More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Ducati beat Aprilia to the top, Yamaha make steps forward at Misano
Bagnaia and Marini edge out Aleix Espargaro on Day 1 of the Misano Test, Quartararo reports key progress for Yamaha
Day 1 of the Official MotoGP™ Misano Test is done and dusted and topping the timesheets is San Marino GP winner Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) with a 1:31.292. But Tuesday – and the two-day test in general – is more than just looking at the timesheets, because Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) made his long-awaited return to action and Yamaha rolled out a 2023 engine.
HONDA
Undoubtedly, the biggest news of the day was the return of Marc Marquez. After completing 39 laps ahead of the lunch break, the eight-time World Champion and his team decided to sit out the rest of the afternoon in order to be ready for Day 2 – a great sign that his comeback was a success. The other great sign is that it didn’t take long for the number 93 to start testing new parts for HRC, as the Japanese giants continue to focus on getting their 2023 package right.
Marc Marquez, who finished 1.1s off the quickest time, was riding a black Repsol Honda with a new air intake, aero and downwash ducts on the side fairing, similar to what we’ve seen Ducati using for the past couple of seasons. The downwash ducts are believed to create some ground effect when the bike is on its side, giving more stability and more grip. It now looks like Honda are playing with this idea. In addition, Honda have another set of new side fairings just like the Aprilias that have the large, bulged-out side fairing that seems aimed at creating some ground effect similar to the way a floor does in F1.
One very notable thing to point out was HRC Test Rider Stefan Bradl testing a Kalex-built aluminium swingarm, as shown below. It’s a huge change for Honda as they have used their own in-house carbon swingarm for several years now.
Furthermore, Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was running a brand-new, never seen air intake on one of his bikes. It’s a little wider and not quite as tall as the standard air intake, and differs from the one Marc Marquez was using too. As expected, there was plenty going on in the HRC ranks.
YAMAHA
As we heard ahead of the test, the Iwata factory have a new engine to try in Misano. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – who completed 80 laps – used it on Tuesday and confirmed that it’s a positive step, which is good news for the Iwata factory. The title chase leader was sixth quickest on the opening day, just under three tenths away from main rival Bagnaia.
A new chassis was also being put through its paces, while one of Franco Morbidelli’s (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) YZR-M1s was spotted with a new air intake. It’s possible that could be part of the 2023 engine package. Moreover, new wings were being tested, which seemed to be larger than those they have on the 2022 bike at the moment.
APRILIA
Aprilia Racing Test Rider Lorenzo Savadori has two bikes to test on Day 1, while it’s believed the Noale factory were testing some new wings. And talking of wings, Aprilia were back running the rear wing that we’ve seen appear a couple of times.
Both Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) and teammate Maverick Viñales took turns topping the times in the afternoon. Eventually, the Spaniards occupied P3 and P5 respectively at the end of play. Espargaro crashed unhurt at the tight, tricky Turn 14.
DUCATI
As strange as it sounds, there wasn’t too much to shout about in terms of updated parts in the Bologna stables on Tuesday. Visibly, anyway. Bagnaia did hint over the weekend that he didn’t think he would be testing too many new things, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t testing anything – far from it.
One thing that was noticed however was the sidepod wing extending down slightly further than the standard one Ducati have been using for some time.
Six Ducatis finished inside the top 10 with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) second fastest, 0.181s off VR46 Academy colleague Bagnaia, while Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) – who crashed unhurt at Turn 15 – was the third quickest Desmosedici rider in P4.
KTM
Three-time World Champion and MotoGP™ Legend Dani Pedrosa was back on testing duties for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and the Spaniard was seen trying an updated seat and tail unit.
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was the quickest RC16 rider on track, the South African finished P11, 0.624s down on Bagnaia’s pace. After an impressive ride last time out, Raul Fernandez (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) was just 0.059s off Miguel Oliveira’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 1:32.336, but the Spaniard’s day was slightly blighted by a crash at Turn 14.
SUZUKI
With Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) sidelined through injury, 2022 FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup winner Dominique Aegerter was given the opportunity to throw his leg over the GSX-RR. The Swiss rider ended the day just 2.6s away from Pecco’s pace; a very impressive performance. On the other side of the box, Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was trying some cooling parts for the rear of the bike. The Spaniard finished P12 on the timesheets, 0.6s off top spot.
Make sure you keep a keen eye on motogp.com and our social media channels throughout the day on Wednesday, because we can expect it to be another busy day on track. Simon Crafar will be live at 13:00 local time (GMT+2) for the latest updates, so be sure to tune in!
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Marc Marquez rides the RC213V again
An encouraging first day for the Repsol Honda Team at the Misano Test as Marc Marquez returned to a MotoGP machine 100 days after his operation and Pol Espargaro showed his and the bike’s potential.
