FIM MotoGP World Championship Test
Chang International Circuit, Thailand
February 16, 2018
Day One Test Results (all on Michelin tires):
1. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Honda), 1:30.797
2. Alex Rins, Spain (Suzuki), 1:30.809
3. Marc Marquez, Spain (Honda), 1:30.912
4. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Ducati), 1:30.945
5. Dani Pedrosa, Spain (Honda), 1:30.960
6. Danilo Petrucci, Italy (Ducati), 1:31.003
7. Jack Miller, Australia (Ducati), 1:31.044
8. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), 1:31.189
9. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Suzuki), 1:31.235
10. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Ducati), 1:31.246
11. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yamaha), 1:31.294
12. Johann Zarco, France (Yamaha), 1:31.305
13. Tito Rabat, Spain (Ducati), 1:31.523
14. Alvaro Bautista, Spain (Ducati), 1:31.525
15. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Aprilia), 1:31.662
16. Scott Redding, UK (Aprilia), 1:31.685
17. Takaaki Nakagami, Japan (Honda), 1:31.692
18. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Ducati), 1:31.698
19. Franco Morbidelli, Italy (Honda), 1:31.729
20. Bradley Smith, UK (KTM), 1:31.741
21. Tom Luthi, Switzerland (Honda), 1:32.716
22. Xavier Simeon, Belgium (Ducati), 1:32.720
23. Mika Kallio, Finland (KTM), 1:32.749*
24. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (Yamaha), 1:33.165
*test rider
More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:
Zarco and Syahrin discover new territory in Thailand
For the first time ever, the MotoGP World Championship went to the Chang International Circuit this week, where Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Johann Zarco immediately found a fast way around the 4.554km long track and Hafizh Syahrin got his first taste of the Yamaha YZR-M1.
Following a first inspection on Thursday, Zarco was rapidly amongst the fastest riders at the new venue. The French star concluded the first hot day in Buriram merely half a second behind the fastest rider, in 12th position. Meanwhile, Syahrin had the hard mission to adapt to the MotoGP machine and the new circuit at the same time, but mastered his task impressively and completed his debut with a best lap time of 1’33.165 minutes.
Johnann Zarco
Position: 12th – Time: 1’31.305 – Laps: 67
“I’m really happy about the new track. The layout is nice and better than I expected. The position doesn’t look perfect in the end, but it’s only five tenths from the top guys. The gap between all of us where incredibly tight. I didn’t give my all to do in a fast lap time, because I know I have five days to do that. With a used tyre on the last outing I had a good feeling and we already found a comfortable base. We worked truly well today and I know that I can still improve.”
Hafizh Syahrin
Position: 24th – Time: 1’33.165 – Laps: 70
“Today was my first day in MotoGP and we did an amazing job together with the team. I feel really good, with the bike, with my guys, who they work. I have an absolutely positive first impression. Which each time, we went out on track, we were able to improve the lap time, which is very important to me. I try to keep going like this, gaining more confidence with the bike. Today we did many laps and some start practices. Thereby, it was interesting to find out how the launch control and the traction control works, but for sure I still need more confidence with it.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS:
Positive opening day in Buriram for Morbidelli and Lüthi
Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS riders, Franco Morbidelli and Tom Lüthi, were both positive about the Chang International Circuit, after turning their first laps on the latest addition to the MotoGP calendar during the first of three days of testing in Thailand.
After his first run this morning Lüthi commented that the track was far more technical than it looked and much more bumpy than expected. Morbidelli echoed these sentiments, declaring the track a lot of fun on a MotoGP bike but still quite tricky to ride fast despite not having so many corners.
While Morbidelli and Lüthi learnt their way around the seven right and five left hand corners that make up the 4.554km Chang International Circuit, their respective crews worked to set up the Honda RC213V machines to suit a track that has been likened by many riders to Spielberg in Austria, albeit a lot flatter.
Lüthi’s crew focussed on refining electronics and engine management to better suit the demands of the Thai track, whereas Morbidelli’s crew opted to modify their rider’s position, balance and base set up in the search for improvements.
