FIM MotoGP World Championship Official Test
Automotodrom Brno, Czech Republic
August 22, 2016
Test Results (all on Michelin tires):
1. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:55.394
2. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), 1:55.765
3. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 1:56.148
4. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), 1:56.273
5. Maverick VINALES, Spain (SUZUKI), 1:56.524
6. Bradley SMITH, UK (YAMAHA), 1:56.619
7. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), 1:56.857
8. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:56.952
9. Scott REDDING, UK (DUCATI), 1:57.077
10. Tito RABAT, Spain (HONDA), 1:57.863
11. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), 1:58.421
12. Alex LOWES, UK (YAMAHA), 1:59.558
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Lorenzo Top Of The Timesheets In The The #CzechTest
Reigning world champion straight back on top after difficult GP
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo topped the timings in the one day official post-race test at the Automotodrom Brno with a 1:55.394, as the reigning champion proved the fastest man on track ahead of teammate Valentino Rossi (+0.371) and Repsol Honda Team rider Marc Marquez (+0.754).
Those present at the test were Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, Repsol Honda Team, Team Suzuki Ecstar, LCR Honda, Monster Yamaha Tech 3, Octo Pramac Yakhnich and Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS. Action got underway later than expected after a Red Flag due to track conditions at Turn 11, with the majority of the grid then heading out in the early afternoon to begin work in earnest and the end of the session extended by half an hour to compensate.
Magneti Marelli supplied some software updates to all teams, and Movistar Yamaha MotoGP were one of those trying the new software in Brno. Yamaha also focused on evaluating a new chassis and swingarm, as well as the electronic updates and evaluating some different front tyre options that are currently in the development stage for 2017. Reigning champion Lorenzo completed 43 laps, with teammate Rossi putting in 60.
Monster Yamaha Tech 3 also tested those front tyre options and the new software changes, with riders Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro completing 90 laps between them to end the day in P6 and P8 respectively. WorldSBK rider Alex Lowes was a special guest with the team too, as the Brit received a MotoGP™ test ride as a gift from Yamaha following his win for the manufacturer in the Suzuka 8H endurance race – which he recently won alongside Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Pol Espargaro.
Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa continued to work on settings and setup, with some new parts to try out principally aimed at improving feeling. Marquez was the late mover up the timesheets after status quo had seen the Repsol Honda riders slightly further down the order, putting in a late lap to go third quickest – seven tenths behind Lorenzo and four behind Rossi. Pedrosa and Marquez were another duo who also evaluated the Michelin new front tyre options and put in a combined total of 87 laps.
LCR Honda were back to work after their victory the day before as Cal Crutchlow tested some engine maps and suspension parts to end the day fourth quickest, with Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS focusing instead on the new software and a new setup for Tito Rabat, who completed 83 laps. Jack Miller didn’t take part in the test after injuries sustained in a crash at the Austrian GP and neither did Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Aleix Espargaro for the same reason.
Maverick Viñales was therefore the lone Team Suzuki Ecstar on track to test in Brno, and the former Moto3™ world champion focused on further evaluating a new swingarm, as well as the new software updates from Magneti Marelli and the Michelin front tyre options. Viñales’ best lap – lap 29 of 37 – saw him end the day fifth with a 1:56.524.
Octo Pramac Yakhnich worked on ergonomics with a new seat unit, as well as the new front tyres and set up solutions. Danilo Petrucci had an early end to the day when he suffered an engine failure after having completed 18 laps, remaining in P11 with teammate Scott Redding further up the order in P9 after 47 laps.
The next stop for MotoGP™ is the British GP at Silverstone, with local rider Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) heading back to his home track as the first British winner of a premier class race since Barry Sheene in 1981.
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:
VICTORIOUS CRUTCHLOW BACK TO WORK IN BRNO TEST
Despite having sealed their first ever MotoGP victories together at the Brno circuit on Sunday, there was no resting on their laurels for Cal Crutchlow and his LCR Honda Team as they were back out testing at the Czech track on Monday.
Crutchlow was the first rider to take to the track once the pit-lane opened at 10am, however the session was quickly red-flagged when the Brit discovered diesel had been spilt at turn 11 by an overnight service vehicle. The clean-up job took a couple of hours, but once the area had dried the 30 year-old was back putting in laps until the extended finish time of 6.30pm.
The Briton eventually completed 63 laps of the track, fulfilling vital testing work for both Michelin and Honda, and stopping the clock in a best time of 1’56.273.
Crutchlow will now return to the Isle of Man, before what should be a triumphant outing at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on the first weekend of September. It will be the first time he will race in his home country as a MotoGP winner.
