rear shock and new Michelin tyre testing. Rins put it simply: “We are ready”, with the Hamamatsu factory sounding confident ahead of the Qatar GP. Mir was seventh, his fastest lap a 1:54.612.
In the red corner, there was a little more caution but some positivity too. Ducati Team rider Andrea Dovizioso said they were in better shape than Malaysia and teammate Danilo Petrucci said he’d also had a better day than Saturday as they continue to focus on their programs rather than chasing a laptime. Dovizioso was eighth with a 1:54.662, Petrucci P12 with a 1:54.852.
The revolutionary “ride height adjuster” was a talking point again, with Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) admitting that he’d been using the device for a number of races. The Australian also noted the GP20’s superior top speed, describing it as a “rocketship”. In terms of the timesheets, however, Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) was the leading Desmosedici, the sophomore briefly sitting P1 with two hours remaining and eventually finishing up P5. In terms of race pace though, ‘Pecco’ says he needs “five tenths” to stick with the lead guys and he’s looking for more grip on the exit.
Johann Zarco (Reale Avintia Racing) impressed again to sit as the second fastest Ducati on Day 2, in P6.
Over at Honda, reigning World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) suffered a crash at Turn 9 and ended the day in P14, a second off the top. Thankfully he was unhurt. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) also crashed, going down at Turn 2 and heading to the medical centre afterwards. The fall ultimately ended Crutchlow’s day, the number 35 suffering swelling to his forearm. He and the team decided it was best to not ride again on Sunday, hopefully he will be on track on Monday for the final day of testing.
Front end feel for the two experienced riders is the main problem, with rookie Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) also experiencing some issues. The reigning Moto2™ World Champion has been feeling under the weather at the Qatar Test but he was happier with how Day 2 went compared to Day 1. And it was Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) ended the second day as the fastest Honda rider in P10, the Japanese rider enjoying a decent day as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery, with the injury feeling better than it did on Day 1. All in all, a big Day 3 lies ahead for the HRC riders.
There was big news on Sunday for Aprilia as they confirmed Lorenzo Savadori as their new MotoGP™ test rider. And for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Day 2 targets were working on electronics and setting up the engine, as well as trying to figure out why the new RS-GP started suffering in the cooler temperatures – vital for race day in Qatar. And by the sounds of it, Espargaro found something in the cooler temperatures, describing his feeling as “extremely good” at 7pm. The Spaniard did have a crash on Sunday at Turn 4 though, but thankfully he was ok.
At KTM, it seems the four riders are pretty much set on the new fairing they’ll be using. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) admitted they haven’t been going for an outright lap time so far in Qatar, the Spaniard was P13 on the timesheets on Day 2 – 0.852 shy. Working on the new Michelin rear tyre was a must today for the Austrian factory and speaking after Day 2’s action, Red Bull KTM Tech 3 rookie Iker Lecuona said he was really happy after he completed a race simulation. His teammate Miguel Oliveira took a tumble, rider ok, and the two weren’t far apart on the timesheets. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was another to crash, rider ok.
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Fabio Quartararo fastest again on Sunday: MotoGP
Sunday action at Sepang. MotoGP image Sepang, 9 Feb 2020: Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) made it a full house at the Sepang Test as he topped the timesheets once again on Sunday, with the Frenchman putting in a 1:58.349 to end the session close to the fastest ever lap of the Malaysian venue. He had some close company, however, with LCR Honda Castrol’s Cal Crutchlow taking second place, 0.082 off, and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) taking third within 0.101 of the top. All manufacturers ended the test within 0.345.
The weather was on side again on Sunday, with only the last half hour or so affected by rain – but a few finished a little early whether by design or mishap. For Quartararo it was a shorter day than Saturday, as the Petronas Yamaha SRT rider put in 57 laps, setting his fastest on his 17th. Teammate Franco Morbidelli, on his “A-spec” machine, did 58 laps and ends the test in P13.
Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was actually the second fastest Yamaha rider on Sunday. His best was a 1:58.541 and that puts him in fifth after just over a half century of laps. Rossi’s teammate Maverick Viñales, meanwhile, was way down the timesheets yet positive about the test; his best a 1:59.169 in P18 – but after a whopping 83 laps and some impressive long run pace. On Saturday evening, the Spaniard was especially impressed by the top speed improvement from the new engine.