Franco Morbidelli: 1’31.729
“Our first day here in Buriram went well. We are still trying to adapt, making changes on the bike to suit better this circuit and, already, we are seeing some improvements. I am just 0.9s off the top, which isn’t too much and it’s the closest we’ve been to the frontrunners so far, which is also good. Now we have to keep improving and working to better understand that bike. I like the track here in Thailand; not so many corners but quite tricky to master. The only downside today was a low speed crash at turn seven when I was heading out for the practice starts. I’m not sure exactly what caused the crash, but we will check the data tonight to see if that reveals anything.”
Tom Lüthi: 1’32.716
“Not too bad overall today, but I still have so much to learn. When I jumped on the bike this morning it was still all new to me, despite this being my second test. The track is new, the bike still feels new, so I really needed to do as many laps as possible today. Lap by lap the feeling was coming better but I still have to remind myself to be patient as I learn the bike, as this is something you can’t do overnight but have to do step by step. Sometimes it’s difficult to be so patient, but this is definitely the right way to work with the MotoGP bike.”
More, from a press release issued by Angel Nieto Team:
ÁNGEL NIETO TEAM DISCOVERS THE BURIRAM TRACK
The Spanish team’s MotoGP riders conclude day one with both riders less than one second off the top in Thailand
The MotoGP World Championship had its first action at the Buriram track in Thailand this Friday, kicking off a three-day test for the premier class. This encounter with the new circuit, at which the great majority of riders had not ridden before, finished with Cal Crutchlow at the head of the timesheets (1:30.797), ahead of Álex Rins, Marc Márquez and Andrea Dovizioso, and with four different manufacturers in the Top 10.
The Ángel Nieto Team were experiencing the Buriram track for the first time. Álvaro Bautista and Karel Abraham finished the first day of testing as two of the most active riders, with 84 and 82 laps, respectively. They were both one second off the fastest time. Bautista, who from this test on has the two Ducati GP17 bikes with which he will take part in the season available to him, described the new track as fun and highlighted the critical nature of the last two sectors, which are narrower and where finding the correct line will be crucial. Teammate Karel Abraham closed the first day little more than a tenth of a second slower, although he experienced difficulties. After completing a very good first part of the day, in the second he had problems with the front end of his bike, so he and his team will work to improve this aspect of the setup for tomorrow.
14th Álvaro Bautista 1:31.525 (84 laps): “It’s a track that has a couple of good points like Turn 4, where you go into it very fast and you have to go down a couple of gears and enter quickly. The circuit reminds me a little of Austria; it’s varied and fun. I thought it looked easier, on paper, but riding a MotoGP bike complicates everything a bit more. The last two sectors are critical; they are narrow and you have to clearly choose the line because otherwise you can lose a lot of time. I enjoyed the opening laps. At the moment we have not been working on anything big, other than getting used to the track and making small changes to the gearing or electronics. The positive thing is that we now have our two bikes and everything is much more fluid. Today we verified that everything was good with the second bike, but we have also started work with the first, bike focusing on the setup.”
18th Karel Abraham 1:31.698 (82 laps): “Today we had a good day, especially in the first part, in which everything was going well. In the afternoon we were going fast, but we noticed problems with the front end and we were not able to solve them completely. We have work to do, especially the team, to find a better setup in order to feel more comfortable with the front tyre.”
More, from a press release issued by Alma Pramac Racing:
Buriram MotoGP™ Official Test – Chang International Circuit – DAY 1
Great start for Alma Pramac Racing at Buriram: Petrux 6th (Top Speed of the day: 331 km/h), Jack 7th
There was a deep curiosity to see Danilo Petrucci and Jack Miller for the first time in action at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand. And after the first day of activity, the indications that emerge from the second winter tests of the 2018 MotoGP season are really interesting as the first 12 riders ended up in only 5 tenths of a second.
The day-1 of the #ThaiTest finished the top for Alma Pramac Racing with 6th place for Petrux and 7th for Jack, both two tenths of a second from the best chrono of day.
