Fabio Di Giannantonio was quickest during an official post-race MotoGP test Monday at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain. Riding his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati Desmosedici, the Italian lapped the 2.7-mile (4.4 km) course in 1:36.405.
Maverick Vinales was second-best with a 1:36.492 on his factory Aprilia RS-GP, and Franco Morbidelli posted the third-fastest lap time, a 1:36.527, on his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati.
The top 18 riders, with Monster Energy Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo coming in 18th, were within 1.033 seconds of each other on the final time sheets.
This post will be updated with more news as it becomes available.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Jerez Test: Diggia pips Viñales to P1, Yamaha unveil new-look bike
A load more laps are clocked in as fresh parts are tested by several factories at the Official MotoGP™ Jerez Test
Monday, 29 April 2024
That’s a wrap for the annual MotoGP™ Jerez Test, and ending the day quickest is Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) as the Italian’s 1:36.405 was enough to pip Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) to top honours. Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) was third on his GP24, and there were more headlines made as Yamaha roll out their highly-anticipated, fresh-looking YZR-M1.
Here’s a full rundown of what’s been seen in Jerez, factory by factory.
DUCATI LENOVO TEAM
Visibly, there wasn’t too much to report from the Bologna camp. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was trying some different geometry settings, which is normal for test days. With 43 laps under his belt, Pecco clocked by far the least laps – 17 fewer than the next lowest, Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing). Signs of confidence, perhaps? You’d lean towards thinking that given the #1 was P4 and under two tenths away from P1.
Enea Bastianini ended the day in P9, with ‘The Beast’ completing 65 laps in Jerez. There wasn’t much to go off on Bastianini’s side of the garage too, as Ducati worked quietly and away from the spotlight.
PRIMA PRAMAC RACING
Quiet isn’t a word that can be used to describe Jorge Martin’s day. After crashing from the lead on Sunday, one of the #89’s GP24 suffered an issue during the Test. That forced Martin to miss over an hour of action and then towards the end of the day, the Spaniard crashed at Turn 9. He was all OK, but it wasn’t a smooth day at the office. Nevertheless, 71 laps were completed and Martin finished in P10. Better fortunes will be hoped for when the Championship leader lands in Le Mans.
Teammate Morbidelli was busy working on ergonomics as the Italian took part in his first Ducati test since Valencia last year. Unsurprisingly, Morbidelli lapped 82 times as he notched up some crucial Ducati mileage that will now stand him in better stead for the rest of the season. And Morbidelli was quick. P3 signals a job well done.
PERTAMINA ENDURO VR46 RACING TEAM
After Marco Bezzecchi’s Spanish GP P3 and Di Giannantonio topping the Jerez Test timesheets, things are looking much more promising for the riders in the yellow corner.
New parts aren’t going to be landing in the laps of the GP23 riders, so testing is all about trying new settings and playing around to see if gains can be made. P1 for Diggia and P13 for Bezzecchi is how VR46 head home from the Test.
GRESINI RACING MotoGP™
Marc Marquez has 71 more laps of Ducati knowledge under his belt as Sunday’s P2 finisher claimed P5 on Monday, with the eight-time World Champion leaving Jerez a happy rider after the few days he’s had in Andalucia.
The same can be said for Alex Marquez. The #73 clocked an aesthetically pleasing 73 laps while in Test mode, and a P8 to go with it suggests a positive day was had for the two-time World Champion.
APRILIA RACING
Having been given the run-out during the Spanish GP by test rider Savadori, Aleix Espargaro tested the Noale factory’s new ride-height device. On the other side of the box, Maverick Viñales was trying Aprilia’s halfway-house rear tail unit – it has the diffuser like what Espargaro uses, but the top surface of it is rounded like the ’23-spec tail unit that Viñales prefers. It’s a mix of both that Viñales and Espargaro gave a go.
A late time attack – and 80 laps later – saw Viñales propel himself into P2, with Espargaro sitting P7 after a 66-lap stint in Jerez.
TRACKHOUSE RACING
As expected, Raul Fernandez got his leg over Aprilia’s 2024 RS-GP for the first time. The Spaniard’s best time was set on his usual ’23-spec though, a lap that placed him P12 overall.
Following a promising Sunday outing in Jerez, Miguel Oliveira completed 74 laps and ended the Jerez Test in P15. The Portuguese star, like Viñales and Espargaro, was testing Aprilia’s hybrid rear tail unit.
RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING
One of the notable topics to talk about when it comes to the KTM stable is the updated side fairing aero. Brad Binder and Pedro Acosta at Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 were spotted giving it a go, with the former ending the Test fastest of the Pierer Mobility Group full-time quartet. The South African claimed P6, 0.2s away from the summit following a very late personal best lap.
Jack Miller finished the day in P17 having completed 73 laps, with the Australian admitting that they didn’t fully find a solution to KTM’s chatter/vibration issues. More work to be done in that department for the Austrian factory ahead of Le Mans.
It was good to have Pol Espargaro back on track too as the KTM test rider put in a 68-lap shift for the Austrian marque. The #44 finished P19 on the timesheets as we get set to welcome him to the grid for a wildcard appearance at the Italian GP.
RED BULL GASGAS TECH3
It was an important day for Augusto Fernandez as the Spaniard hunts for a more comfortable base set up on his GASGAS machine. The #37 was P22 at the end of play, but testing is more than setting a quick time. It’s about testing new parts and settings, and Fernandez was seen sporting KTM’s new front fender. A crash in the closing 15 minutes at Turn 7 for Fernandez wasn’t what the doctor ordered, but aside from that, hopefully it was a good day’s work.
On the other side of the box, Acosta finished the Jerez Test in P11, just under half a second shy of Diggia’s fastest time. As well as the aforementioned fairing, Acosta spent a bit of time lapping with the different air intake that we saw Daniel Pedrosa using during the Spanish GP. Between the GASGAS duo, 140 laps were completed. Valuable.
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MotoGP™
Needless to say, plenty of attention was pinned on the Japanese factory. Yamaha unveiled a sizeable aero update for Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins to put through its paces, which consisted of a triple-element front wing in a similar style to what they have now. New aero on the side fairing was also seen, and as Team Manager Maio Meregalli mentioned in the midday live, a new chassis was part of the plan too.
Rins ended the Test in P14, his best lap coming at the end of his 73-lap outing, with Quartararo notching up 84 laps and finishing in P18. Speaking to motogp.com after the Test, Rins admitted he didn’t feel the new chassis was a step forward as Yamaha’s turning issues remain. Not ideal.
IDEMITSU/CASTROL HONDA LCR
Equally under the attention spotlight were Honda. After witnessing the changes on Stefan Bradl’s RC213V over the Spanish GP, it was the turn of Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda LCR) and Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) to give the new bike a go. The latter only did a handful of laps on the updated spec version in the afternoon before he was back to work on his standard machine.
Nakagami ended the Test as the quickest HRC rider in P16, 0.9s away from Diggia’s pace. While that looks a tad more positive, Nakagami admitted to motogp.com that the new bike “didn’t change much”. Not what Honda wanted to hear.
Zarco was P20 and claimed the accolade of completing the most laps of any rider – 88.
REPSOL HONDA TEAM
Having tried the updated RC213V in a private test in Barcelona prior to the Spanish GP, Joan Mir and Luca Marini focused on other things in the Jerez Test. The latter was busy testing one of the new chassis that Bradl was testing, but Marini was using it with Honda’s standard aero – not the new one. The Italian also changed back to Honda’s lower profile rear wing they were using at the beginning of pre-season testing.
Mir had two standard spec Hondas on his side of the garage and between the factory duo, 134 laps were fulfilled. Mir said they tried a “different concept” of bike, now we’ll see if that’s the direction they’ll take.
So that’s it from Jerez for another year! A phenomenal Grand Prix weekend followed by an intriguing Official Test sets us up very nicely for a trip to another all-time classic venue: Le Mans. See you there!
More, from a press release issued by Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team:
FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO IS THE FASTEST IN THE JEREZ TEST
A solid and positive day for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team in Andalucía. Fabio finishes in P1, while Marco Bezzecchi is 13th
Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), April 29th 2024 – A few hours to celebrate the first podium of the 2024 season and already time to get back at work for the riders of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, busy today in a day of official testing on the Andalusian track. Fabio Di Giannantonio is very fast and finishes with the best overall lap time, while Marco Bezzecchi is 13th.
