2023 Sepang MotoGP Take a look at Shakedown Instances
Ducati check rider Michele Pirro topped the time-sheets forward of Yamaha check rider Cal Crutchlow and KTM/GASGAS rookie Augusto Fernandez.
That may not be a totally correct image although as Dani Pedrosa put in loads of laps on numerous growth RC16 mules with completely different aero variations however didn’t run a timing transponder…
The ‘shark tooth’ serrations on the sides of the KTM entrance fairing are now not there, whereas the highest set of the wings have been barely up to date, however stay largely the identical. The aspect pod wings have obtained the identical therapy. Nonetheless, the largest change we are able to see is the ground-effect aspect fairings have grown in measurement.
Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Manufacturing unit Racing Tech3) accomplished a constructive three days of Shakedown testing with a better of 2m00.482. The reigning Moto2 World Champion will likely be again on monitor this weekend for 3 days of official testing, the place he’ll be joined by his 2023 rivals.
Augusto Fernandez
“The primary check in Valencia was nearly using a MotoGP bike, with out interested by altering settings an excessive amount of, so logically the purpose of the Shakedown was to get the job began correctly and construct my base. I’m glad to have had three days to get used to the MotoGP bike, and I already really feel like I’m beginning to perceive why all the pieces is occurring, and journey this machine. We acquired quite a lot of data over the past three days, each in dry and moist situations, and it will be crucial to grasp what I must do to go sooner within the subsequent few days. The staff did an excellent job so I wish to say thanks to them. I’m wanting ahead to Friday on the Sepang Take a look at.”
Nicolas Goyon – GASGAS Group Supervisor
“Augusto Fernandez reunited along with his bike right here in Sepang after the primary check in Valencia again in November. These three days of Shakedown Take a look at had been actually constructive, though the climate was not useful. The constructive is that he was capable of journey already in quite a lot of completely different situations, which is essential for a rookie: he rode in moist tyres on full moist monitor, in moist tyres on a drying monitor, in slick tyres on a blended monitor, and naturally in slicks on a dry monitor. The third day was probably the most intense day because it was absolutely dry, and he did some very attention-grabbing lap instances. He didn’t crash in any respect, which signifies that we now have a superb margin to enhance. He has an excellent angle, his feedback are constructive and constructive, so everybody within the field and on the Pierer Mobility Group is pleased with him. We sit up for persevering with the work with Augusto on Friday for the Sepang Take a look at.”
Over at Ducati one key factor to notice is that Ducati have up to date their “ground-effect” aspect fairings from the Valencia Take a look at, which at the moment are a lot bigger and have a little bit bit extra element.
The precise aspect pod and the primary set of wings are the identical as what we noticed at Valencia.
Having examined alone on Sunday and Monday, Cal Crutchlow had firm on Tuesday as fellow Iwata manufacturing facility check rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga joined the fold. Each the British and Japanese riders had been placing Yamaha’s new entrance fairing by means of its paces – the one we noticed on the Valencia Take a look at – in addition to the most recent mudguard.
2021 World Champion Fabio Quartararo can even have seen the pace entice numbers Yamaha had been posting, which at one level displayed Crutchlow clocking 335 km/h – 5 greater than Quartararo managed in final yr’s Grand Prix, and eight greater than Yamaha managed within the 2022 Sepang Take a look at. Will probably be attention-grabbing to see how the most recent Yamaha holds up on the pace charts when the complete complement of MotoGP riders swing into motion this weekend.
Aprilia check rider Lorenzo Savadori was again out on Aprilia’s new entrance fairing aero package deal on the ultimate day, with the Italian lapping with multiple RS-GP. Savadori was additionally busy making ready the bikes for Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales forward of the Official Take a look at beginning on Friday.
Stefan Bradl had a busy Tuesday doing back-to-back comparisons between completely different HRC aero packages, the most recent one being one thing we noticed on the personal Jerez Take a look at.
Bradl additionally spent a while evaluating bikes with and with out the ‘stegosaurus’ wings on the tail unit.
The Official Sepang Take a look at begins on Friday the tenth of February at 1000 native time, 1300 AEDT.
2023 Sepang MotoGP Take a look at Shakedown Instances
- Michele Pirro – Ducati – 1m59.803
- Cal Crutchlow – Yamaha +0.550s
- Augusto Fernandez – KTM +0.679s
- Lorenzo Savadori – Aprilia +0.920s
- Stefan Bradl – Honda +1.326s
- Jonas Folger – KTM +3.820s