Following the intense comparative work in Malaysia, Danilo Petrucci was able to dedicate himself entirely to the 2018 version of his Ducati Desmosedici GP and the sensations have been extremely good since the morning. Petrux got off to a very strong start (P1 after the first hour of testing) and was in 4th position at the mid-session break. In the afternoon he worked on the set up and then ended with a positive time-attack that allowed him to finish at 6th, also recording the top speed of day (331.3 km/h)
Jack Miller immediately rediscovers the great feeling of #SepangTest (5th place in the combined standings) and during the all day he is firmly in the Top 10. The Australian rider works a lot with his team (83 laps completed) and the race pace seems to be very incisive – waiting for more indicative references that will arrive in the next two days. Also for Jack a convincing time-attack that gives him the 7th position, 41 thousandths of a second from his team-mate.
6th Danilo Petrucci – 1:31.003 (74 laps)
“I liked the track right away. We were expecting to find a circuit with a lot of aggressive braking but many curves turned out to be fast. The bike behaved very well: we are competitive. In the afternoon we also worked on the set up. The good thing is that we focused on the 2018 bike and things went well. I have to admit that it is very hot but we are preparing for what will be the conditions of the race”.
7th Jack Miller – 1:31.044 (83 laps)
“The layout of the circuit is fascinating. I expected it to be more dirty, especially in the morning, but I had the feeling of having a good grip right away. It’s a fast track and it’s nice to race here. The important thing is to be patience and stay focused lap by lap because you risk underestimating the pitfalls. I’m satisfied with the lap-time even though we are all very close. Tomorrow will be a very interesting day”.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Crutchlow and Rins take first honours in Thailand
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) topped the first day of testing at Chang International Circuit, taking over from reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) later in the session to set a 1:30.797. Despite setting the fastest lap so far by a MotoGP™ rider at the new venue, the Brit was nevertheless only 0.012 ahead of a late charge from Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) by the end of action. Marquez was third, just 0.033 ahead of 2017 Championship rival Andrea Dovizioso.
Weather was hot and edging 40 degrees for some time on Day 1 – with few riders putting in truly “long” runs. But the workload was far from light, with Crutchlow putting in 70 laps despite a crash and that number representative for many on the grid. The Brit was joining third fastest Marquez and his teammate Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) – also a crasher on Friday – on HRC test duty, and all three men were in the top five, which was covered by only two tenths.
Rins’ second place was equally impressive. The Spaniard, going into only his second season and having suffered some problems with injury last year, had good pace throughout most of the day and his late charge looked set to see him take over at the top until his final sector. But it was only 0.012 off Crutchlow, and teammate Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) made it double delight for Suzuki in the top ten, ninth quickest as the Hamamatsu factory tested, amongst other things, a new exhaust – as well as continuing their work on engine configurations.
Dovizioso, meanwhile, took back the honour of top Ducati on Day 1 in Thailand, and was only 0.033 off Marquez. The two men were locked together at the top for some time, before aero began to steal the headlines away from the timesheets. Ducati are expected to have three new aero fairings at Buriram, and Dovizioso tried two of them on Day 1. Chassis updates could also be on the cards for the Borgo Panigale factory in Thailand, aimed at mid-corner improvements– something that would aid Sepang’s fastest Jorge Lorenzo even more. At Buriram on Friday, the five-time Champion was tenth fastest, just over four tenths off Crutchlow.
Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) was another Ducati presence in the top ten as he took P6 on the GP18 on test duty, just ahead of his new teammate Jack Miller. Miller was again a force to be reckoned with and looked settled in – only 0.041 off the Italian ahead of him.
There was also an Italian behind him – Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP). On his 39th birthday, the ‘Doctor’ took eighth and was the quickest Yamaha, putting in an impressive 74 laps and topping the lap counter for the Iwata marque. Teammate Maverick Viñales was P11, but only a tenth further back – with the timesheets incredibly close. Incredibly close was also apt for Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), who was 0.011 off Viñales to take twelfth – and also confirmed that he will be using the 2016 chassis this season.
His new teammate for the Thai test was a new face in the premier class: Hafizh Syahrin, who is riding with Monster Yamaha Tech 3 during the event with a view to replacing Jonas Folger full time in 2018. Syahrin, the first Malaysian in MotoGP™, was within half a second of fellow rookies Xavier Simeon (Reale Avintia Racing) and the slightly faster – despite sitting out the Valencia test last year – Tom Lüthi (EG 0,0 Marc VDS).