Back on the Ducati Desmosedici GP after yesterday’s good seventh place, Fabio is increasingly consistent and doesn’t take long to pick up the pace of the strongest guys and scores an excellent 1’36.405, a lap time that means a gap of about one tenth to the P2. 70 laps completed and more and more confidence with the new Team.
Among the first to get on track after the first podium of the season and capable of a big step forward over the entire weekend, Marco signs a best of 1’36.920 (78 laps completed). Five tenths from the top of the standings and lots of data to analyse before the next event, in just two weeks, on the historic Le Mans track.
MARCO BEZZECCHI – 72
I’m satisfied, we did a lot of testing in terms of setting and position. Some solutions that we had already seen at the first tests of the year but which we had not had time to test in the race. The tarmac conditions were optimal, however I didn’t do a time attack. It’s a shame about the small crash at turn 5, we lost a bit of time but we recovered towards the last hour. Let’s analyse all the data towards Le Mans.
FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO – 49
Our first test in MotoGP, which we finished in first place, is still a good feeling. We did a good job on the flying lap, even if we didn’t try to do it, but the track was very fast and the time came with the medium at the rear. We also did a lot of tests, it was a busy day with the Team, but we have very clear ideas about what we need and we know how to interpret the data. Ducati is supporting us, they brought us some small new parts to try. The GP23 is very powerful, aggressive, almost brutal and we have made a step on corner entry, on how to stop the bike better. I am satisfied.
More, from a press release issued by Castrol LCR Honda:
Busy test for Johann Zarco in Jerez
CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco completed the Jerez test on Monday.
The one-day test scheduled in Jerez after the Grand Prix has allowed Zarco and the crew to try a new aero package, various chassis-related items, and new geometries on the bike. The rider and the crew have been analyzing the different performances to improve ahead of the crucial upcoming races.
Johann Zarco 20th
“We’ve tested many items today as we are working on fixing some areas on the bike. There is potential, and I like this challenge, but a few changes must be made to fight for better positions. Today, I’ve focused on getting the maximum feedback to help HRC find the right direction”.
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Busy day of running in Jerez for the Repsol Honda Team
Joan Mir and Luca Marini completed 134 laps between them to end the post-race Jerez Test in 21st and 23rd respectively, the pair working through a variety of items for HRC.
There was no time to rest for the Repsol Honda Team as they were back on track in the south of Spain for the fourth straight day. The first official in-season test of the year offered both Mir and Marini a chance to work for the future as they aim to improve their speed.
Mir would end the day in 21st place thanks to a best lap of 1’37.784. He completed a total of 62 laps before ending in the late afternoon. Working across several different avenues, the #36 was content with the information gathered and the effort shown by HRC’s engineers.
Like his teammate, Marini’s main focus was on confirming the direction for the future as he completed 72 laps with a best time of 1’38.153. The Italian focused on improving his feeling on the bike while supplying feedback on a number of items also trialled by Mir.
Riders and team will now prepare for the next round of the World Championship, the French GP at the Le Mans circuit, May 10 to 12. The French track, best known for two and four wheeled endurance racing, has been on the calendar since 2000 and attracts some of the biggest crowds of the season.
Joan Mir
21ST 1’37.784
“Today we tried a lot of different things. The lap time doesn’t show any of the difference but I really feel like we are closer to making a step as it’s clear the direction we need to go. Today was not about improving the lap time, but it was about preparing and building for the future where we can make a step. It was good to improve the general feeling with the bike and I have to say I am happy with the effort that Honda is showing to us.”
Luca Marini
23RD 1’38.153
“It was a busy Monday for us here in Jerez. Honda brought many things for us to try and we worked throughout the day to get everything done. We have been able to do a lot for the future. We are still far from where we need to be, but Honda is not resting.”
More, from a press release issued by Idemitsu LCR Honda:
Nakagami completes the Jerez test
IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Takaaki Nakagami classified 16th on Monday at the Jerez test.
The one-day test scheduled in Jerez after the Grand Prix has allowed Nakagami and the crew to try a new aero package, some chassis-related items, and new geometries. The rider and crew have been analyzing the different performances to improve ahead of the upcoming races.
Takaaki Nakagami 16th
“We did more than 80 laps today, and they all were instrumental in understanding what is now the path to follow. I thank HRC for its effort; with some changes, we believe we will squeeze the bike’s potential at some point. All the Honda riders have had the same feeling, which is positive to improve”.