Test rider Jorge Lorenzo was out on track on Sunday too, with the Spaniard adding another 46 laps to the Iwata marque’s program and proving a key point of interest. But Yamaha had another slightly different talking point too – something that looks very much like a holeshot device, spotted on Viñales’, Rossi’s and test rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga’s machinery.
Honda’s test program workhorse Cal Crutchlow kept them in the hunt for the top on Day 3. The Brit’s best was a 1:58.431 and, predictably, he was one of the most prolific on track, completing 69 laps. Reigning Champion Marc Marquez did 47 laps and was P12, his day ending in a mishap at Turn 15 – rider ok. The Spaniard also reported in his debrief that he’s more focused on getting the technical side of the new season sorted, rather than worried about his shoulder recovery.
His rookie teammate Alex Marquez was 16th and did 49 laps, ending the test less than half a tenth off getting into the 1:58s. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) did a best of a 1:59.860 a bit further back, completing 48 laps.
Alex Rins was back in charge of the Suzuki teammate battle for supremacy on Sunday. The number 42 almost made it three bikes in a tenth but for a single thousandth, and he did an apt 42 laps, downing tools a little early. Teammate Joan Mir was P10 after 32 laps, his best a 1:58.736 despite a crash at Turn 9. The positivity from the Hamamatsu factory seems positively brimming after the test, and some impressive long run pace in the mid 59s made for good reading too.
Ducati, meanwhile, saw their top position on the timesheets taken over by Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) as the Italian put in a 1:58.502 to secure P4 – only 0.052 off Rins. Ducati Team’s Danilo Petrucci was sixth with a 1:58.606, and Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) eighth… but just 0.010 behind the Italian. Bagnaia and Miller both crashed at Turn 15, riders ok.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was a little further down in P14 with a best of 1:58.859, with every GP20 rider putting in around 50 laps each on Sunday. But Dovizioso sounded pretty satisfied, working on setup and feeling on the new tyre in the morning – and pointing out that both he and Miller set their best on the medium…
Johann Zarco (Reale Avintia Racing), meanwhile, continued his improvement on the GP19 and ends the test 15th on Day 3, getting down to a 1:58.951 after 42 laps. Teammate Tito Rabat did a best of 1:59.549.
Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) finishes the Sepang test in a similar position to where he started it, in seventh, but the number 44 was nearly a second quicker on Day 2. He only put in 34 laps on Sunday, but was also at the shakedown with KTM. His teammate Brad Binder had a pretty solid Sunday too as he remained close to fellow rookie Alex Marquez on the timesheets; the South African shaving nearly a second and a half off his Day 1 best.
Red Bull KTM Tech 3’s Miguel Oliveira, meanwhile, impressed on Day 3, putting in a 1:58.764 as he returns from injury – and slotting into P11 just ahead of reigning World Champion Marc Marquez despite doing only 22 laps. Oliveira’s teammate Iker Lecuona put in just 23 laps as well, but the Austrian factory also fielded test rider Mika Kallio as the Finn took over from Day 2 hero Dani Pedrosa. Kallio suffered a crash at Turn 15, rider ok.
Aprilia also leave Sepang securely belonging in the top ten, having hit the ground very much running with the new RS-GP. Aleix Espargaro led the way for the Noale factory once again as he took ninth with a 1:58.694, putting in 45 laps – and saying there was also more to come from a single lap, which was proving a challenge to maximise. And that’s borne out in the awesome long run pace the number 41 laid down, with a host of mid 59s. Test rider Bradley Smith was also on duty once again, adding 61 laps for the Italian marque.
That’s it from Sepang, now it’s time to head for Qatar for the second – and final – pre-season test. That starts in a couple of weeks on the 22nd of February, with the grid now facing just three days of track time before the season begins in earnest. Keep up to date with everything on motogp.com in the meantime!
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Fabio Quartararo tops timesheets on Day 2 of Sepang Test: MotoGP
Fabio Quartararo tops Day2 Sepang test. A MotoGP image Sepang, 8 Feb 2020: Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was once again the man at the top of the timesheets on Day 2 of the #SepangTest, but this time the Frenchman made his mark on the 2020 factory machine as he got a taste of the new YZR-M1 on Saturday. The man he deposed was Jack Miller (Pramac Racing), who was once again the fastest Ducati, after the Australian had held on to P1 for some time. Third was another stellar performance that stole some headlines as Dani Pedrosa – erstwhile master of Sepang – put KTM into the top three and only 0.090 off the top; his 1:58.662 most definitely an eyebrow-raiser.