The quickest rookie, however, was Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) once again. The Japanese rider was P17 overall but within nine tenths of the top, with reigning Moto2™ World Champion Franco Morbidelli close behind in P19 but only half a tenth further back. With 20 riders within a second, half a tenth makes its mark.
Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) was P13 on Day 1 and only 0.002 ahead of Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team) as the two Independent Team Ducati riders just edged ahead of the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders. Aleix Espargaro was P15 for Noale factory Aprilia, and teammate Scott Redding was right behind him and both within nine tenths.
The final rider within a second of the top was Bradley Smith at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, and the Brit did 67 laps as the Austrian factory get their first glimpse of the newest venue on the calendar. Mika Kallio, KTM test rider, added another 48 despite a crash and brief trip to the Medical Center – rider ok. KTM will only be able to field the two men at the #ThaiTest, with Pol Espargaro sidelined through injury but on the road to recovery.
Saturday brings more track time in Thailand and with a day of learning and familiarisation under their belts, another chance for the order to get another big shake up. Who will pencil their name in as favourite for when MotoGP™ returns to Thailand to race in October? The second session begins from 9:30am local time (GMT +7), ending at 17:15 before a final quarter of an hour on Saturday is set aside for practice starts.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:
FIRST CONTACT WITH CHANG INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT FOR THE APRILIA RIDERS
The first of three days of tests at the Chang International Circuit provided a few important responses, the clearest of which is how close the times done by the MotoGP riders are. In fact, no less than 20 riders are packed into one second of one another.
In the Aprilia garage, as with the Sepang tests, there was a 2017 RS-GP and a 2018 machine for both Aleix Espargaró and for Scott Redding. This is an arrangement that allows development to continue on the new prototype, approved by both riders in Malaysia and in any case able to count on a familiar base for any necessary comparisons.
Aleix spent almost the entire session today using the 2018 version of the RS-GP, gradually building his confidence on the new track. The Spaniard turned a total of 62 lap, the best of which in 1’31.662. Scott, on the other hand, used the 2017 bike in the morning for a few scheduled tests, throwing a leg over the new RS-GP in the afternoon. At the end of the day, he had done a total of 59 laps with a best time of 1’31.685.
ALEIX ESPARGARO’
“To be honest, the track surprised me. I had more fun than I thought I would. The first part is not particularly interesting with all the straights connected by braking sections, but overall it is a nice track. It is precisely in the first part where we need to work, because we are losing a few tenths in acceleration from low speed. On the flowing parts, on the other hand, we are very competitive. At the end of the day today I got back on the 2017 bike and I was able to reconfirm just how much the 2018 has improved in that area. It is lighter, more reactive and it performs better on corners, so I think continuing work on the new RS-GP is the right way to go.”
SCOTT REDDING
“I must say that the circuit is more technical than it looks; for example, on the second turn, when you have to brake after a long straight without any braking point of reference. Overall I liked it. It’s better than I had expected it to be. This morning we had a problem with the 2018 bike, so I used the 2017. It did not slow us down, because part of our schedule included tests on last year’s bike, so we simply did that type of testing first. We continued working in the afternoon with the 2018 bike, trying various things including the handlebar mounted rear brake because, since I am quite tall and have a rather bulky boot, I struggle to use the foot brake.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:
LEARNING FAST ON OPENING DAY AT CHANG INTERNATIONAL
Alex Rins: 2nd – 1:30.809 (+ 0.012)
Andrea Iannone: 9th – 1:31.235 (+0.438)
The opening day of testing at Chang International Circuit was expected by all riders and teams to be a learning curve. But the ability of Alex Rins and Andrea Iannone to adapt quickly to this brand new track resulted in a successful Day 1 for Team SUZUKI ECSTAR.
The high temperatures of around 35 degrees celsius meant long runs would be challenging and physical, and both riders decided to use the morning session to put together a string of consecutive laps. This intense work was valuable for the collection of data as well as for the riders to get the feel of the track and how best to ride it.
Development of the 2018 GSX-RR was initially not the first priority, as set-up for the new track took precedence, but useful progress was still found and the team were able to continue with the good work they made during the Sepang test last month.
Alex Rins put in 70 laps and reported a comfortable and enjoyable feeling from the bike and the track. After progressing throughout the session he completed the day in 2nd place, just +0.012 seconds from the top of the time sheet.