More, from a press release issued by Trackhouse Racing:
Trackhouse Racing – MotoGP Test Report
Circuit of Jerez, Spain: Track length: 2.75 miles / 4.42 kilometers
Air Temperature: 53.6°F / 12°C
Track Temperature: 69.8°F / 21°C
Session: 10am – 6pm
Sunshine, a cool south-westerly breeze and empty grandstands welcomed the MotoGP teams back to Jerez for its first in-season test day of the 2024 season.
Following a double points result – #88 Miguel Oliveira in 8th and #25 Raul Fernandez in 11th – for the Trackhouse Racing Team in the Spanish Grand Prix the previous afternoon at Jerez in front of more than 144,000 race day fans, America’s MotoGP outfit got back to business with a busy test program through the single day of open track time.
#25 Raul Fernandez – Raul had his first taste of the Aprilia GP-RS24 – the same bike that his teammate, Miguel Oliveira, has been campaigning since the start of the season. The runs completed during the middle part of the day on the new bike were an opportunity for Raul to gain some experience on the latest spec of Aprilia’s MotoGP technology. No date has been set for when Raul will make the switch from the GP-RS23 to the latest factory model but his reaction to the bike was positive.
The runs that Raul made on his current bike showed gains in qualifying trim and fresh tires and with fine tuning in the electronics settings.
Completed: 66 Laps – 181.5 miles / 291.72 kilometers
Best lap: 1’36.905 (Pos 12th)
Top speed: 181.8 mph / 292.6 km/h
#88 Miguel Oliveira – Today saw Miguel run 74 laps with a number of adjustments to aero, chassis and electronics, primarily aimed on finding consistency. Progress on the Trackhouse Aprilia GP-RS24 was positive and the set-up showed solid pace on used tires with some questions left to answer on extracting more performance from the soft rear Michelin tires.
Completed: 74 Laps – 203.5 miles / 327.08 kilometers
Best lap: 1’37.063 (Pos 15th)
Top speed: 181.8 mph / 292.6 km/h
Next stop for Trackhouse Racing MotoGP Team is the French Grand Prix: Le Mans – May 9 – 12.
RAUL FERNANDEZ
“We were really focused on our usual bike today. After yesterday, we had a lot to try on my actual bike and I’m happy with the work we did. Riding the new bike was like tasting candy – I did just two runs with the 2024 machine and it was good, I did a 1:37 which I am happy with and I think there is more potential. It’s not easy to adapt to this bike quickly, especially to understand the aerodynamics. It was better, but it will take some time and we don’t want to get confused as I’ll still have to wait some rounds before I get the new one, so we are fully focused on our RS-GP 2023. I’m happy with my current bike, which we were working on mostly today, especially on the electronic side and the information we gathered today will surely help us in the future.”
MIGUEL OLIVEIRA
“I tried a bit of everything; electronics, geometry, suspension, so it was a full day and I had the opportunity to make good steps with the feeling of the bike. I also had good pace; always very competitive lap times so I am happy about that. At the end of the day, we couldn’t have the best bike with the new tires but we had other priorities to test, so it was ok for me. For part of the day, we were really focused on trying to get the best performance out of a soft rear tire but, for some reason today, it was not possible for us. It also seemed like it was difficult for other riders so no stress. We go to Le Mans with a positive feeling and a good test in the pocket.”
WILCO ZEELENBERG – TEAM MANAGER
“We had very good conditions in Jerez today and managed to get through everything we wanted. Both riders felt more control and better than in the race, so we learned something. Of course, nearly everybody was faster than on Sunday because there was a lot of rubber on the asphalt. Raul was quite surprised about the 2024 RS-GP – he said there’s a lot of potential and it stops better than his current bike, so this is positive and of course, to go faster with this machine, he needs more time on it, but certainly interesting to see. He’s hungry to do better but he will not have that bike until around middle of the season so he has to be patient. Aprilia is still developing and they want four bikes that are exactly the same for the end of the year which, I think, is a great target. On the other side, Miguel improved his lap time. He was quite happy; a 37.0 with the medium rear, good pace and a good feeling. He said the problem is the soft tire that he’s not able to make work well enough to qualify better. His race yesterday was very good, he had a great start and strong pace to finish in front of Maverick, who won the race in Austin and if you compare it in that sense, we should be satisfied with the eighth position. Overall, we learned a number of important things today, some points to develop with and hopefully we can use them in Le Mans and they work in the same way.”