The Adriatic Coast produced another beautiful day as action resumed at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. It was a significant day as Marc Marquez made his return to the Repsol Honda Team for the first time since the Italian GP in late May. Starting just after 09:30 Local Time, the eight-time World Champion completed a brief first run to initially assess his right arm. With all signs being positive, he and the Repsol Honda Team switched into work mode and began their testing programme.
Completing a total of 39 laps before stopping for the day during the lunch break, the #93 ended his first day back on the bike with a best time of 1’32.395 – good enough for 11th on Sunday’s San Marino GP grid. Although lap times were not the focus, Marquez was sstill able to end the day 1.1s behind the fastest rider.
It was an equally positive day for Pol Espargaro who set a best lap of 1’31.707, some 1.1 seconds faster than his time from Q1 on Saturday. Limiting his running due to lingering pain in his right wrist from Sunday’s crash, the #44 was still able to complete 50 laps and stopped just before 16:30 Local Time. Espargaro and his team ran through a number of setting options and improve his feeling aboard the Repsol Honda. Even with the limited laps, Espargaro was satisfied with the day.
Testing resumes tomorrow, Wednesday 07, at 09:00 Local Time. The Repsol Honda Team are aiming for another productive day before preparing for the Aragon GP and the flyaway races.
Marc Marquez
18TH 1’32.395
“After 100 days away, wow – these bikes are fast! It’s the same as when you arrive at the first test after winter, it takes you some time to adjust. It was really good to be back, to ride this bike again and to be with my team. Step by step I felt faster and more comfortable, but I need to work more to gain the strength for longer runs. I was able to try some items for Honda after a few runs because I was feeling good. Honda is working a lot, it’s clear. Our target today wasn’t times, it was to do 40 laps and understand our situation. We decided to stop early to try and ride tomorrow. Tonight, I will do a lot of work with physio, ice and stretching to help with the recovery of the arm.”
Pol Espargaro
NINTH 1’31.707
“On Monday I woke up with a lot of swelling in my rest, but with a lot of ice I have been able to ride today. It’s not as many laps as I would normally do because I am aiming to also ride tomorrow. Even with less laps we have been able to find out some good things, we worked a lot on finding the differences between Qatar and now. It looks like we have found something that could help us get our speed back a bit. The real test for this will be when we arrive in Aragon, but for now it’s good to be on the bike and making laps.”
More, from a press release issued by Mooney VR46 Racing Team:
MARINI AND BEZZECCHI AMONG THE FASTEST AT MISANO TEST
Both riders of the Mooney VR46 Racing Team improve their best lap time of the weekend finishing second and 7th in the combined standings
Misano Adriatico (Italy), September 6th 2022 – Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi are protagonists at the official MotoGP test in Misano Adriatico, the last of the season and on the eve of the Aragon GP for the 15th race of the 2022. Both very fast on the Ducati Desmosedici GP, respectively closed in P2 and P7 in the combined standings, thus improving the performances obtained during the GP just ended.
Strengthened by the fourth place in the race and working on the setting to face the end of the season as best he can, Luca scores a best lap time of 1.31.473 and is only two tenths of a second behind the fastest of the day (1.31.292, Bagnaia) after completing 45 laps.
Positive feelings, 38 laps and steps forward on the set-up also for Marco who set a best of 1.31.591, fastest rookie on the track with a gap of three tenths from the top of the combined.
Luca Marini
A positive test, we haven’t tried so much, just some ideas that came to us during the race GP and that we didn’t have time to test. From the start this morning I had a better feeling, I was fast and consistent. The pace, with a used rear tire, is also very good and I am satisfied. The track conditions were completely different from the race: in the morning I felt at ease, while in the afternoon with a lot of rubber it was difficult to give real and objective feedback. We take full advantage of this step forward at Aragon.
Marco Bezzecchi
A beautiful day: we tested several new settings that I would have liked to try already during the GP, but in free practices it is always difficult to find time. In any case, we made a good step from the GP, the pace was better today and even faster. I fixed those corners where I was struggling and a good lap time came out at the end. I wasn’t 100% in braking, we didn’t understand how to fix the problem and then also sector four in the two fast corners before the straight. We go to Aragon to do well.
Pablo Nieto, Team Manager
An interesting and at the same time demanding day. We did a lot of laps, we focused on the set-up and riding and we are satisfied with what we have done. The lap times are very good, especially with used tires, Luca and Marco have made a further step compared to the race GP and we are ready to tackle the Aragon track, one of the most complicated on the calendar.
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:
FINAL TEST OF THE SEASON PROVES POSITIVE FOR TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR
Alex Rins: 12th – 1’31.936 – +0.644
Dominique Aegerter: 27th – 1’33.907 – +2.615
Team Suzuki Ecstar completed the Misano Test on Tuesday with positive steps found for Alex Rins and Dominique Aegerter enjoying a new experience trying the GSX-RR.