Andrea Iannone completed an impressive 78 laps, one of the highest numbers recorded by any rider on Day 1. The Italian gleaned useful information and had a strong and consistent pace, finishing the day in 9th place, +0.438 seconds from the fastest time.
Davide Brivio – Team Manager
“Today has been a positive day for us because we were able to do a good job. First of all to try to understand the new track and the set-up, gearing, and other settings. We progressed step-by-step and we could compare different options. So we’re happy with the information we collected today. Of course, to see Alex so close to the top and Andrea, even with the old tyre, keeping a good pace is nice. But it’s important to focus on testing everything properly and creating our best package. We are continuing the job we’ve started in Sepang, we have different options for the chassis and also for the engine, which must be evaluated and finally decided. Also we will be able to try a new fairing, hopefully tomorrow, which could give us some more information on how to proceed with the development.”
Alex Rins
“This is a new track for everybody, but from the beginning I understood it well and I enjoyed this Chang Circuit. We didn’t try many things today, we’re just keeping focused on the set-up of the bike. We have had a good first day, tomorrow we will try some new things, and I hope to continue in a good way. The key here is consistency and a good rhythm, and this layout suits the Suzuki.”
Andrea Iannone
“I’m pretty satisfied for today. We have some different settings available and we are working to understand which one makes me more comfortable. The most positive thing at the moment is that I can be consistent, especially with a used tyre. In fact, I did my best lap with a worn tyre. I liked the track, it’s short but it doesn’t have a lot of hard braking, which is a configuration that works well for our GSX-RR. On tracks like this where I can let the bike roll and exploit the corner speed we can express our potential. Today I also worked hard to give feedback to the engineers, which is another important part of testing.”
More, from a press release issued by Reale Avintia Racing:
Good start in Thailand for Reale Avintia riders
MotoGP Thai Test – Chang International Circuit
Reale Avintia Racing Team riders Tito Rabat and Xavier Simeon had their first contact with the Chang International Circuit today. The layout of the Thai track, that has been added to the MotoGP calendar for the 2018 season, looks easy on paper, with few turns and many straights, but Rabat and Simeon agreed that the circuit is much more tricky than it seems at first sight.
Tito Rabat started quite well but at mid-morning, he lost the front in turn seven and crashed, a very similar incident to the two falls he had a couple of weeks ago in Malaysia. After repairing the bike he went back on the track and, after changing the set-up of his Ducati in search of a better feeling with the front, he focused on finding his own pace with very good results.
His teammate Xavi Simeon continued with his learning process and found himself quite comfortable around the 4.554km circuit. The 28-year-old Belgian rider also crashed in turn ten, which forced him to sit and wait in the garage until his bike was ready to go again. After going back on track again, he quickly matched his best lap times from the morning.
Tito Rabat | 1’31.523 | P13
“I like the circuit and I had a lot fun. It has several parts that reminded me of Qatar, others of Texas… it has some long straights and the asphalt is okay, although at the beginning of the day it was a little bit dirty. But the first impression was very good. The only negative thing to report is my crash and, as in Malaysia, we do not know why. Despite this setback, it seems that we are finding the right way, which is important because we need to know our limit in order to finish the races. We focused on improving the feeling with the front and with some changes to the set-up, I had a better feeling. The team worked very well and everything is very tight with 20 riders within just one second. Now we need to improve further. We always finish 0.7s behind, so it would be great if we could leave Thailand with a gap of only half a second”.
Xavier Simeon | 1’32.720 | P22
“The first day here in Thailand went very well until I crashed at turn 10 when I lost the front. The crash was a little strange, I just made a small mistake… but afterwards we lost a lot of time because the bike was quite damaged. In the end I went out again and I could do five laps to try to improve my lap times. Even though I was not able to improve, I was able to match my previous lap times quite easy, which was positive. Tomorrow, we’ll start from where we finished today and we’ll try to improve more. We are not far away, but we have to avoid these little mistakes. The standings are very tight and you have to make the most of the time on the track”.
More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:
MOVISTAR YAMAHA GET BACK TO BUSINESS AT THE BURIRAM TEST
The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team returned to work today as the second 2018 official pre-season IRTA test got underway at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand. Valentino Rossi ended the first day of testing in 8th position and Maverick Viñales secured 11th place.