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull Tech3 GASGAS:
ACOSTA AND FERNANDEZ COMPLETE KEY JEREZ TEST WITH POSITIVE IMPROVEMENTS AHEAD OF UPCOMING ROUNDS
After a record-breaking Gran Premio de España which saw 296 741 fans come watch MotoGP™ at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, Red Bull GASGAS Tech3’s Pedro Acosta and Augusto Fernandez were not quite over yet with their Andalusian adventure, as a busy day of testing was awaiting them on Monday morning.
The Jerez MotoGP™ Official Test came just after the first four rounds of the season, and was the opportunity for rookie Pedro Acosta to work on the areas of improvements following a first assessment of the rookie’s beginnings in the premier class. On the shark’s menu today, there was an aero evolution brought by Pierer Mobility, a focus on the ride-height device and some ground work on the bike’s setting. The sun was out setting the stage for a testing day with decent track conditions, so the number 31 did not wait long to get on with the work as he kicked off his day at 10:15 this morning. With positives and negatives to feedback to the engineers, Acosta had done 33 laps at lunch time with a best lap in 1’37.224, 0.819 seconds from the top. A quick lunch break while keeping his leather on, Acosta’s style, a few changes on the bike and the Spaniard was back at it again in no time. He completed another 42 laps to bring his total of laps to 75, with a best in 1’36.893 which placed him eleventh of the Jerez Test. A great day of work accomplished by the rookie! Some much deserved rest now awaits him after an extremely demanding Spanish Grand Prix, before he heads to another busy one, the team’s home race, in Le Mans.
Augusto Fernandez was looking forward to this important day of testing with the team after a tough start to his second campaign in MotoGP™, in addition to a disappointing Spanish Grand Prix. The number 37 tried many different settings as he continued to look out for solutions to be more competitive on the 2024 RC16. Amongst the areas worked on, there was also a focus on the ride-height device, the shock, and some extra work on the clutch following yesterday’s race. At lunch time, Augusto had done 43 laps with a best in 1’37.904, and he managed to grab a few thousandths in the afternoon with a 1’37.850, as he completed a total of 65 laps today. A late crash just before the end called it a day. It is now time to process all the data gathered during these eight hours on track, and get back to work as Fernandez hopes to be heading to Le Mans with a new base of work.
Pedro Acosta
Position: 11th
Time: 1’36.893
Laps: 75
“We made many laps, tried many things, including a new fairing and some details in the setting. In MotoGP, with some very tiny changes, you can gain some tenths, so every improvement is a positive. It was also important to do more laps here in Jerez as we struggled a bit more in some areas this weekend, and today allowed us to address the small issues we had. Anyway, we end this day with many positives, and we are ready for the next round in le Mans.”
Augusto Fernandez
Position: 22nd
Time: 1’37.850
Laps: 65
“Hard day of testing, but very important for us. We are still on the lookout for a set up that will help us improve our feeling in general, to be faster and more competitive. I am still not fast enough, but I am not unhappy about our day. We were able to narrow down our options, we pointed out the things that are not working, and this is a positive for us, because it is going to guide us to a solution that will work, we are getting closer to our target, and it is what helps me keep the motivation.The process is slow, we are going through a hard time at the moment, but we are not giving up. I want to say sorry to my team for the late crash today, and thank them for the work. We will rest a bit and get ready for Le Mans, a track that I like a lot, and it was a good GP for us last season.”
Nicolas Goyon
Team Manager
“Traditionally, the Jerez Test is always very important as it is the first one after the season’s launch, so we work on the current package, we try to find different options and develop some parts for the season, and this is just what we did today. On Pedro Acosta’s side, we had different parts from our to-do-list to try, and we found some positives in the aero configuration which gave him extra confidence, in addition to a different shock setting. We did not get faster than the weekend, but it was not the target, our goal was to develop the bike for the next rounds. Pedro feels more comfortable with the bike, which is positive for us. On Augusto Fernandez’ side, we focused on trying to find different configurations to give him the confidence he has desperately been looking for since the start of the season. We tried many things, pushed a bit more as we had more time than on a race weekend, and we are happy because we found something that he liked. We will keep this base for Le Mans, and start from there. Time to pack, and head to the next round in France!”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Productive Day of Testing for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP in Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), 29th April 2024
JEREZ TEST
One day after the Gran Premio de España, the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team returned to the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto for a full-on day of testing from 10:00 – 18:00 local track time (GMT +2). Riders Álex Rins and Fabio Quartararo wrapped up the day in 14th and 18th place respectively in the overall timesheets.