#35 Cal Crutchlow – 4th (1’56.273)
“We’ve had a positive test today and we were quite pleased with the lap times. We tested a couple of front tyres for Michelin and a few small items for Honda. We had to work late because the track wasn’t in ideal condition this morning, but thanks to the team we worked hard all day and hopefully it’ll bring us some positives for Silverstone.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
TESTING DAY IN BRNO FOR MAVERICK VIÑALES
Following yesterday’s GP of the Czech Republic, Team SUZUKI ECSTAR stayed over at the circuit of Brno for testing with Maverick Viñales and the Factory GSX-RR.
Team-mate Aleix Espargaró didn’t take part in the test, resting-up following the injury to his hand in Austria last weekend. It was agreed with the team that Espargaró headed home last night, where he will spend every day before the next round at Silverstone, in the UK on September 4th, recuperating.
The main purpose of the test for Team SUZUKI ECSTAR was to further-evaluate information about the GSX-RR and compare data with that collected during the weekend, and also explore some new configurations in the electronics. However, the dirty track conditions in the morning left too little time to test some new options in the set-up, in particular investigating the different swingarms that have been made available to the team by the Suzuki R&D Department.
Davide Brivio:
“We had a positive day of testing today, despite not being able to lap as much as we wanted; the track was very cold and dirty in the morning, so we could only exploit the afternoon session. After yesterday’s race, we decided to allow Aleix to go back home because his injured finger requires some recovery time, so we will see him again at Silverstone. Maverick, instead, lapped today and did a very good job. He couldn’t lap in the morning because of bad track conditions but finally the situation and conditions got better and better. We didn’t make very big improvements here, technically-wise, but some important fine-tunings; as this test was more meant to check some information and try different combinations of electronics and set-up. Maverick was consistently-fast throughout the afternoon and this is positive, but more-importantly is the positive feeling he reported and the feedback he left with our engineers.”
Maverick Viñales:
“Unfortunately the conditions of the track in the morning didn’t allow us to test, so we had to wait until the afternoon to have proper performance. Finally, we could only test some new options in set-up and electronics, we’re still working in the pursuit of traction and we found some new information that will be useful for Silverstone and for the rest of the season. The lap-time has been consistently positive, making our day positive. After a back-to-back race it’s hard to stay for a test, but it was worthwhile. It’s a pity about the conditions, we could have worked a little more and test some more things, but at the end of the day, the work we’ve done will be useful.”
More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:
MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP TOP ONE-DAY TEST IN BRNO
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi completed a successful day of testing at the Automotodrom Brno, finished in first and second place, as the only riders dropping into the 1‘55‘s.
Brno (Czech Republic), 22nd August 2016
Not even 24 hours after the Czech Moto Grand Prix, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi were already back on their bikes today at the Automotodrom Brno. The two teammates spent the one-day Official IRTA test focused on testing various part for their YZR-M1s and secured first and second place respectively in the time sheets.
The test started slow as the Brno circuit required cleaning after a fuel spill causing the session to be red flagged. Once the track conditions were restored, the session was back underway and with a little more than five hours of testing remaining Lorenzo was one of the first riders to venture out. He quickly rose to the top of the time sheets where he remained for most of the day, to ultimately secure first place with a best time of 1‘55.933s, with a 0.371s margin.
Rossi was quick to follow Lorenzo‘s lead and spent a productive day testing, completing 52 laps to compare various parts and details. The Italian held a solid pace throughout the day, being the only other rider besides his teammate to drop into the 1‘55s with a 1’55.765s, and finished in second place holding a 0.383s advantage over his closest rival.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
Today was a very important test as we were able to evaluate the direction we‘re working towards. The day started slow, but has been very positive overall. Jorge and Vale were able to make enough laps to compare and contrast some new chassis, swingarms and two front tyres from Michelin that were brought here to test. We also tested and updated software with good feedback. The engineers will collect the data to prepare the next steps. It‘s been a busy two weeks, the team and the riders have earned a small break so we will be ready to attack at Silverstone in a fortnight‘s time.
JORGE LORENZO
We had more or less similar things to try and some of them gave us a benefit to go faster. It has been a positive journey because we were afraid we wouldn‘t be able to test today because some corners were dirty in the beginning, but finally the bikes on track improved the grip, it was not the same as during the weekend and we were able to test many things. We tried both new Michelin tyres and they were better than the standard one, better stability and they have better grip in the corners.
VALENTINO ROSSI
At the beginning of the day it was very difficult, because the track was dry but very dirty. The lap times were also quite slow but after, when some other riders also entered the track, it started to clean the circuit and at the end it was a very good test day for me personally because we tried different things, especially different chassis and swingarms and I like them. Now we have to speak and understand when we can start the use, but in general it has been a positive test and I was always quite strong with a good pace. At the end, during the time attack, I did a 1‘55.7, that is fast, so it was a very good day and I enjoyed it. We had two new front tyres from Michelin, but unfortunately these are for next year. These tyres are very good, I like them and I improved my lap time and also the feeling. After that we worked a bit on the software and made a small improvement, but at the end it was OK.