Day 2 saw the weather play nice, with track time uninterrupted and that proving valuable for many – and many putting in a good number more laps on Saturday. Quartararo’s 72 laps were testament to that and followed up a performance on Day 1 that was impressive but, in some ways, could have been expected – with the number 20 already having shown scintillating speed on the 2019 Yamaha. Getting on the new machine and proving able to put in a 1:58.572 not long after ensured Day 2 was more than a simple rinse and repeat. Teammate Franco Morbidelli was also quick in fifth after 60 laps, 0.259 off the top on an “A-spec” 2020 machine – without the new air intake and reportedly without the new engine. He crashed at Turn 2, rider ok.
Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), meanwhile, slotted in right behind the Italian – only 0.062 in further arrears, although he did crash, just as he did on Day 1. The number 12 did 69 laps as both he and teammate Valentino Rossi continued to work with three machines each, and Rossi was tenth overall after 60 laps. ‘The Doctor’’s best was a 1:59.116. Yamaha test rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga suffered a crash, rider ok.
At Ducati, it was Jack Miller who was once again the fastest man on Borgo Panigale machinery. He did 50 laps and only lost out on the top by 0.069, with the positive reports on Ducati’s 2020 machinery continuing. In terms of position it was a “tougher” day on the timesheets for his fellow GP20 riders, however, with Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) in P13 followed by Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) in 14th and 15th respectively; all three within a tenth and all three putting in nearly 60 laps. Dovizioso crashed at Turn 6, rider ok, causing a brief Red Flag solely to make sure he was away from the track and racing line.
Johann Zarco (Reale Avintia Racing), meanwhile, beat the laptime he set on Day 1 by over half a second, although he maintained the same position, and Ducati Corse Sporting Director Paolo Ciabatti Ducati Corse was spotted in the box with the Frenchman. Zarco’s teammate Tito Rabat was just behind him in position but three and a half tenths in arrears.
At KTM, Dani Pedrosa was the star attraction on the timesheets, and the ‘Little Samurai’ did his fastest lap at Sepang International Circuit – no mean feat given his number of premier class poles and wins at the venue. Pol Espargaro sung his praises too. Espargaro ended the day in P8 after nearly fifty laps and was happy with his day despite a tip off at Turn 1 – working on the new chassis and testing it with different setups, citing some key improvements in grip and stability. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) also improved, shaving eight tenths off his day one best and getting closer to fellow rookie Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team).
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) was P16 at the end of the day after 42 laps, continuing his comeback from injury and after also having taken part in the shakedown. Likewise his rookie teammate Iker Lecuona, who put in 41 laps as he adapts to the premier class, ending Saturday on a 2:00.396, although he did suffer a crash.
Just missing out on the top three after Pedrosa’s late lunge were Suzuki. The tables turned on the timesheets on Day 2 as Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was the leading Hamamatsu factory machine in P4, a 1:58.731 putting him only a tenth and a half off the top after 54 laps. Teammate Alex Rins put in 63 laps, and set his best of a 1:58.978 on the new chassis… citing it as a key step in the right direction. Mir saw it more as a balance of positives and negatives. Test rider Sylvain Guintoli was also on track and he did 58 laps.
For Honda, it was a more muted day on the timesheets, but it was reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) who took back the honour of quickest for the factory after Cal Crutchlow’s (LCR Honda Castrol) P4 on Day 1. Marquez was ninth with a best of a 1:59.097 after 47 laps, although he crashed at Turn 3. Rider ok, bike less so. Crutchlow did 64 laps, with his huge workload continuing as he remains on point for test duty, and a best of 1:59.247 put him in P12.
Alex Marquez was top rookie once again although, as stated, had Binder for close company, and Takaaki Nakagami’s (LCR Honda Idemitsu) comeback continued to prove a challenge. He was P21 after 47 laps.
Aprilia’s new 90-degree V4 ended the day in P11 in the hands of Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro, with the number 41 putting in 43 laps and setting a best of 1:59.224. Top speed seems a key area of improvement so far, and test rider Bradley Smith was also out on track working on the project. He did 61 laps.
Now all that remains at Sepang is Sunday Funday, with only one test day left before the paddock packs up and heads for Losail International Circuit in Qatar – so tune in again for After The Flag from 10:30am CET