LOCAL TIME: 18:00 GMT+2
AIR TEMPERATURE: 20°C
TRACK TEMPERATURE: 40°C
WEATHER: SUNNY / HUMIDITY 41%
MORE CIRCUIT INFO
14th Á. RINS 1’37.024 / 73 LAPS
18th F. QUARTARARO 1’37.438 / 84 LAPS
Following the Gran Premio de España, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Álex Rins and Fabio Quartararo resumed work at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto during the one-day Jerez MotoGP Official Test. Making the most of today’s perfectly sunny conditions, the duo put in a great effort to gain as much data as possible. They focused on trying a new chassis, a new aeropackage, and some electronic settings, all with the goal of improving the bike’s turning. At the end of a productive day, they finished in 14th and 18th place respectively in the overall results.
Rins enjoyed trying updated parts during the test. Having completed many laps at Jerez the days prior, he was in a perfect position to draw a comparison between the standard 2024 and the newly updated items. Once he completed his evaluation he gave one final push. His best time, a 1’37.024s, set on lap 73/73, put him in 14th position in the Jerez Test timesheets, 0.619s off the fastest time.
Quartararo was highly motivated to make steps during the eight hours of available track time. He dropped under the 1’38s mark quite early on, clocking his fastest time of the day, a 1’37.438s, on lap 18/84. However, his attention was more on gathering data related to bike improvement. Yet, the effort did hold him in 18th place in the overall test rankings, with a 1.033s gap to first.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP will be back in action from 10 – 12 May for the Michelin Grand Prix de France in Le Mans. After the French GP, the team plan to travel to Italy for a private test at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello to build upon the Jerez Test findings.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
Team Director
It was a busy test. The list of items we brought here was long, so we had to prioritise the three most important ones: the aeropackage, the chassis, and some electronics settings, the latter we unfortunately couldn’t try earlier. Basically, we went through the testing plan step by step, going over these items. We are always trying to improve the turning with the chassis and the aerodynamics. Today, we were able to find the information we were looking for. After Le Mans, we will move on to Mugello for hopefully two more days of testing where we will evaluate all the items again because we want to be sure. We want to test the items at more than one track to avoid making a mistake. If the results of both riders at the private test in Mugello are the same, and they are happy, the target will be to introduce a bike update at the GP round in Barcelona or else in Mugello. We’ve exploited today’s test as much as we could, and now we leave all the information to the engineers for them analyse, and we’ll start action again in ten days’ time.
ÁLEX RINS
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
For sure it was a really positive test today! We tried some items: an aeropackage, a new chassis, and we also worked on the electronics side. Fabio and I rode together for a bit, just to understand the difference. He was riding with the standard aero and I was riding with the new one, and we wanted to see the positive and negative points, just to collect information. Honestly, the new aeropackage is something I like. I’m riding in a good way with this aeropackage, but we can’t have it for Le Mans just yet because the engineers need more time. But they are going to work on it. Regarding the chassis, that part I didn’t like that much, so we need to work on that some more, and I’m looking forward to it.
FABIO QUARTARARO
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
It was a long day! We had many items to test and took away a lot of information. We tested a new chassis, a new aero, some electronics as well. We gathered a lot of data but, of course, we need more time before coming to a conclusion. We will also have a private test in Mugello to get to know more. We just finished the test here, so we have to analyse all the data well before Le Mans. I think there are some positives but, naturally, there are also some things that we need more time for to make it work. But I think that maybe for Le Mans we can already start to introduce some new things.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo Team:
The Ducati Lenovo Team resumes action in Jerez de la Frontera for a day of official testing
Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini took to the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto once again to tackle a day of official post-race testing. The reigning World Champion, who won the Spanish GP held just yesterday at the Andalusian track, began his program about an hour into the session, mostly focusing on testing a different setup configuration. With a best time of 1:36.589, Bagnaia ended the session in fourth position after completing a total of 43 laps.