The focus and main priority for Rins was comparing some new hardware, as well as a bit of suspension testing and confirm fairing options, working to find improvements ahead of the final races of the season. He put in a total of 53 laps around the Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli on and reported a positive outcome from the work done by himself and the team.
For Aegerter, the thrilling experience left him impressed with the speed and power of the GSX-RR, but it also proved interesting for the Suzuki squad, who could get yet another perspective on the feel and handling of their bike.
The team have now completed their items list and will not participate in tomorrow’s test.
Alex Rins:
“Today went smoothly and I found it helpful. I only rode in the morning, and we managed to try all the items that we wanted to, and we now feel clearer about the things that could be useful to us in the next races. It also clarified for us that we had made good choices earlier in the season. We felt it was better not to ride in the afternoon because we finished the programme and there was no need to take any unnecessary ‘risk’. I’m looking ahead to Aragon now, and I’m excited to ride there in front of a home crowd.”
Dominique Aegerter:
“It’s difficult to put into words; it’s just been an amazing experience. Thanks again to Suzuki for letting me ride their bike – and also my World Supersport team, Ten Kate, who have allowed me to take this opportunity. On my first lap I was so impressed with the power and grip, it was incredible. Then, when I got to the straight for the first time, I was screaming inside my helmet! I improved with each exit and it was great to work with these guys and to experience all the things the GSX-RR has to offer.”
Livio Suppo – Team Manager:
“It was a positive day; Alex found some things that could help him in the remaining races and we feel pretty positive. Of course, our goal is to get strong results in the next rounds. A good target would be fifth place in the championship, and that would be a nice way to stay motivated. Dominique did a very good job, only a few laps but reasonable times! Hopefully we’ll see Joan back with us in Aragon, and we should have an update about that in the next days.”
Ken Kawauchi – Technical Manager:
“We tried a couple of things in terms of hardware, originally planned for use in 2023, but obviously we brought it forward. We also worked on a different spec. of the rear device and some suspension options, and finally an aerodynamics comparison. We finished everything successfully today, so we will not test tomorrow. Thank you to Alex and Dominique for their hard work – for a first time on a MotoGP bike, Domi’s lap times were pretty good. We’re happy with this last test of the year.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP MAKE POWERFUL PROGRESS ON MISANO TEST DAY 1
Misano Adriatico (Italy), 6th September 2022
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli returned to action at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli today, keen to boost their overall performance. They finished the first day of the two-day IRTA Misano MotoGP Official Test in 6th and 14th place respectively in the combined timesheets.
6th FABIO QUARTARARO 1‘31.588 (FP1) / 43+37 LAPS
14th FRANCO MORBIDELLI 1‘32.048 (FP2) / 44+44 LAPS
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team returned to the scene of last weekend‘s San Marino GP, the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, for the first day of the two-day 2022 Official Misano MotoGP Test. Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli used today‘s two four-hour sessions to compare testing times. They secured 6th and 14th place respectively.
Quartararo was motivated to get to work this morning. Though he is in the middle of the fight for the 2022 championship title, his mind is already on his 2023 campaign. He had three bikes at his disposal: one with a new chassis, one with the prototype 2023 engine, and one 2022 race bike for comparison. He completed 43 laps in FP1 and 37 laps in FP2. His fastest time of the day was set in the morning. That 1‘31.588s lap put him in sixth place in the Day 1 Misano Test rankings, 0.296s from first.
Morbidelli had been disappointed to see his otherwise solid San Marino GP weekend cut short after only two laps of racing. However, focusing on the positive, the Italian was keen to spend the available track time of the Misano Test to further build on his improved feeling with the YZR-M1 as well as trying other testing items, including the prototype 2023 engine. He rode 44 laps in the morning and 44 laps in afternoon, setting a 1‘32.048s in FP2 to finish the test in 14th place, 0.756s from the top.
FABIO QUARTARARO
Today we had three bikes: one was the standard bike, one with a new chassis, and one with the first prototype 2023 engine. I had the chance to test all three bikes today. The new chassis was good, we will bring it to Aragon in any case, but I don’t know if we will try it there too. The first steps with the 2023 bike were good. It works pretty well in the areas of acceleration and top speed, so I’m happy. Considering that this is just the first step, I’m looking forward to the next engine improvement. Those were the two things I tested today: chassis and engine. I feel a bit better in the ’top area‘. This is a good step. It’s the first time that we really feel that we made an improvement. Yamaha are confident that they can improve a bit more, so hopefully they will do it.
FRANCO MORBIDELLI
Today was a smooth day. We managed to complete the programme. It was quite full, but we were able to go over every item with good precision, good runs, and good information. Also, the pace was quite steady to try stuff, so it was an interesting day. The new engine feels good. It’s very nice. It keeps the nice and mellow behaviour of the Yamaha ’on the bottom‘, in the higher gears and high rpms it develops quite a bit of speed.