Buriram (Thailand), 16th February 2018
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team‘s Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales were keen to get reunited with their YZR-M1s today at the start of the Buriram MotoGP Official Test. The teammates were back on track to build on the results from the three-day Sepang test held a few weeks ago.
The first day of testing at the Chang International Circuit was a special occasion for Rossi, who celebrates his 39th birthday today, but he wasn’t having a lie-in. He entered the track at 10:14am local time, eager to make it a memorable occasion.
The Doctor completed 74 laps in total, which he used to re-assess various items he had tried earlier at the Sepang test. Though his focus was on analysing his bike‘s behaviour, he still managed to enjoy his birthday, doing what he loves most. The Italian wrapped up the first day in eighth place with a best lap time of 1’31.189s, set on lap 68, 0.392s from the front.
Viñales made his typical early bird start as the second pre-season test got underway at 9:30am local time. As this is the MotoGP field’s first time trying the Buriram track, the Spaniard didn’t waste a second to make full use of the opportunity. He fine-tuned his bike‘s settings in the morning, working on his pace and corner entry, before taking a break at 01:30pm.
The young gun continued his efforts later in the afternoon. He completed 70 laps in total. In the final hour of testing, he set his fastest time of the day, a 1’31.294s on lap 67, for 11th place, 0.497s from the top of the standings.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
We’ve been very impressed with the track and the facilities of the Buriram circuit, it’s very different from what we imagined it to be. Trying a new track for the first time is always exciting. We had quite an intense programme ahead of us, but we didn’t have the start we hoped for. We weren’t expecting to have such a difficult day, because it looks like this track should suit us well. The riders were suffering from different problems and this doesn’t help us find a common solution. Nevertheless, we have two more working days to fix the issues and make the riders feel more comfortable.
VALENTINO ROSSI
The last three or four years, I think I always rode the M1 on my birthday. From one point of view it’s a bit difficult, because you have to work, but from another point of view this is the best way to spend my birthday, riding the M1. It’s hard work, as always, especially as at this track we’re very close. The first impression is not so bad, especially with the track I expected maybe worse, but it’s quite good. We have to work a lot, especially on acceleration.
MAVERICK VIÑALES
We’ve been trying a lot of things with the bike all day long, like we did in Malaysia. We haven’t found the right way yet, but anyway we have still time to work hard and find the best direction to work in. I like the track a lot, it fits my riding style quite well with these flowing corners. Like I said, we have to continue working, so I couldn’t push, but I think that on the first day we have to be relaxed, try to work and find out some things to try for tomorrow.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
MotoGP riders get to grips with the Buriram circuit. Andrea Dovizioso fourth and Jorge Lorenzo tenth after first day of official testing in Thailand
Today the 2018 grid of MotoGP riders took to the track for the first time at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram for three days of testing in preparation for the inaugural Thailand Grand Prix, which is scheduled for the 7th October.
The two Ducati Team riders were able to lap constantly throughout the day, testing various set-up solutions on their Desmosedici GP18 machines and they also did a few runs with a new aerodynamic package late in the afternoon.
Andrea Dovizioso was up amongst the leaders right from the early morning and he finished the day in fourth place with a best time of 1’30.945 out of a total of 60 laps, while Jorge Lorenzo (64 laps) finished today’s session in tenth place, with a time of 1’31.246.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’30.945 (60 laps)
“The Buriram track is very unusual and it wasn’t easy to get used to its layout. There are three corners which are virtually hairpins and then the rest is quite a pretty straightforward run. It’s quite a slow track for our bike, but it’s always interesting to try new circuits. I’m happy with the feeling with the bike, we went well right from the start and then we focussed on doing different tests, especially with the new fairings, but tomorrow we should be able to get some more detailed feedback about these new components.”
Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99) – 1’31.246 (64 laps)
“Today I had a bit of difficulty on this track and I wasn’t really able to be very quick. In the next two days we will have to find a way to improve the feeling with the bike, so that I can push really hard. At the end of the day we tried a new aerodynamic package, but it’s too early to draw conclusions, especially because we are still quite far off the potential that we can express on this circuit.”