Teammate Enea Bastianini, who finished fifth in yesterday’s race, also started his test day early but was partially slowed by a crash at Turn 7, which fortunately left him without consequences. Enea was able to resume his program shortly after, mainly focusing on finding a setup that would allow him to have better sensations under braking. The rider from Rimini declared himself satisfied and ended his day with the ninth best time of 1:36.792, after completing 65 laps.
Francesco Bagnaia (#1, Ducati Lenovo Team) – 4th (1:36.589 – 43 laps):
“It was definitely a positive day. Last Friday, we had already tested some things, so today, we didn’t have many new items to try. However, we were able to confirm all the good feelings we had during the race weekend. Additionally, we focused on a different setup configuration that could prove useful in the future on tracks with low grip. Overall, I am satisfied with today’s progress.”
Enea Bastianini (#23, Ducati Lenovo Team) – 9th (1:36.792 – 65 laps):
“Today was an important day for us. It didn’t start easily, as I made a mistake and crashed at Turn 7 after just an hour. However, I quickly regained confidence with the bike. We tested some new solutions, and I really liked them. My pace improved lap by lap, and I was able to maintain consistency. Now, I can also brake hard, so I am very happy with how things went.”
The Ducati Lenovo Team will return to the track for the fifth round of the 2024 MotoGP World Championship from May 10-12 at the Le Mans for the French Grand Prix.
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing:
RED BULL KTM KEEP MOTOGP™ THROTTLES OPEN FOR BUSY JEREZ TEST
2024 Motorsport news
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rolled up the pitbox doors for the fourth day in a row at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto to take profit of the excellent climate and work on more present and future test items for the KTM RC16s. At the end of the eight-hour session Brad Binder had logged the 6th best lap-time – two tenths of a second from P1 – while Jack Miller ranked 17th and less than a second from the top. Test rider Pol Espargaro was 19th fastest.
Only hours after the Gran Premio de España, the orange Red Bull bikes were again burning rubber around the 13 corners of Jerez. The work schedule concentrated on analysis of issues and questions that arose from the 25-lap race the previous day but also experimentation with aerodynamics (fairing parts), suspension settings, ride height devices and the clutch.
Brad and Jack were joined by Pol, who continued his own separate duties with a view to the future shape of the KTM RC16. Binder clocked 64 laps from 10.00 until the end of the session at 18.00 and posted a 1 min 36.6 to be 6th quickest for the day and 0.234 from 1st place. Miller broke the timing beam 73 times at Jerez with the 17th fastest effort: 0.950 from P1. Espargaro made 68 laps and was 1.1 seconds from the top spot.
Now onto Le Mans. Round five will take place at the revered circuit for the Grand Prix de France from May 10-12.
Brad Binder, 6th: “Today was a quite a good day. We had some aero packages to go through to collect some information and keep pushing that side of the project. A little bit with set-up and a different setting for the rear shock that made the bike a bit more stable, which is always great especially at a track like this with the change of direction. We focused on things we can use moving forward next week. With aero you can win in some areas and lose in others so it’s important to take the comments and the data and work on the benefits. Now we can leave here and put things together.”
Jack Miller, 17th: “We worked through a lot today. Played around with the bike a lot. We still need to tackle the vibration issue when the track has a lot of grip and when you make a lot of changes there are a lot of other effects, so we had to find the balance and I think we made some headway. I tested some things today that I’m happy with. Things in MotoGP can change in a heartbeat. We’ll keep our heads down and keep working away.”
Francesco Guidotti, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “We had things to test in pretty much every area of the bike! It’s been a long weekend. Good conditions but it got windy later in the day. We made some interesting discoveries that we might use soon. We had a small delay with the aero but also worked on the suspension and ride height devices. This was one of three tests we have this season, so it was important, and we gathered the data we needed. With our riders we worked on the short-term competitiveness but Pol – and Dani this past weekend – were working on the mid-term. Overall, a good day.”
Sebastian Risse, Red Bull KTM Technical Manager MotoGP: “We just finished a very intense and productive test. We focused a lot on updates that we can still bring this year, which means the impending aero update but also other items like electronics, engine parts for even more performance and also suspension. We shared the test items around the group, so when we found something positive we could carry it over to the others to confirm. It means we have a complete picture for the items’ performance across the riders and we’ve quite positive it will have some effect in the next races.”