More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:
Tech3 pair leave the Czech Republic confident after positive Brno test
Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Bradley Smith undertook a confidence boosting test at the Masaryk circuit today as he closed the session in 6th. The 25-year-old sampled new electronics, examined suspension options and also reconfirmed the setup configurations that he used at last week’s Czech Grand Prix. With no action for any MotoGP riders occurring in the morning due to a dirty track surface, the British rider got straight to work after midday and immediately began his efforts. Smith posted his personal best time in the final hour of the day and on his penultimate lap, which resulted in him finishing under half a second adrift from third. He now confidently looks on to his home Grand Prix at Silverstone where he intends to clinch the leading satellite position in front of his fans.
Meanwhile, Pol Espargaro made some encouraging steps forward in today’s test in the Czech Republic. The Spaniard got into gear just after lunch and proceeded to begin testing electronic settings as well as setup options to improve his feeling during braking. With progress being made, the top independent rider in the championship standings produced a personal best of 1’56.952 which left a gap three-tenths of a second to his teammate. The 2013 Moto2 World Champion now confidently looks on to the forthcoming round in Great Britain where he aims to increase the gap to the top independent rider rivals in the standings.
Bradley Smith
Position: 6th Time: 1’56.619 Laps: 47
“I feel that we have picked up some valuable knowledge that will certainly help us in the future even though we didn’t have a huge amount to test today. We spent the time clarifying certain aspects that we needed to look at so that we can head into Silverstone with a bike that has the best possible setup. We’ve learnt a lot in these past two races and we are starting to find our rhythm, hence why I wanted to check a few things again today. In addition, we’ve improved the bike in corner entry and the initial pickup of the throttle. I still think that we need to work on the sliding going into the corner and then the spinning on the exit. Moreover, for one lap on new tyres, I don’t feel too bad anymore and we’re going in the right direction. Yet, when the asphalt loses its grip on a Sunday, that seems to be where we struggle the most. Anyway, it’s time to head home but after the work that we completed, I am happy and confident as we head towards Silverstone.”
Pol Espargaro
Position: 8th Time: 1’56.952 Laps: 43
“We have made some good progress at this test and the work that we did leaves me feeling positive about my chances at future races. At the same time, it wasn’t ideal because we didn’t have too many tyres to use, the track surface was dirty and it was difficult to get into the rhythm this morning. Using only these few tyres meant that we struggled a little bit to get through everything that we wanted to go over. However, we tested some electronic settings, which I think will increase our performance so we will use these at some future GP’s. Furthermore, we also really improved how the bike behaves when braking which is very important because this is what we struggled a lot with this weekend and also in Austria, so it was the main accomplishment of the test. Due to the knowledge that we have gained, I am confident and I am looking forward to the next race.”
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Repsol Honda Team completes one day of testing in Brno
Today’s one-day post-race test in Brno officially started at 10:00 a.m. and was soon interrupted for two hours by a red flag in order to clean up some oil (left by trucks working overnight to remove some advertising banners). Around 1:30 p.m. the riders sporadically began taking to the track.
Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa got into action around 2:40, when track conditions improved enough to lap at a good pace, and ended when the track closed at 6:30. They tested a number of settings and electronic solutions and a new swingarm. Marc also tried two new Michelin front tyres that the French manufacturer asked the riders to test for 2017.
Marc had the third-fastest time of the day at 1’56.148 on lap 39 of 46. Dani finished the day seventh with a time of 1’56.857 on lap 29 of 43.
Marc Marquez
3RD (46 LAPS)
“The track was quite dirty at the start of the day, but as everyone went out it got cleaned up and the grip increased. We tested a lot of things, including some new front tyres. We focused our work on trying to understand why the bike is lifting into a wheelie coming out of the corners, and we gathered some positive data and some less positive, as often happens in these cases. We found out quite a lot of things about the setup, trying to absorb some of the wheelie and improve our acceleration. We also had a new swingarm, which may have potential at some circuits, so we’ll keep it ready but for now we’ll continue with the one we’ve used so far this season. All in all I think this test has been good and now we look forward to the Silverstone GP.”
Dani Pedrosa
7TH (43 LAPS)
“We went out late today, as the track conditions weren’t good and we wouldn’t have understood if the work we did was good or not. Finally, we were able to start and we focused our work on trying to clarify the direction we want to follow for the setup in the coming races. Basically we tried to regroup and to find some new ideas to regain some confidence. We also tried a new swingarm and now we’ll analyse everything in order to build upon what we have understood. We didn’t test the new Michelin front tyres as our priorities at this moment were different, but we’ll definitely try them in the next test.”