MotoGP Race Lap Record: Marc Marquez, 1:38.051, 2019

MotoGP All Time Lap Record: Fabio Quartararo, 1:36.880, 2019

2019 FIM MotoGP World Championship

Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto

Jerez de la Frontera, Spain

May 6, 2019

Test Results (all on Michelin tires):

1. Fabio Quartararo, France (Yamaha), 1:36.379 (New Lap Record)

2. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Honda), 1:36.797

3. Franco Morbidelli, Italy (Yamaha), 1:37.093

4. Pol Espargaro, Spain (KTM), 1:37.114

5. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yamaha), 1:37.226

6. Joan Mir, Spain (Suzuki), 1:37.233

7. Marc Marquez, Spain (Honda), 1:37.260

8. Alex Rins, Spain (Suzuki), 1:37.275

9. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Honda), 1:37.466

10. Takaaki Nakagami, Japan (Honda), 1:37.468

11. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Ducati), 1:37.601

12. Francesco Bagnaia, Italy (Ducati), 1:37.698

13. Jack Miller, Australia (Ducati), 1:37.701

14. Danilo Petrucci, Italy (Ducati), 1:37.720

15. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Aprilia), 1:37.758

16. Johann Zarco, France (KTM), 1:37.895

17. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), 1:38.056

18. Tito Rabat, Spain (Ducati), 1:38.061

19. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Ducati), 1:38.075

20. Bradley Smith, UK (Aprilia), 1:38.077

21. Miguel Oliveira, Portugal (KTM), 1:38.649

22. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (KTM), 1:39.637

23. Stefan Bradl, Germany (Honda), no lap time recorded

24. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Aprilia), no lap time recorded

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Quartararo crushes his lap record in testing

Official Test sees the Frenchman lap Jerez half a second faster than his record-breaking pole

Monday, 06 May 2019

On Saturday he made history as the youngest ever polesitter in MotoGP™, on Sunday he went home heartbroken after a mechanical problem saw him forced to retire from the fight for the podium. But come Monday, Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was back on top in testing as he seared around the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto a stunning half second quicker than his lap record pole. The 1’36.379, set near the end of play, put him 0.418 ahead of Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) and 0.714 ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) at the Official Test.

Quartararo did 73 laps on Monday and left it late to put in his fastest on Lap 70, following it up with another not far off the same pace. He had internal fork updates to try, the same as the factory Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team, but set his fastest lap with the previous regardless. Teammate Morbidelli was also late mover up the timesheets into third and his best of a 1’37.093 was set on his penultimate lap of 82. He had a Yamaha aero update to try. Meanwhile, Maverick Viñales was the fastest Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider in fifth, 0.847 off the top after an impressive workload of 94 laps, with teammate Valentino Rossi ending the day in P17 after 74 laps. They were working on some chassis settings but mainly electronics, aimed at improving throttle connection. Petronas Yamaha SRT also had throttle connection updates but the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP riders were working on further versions.

At Honda, one big focus for Crutchlow was the start; clutch feel and electronics. He did 78 laps, was the man deposed by Quartararo’s late lunge, and did his fastest lap on a new rear medium compound tyre from Michelin featuring new technology for improved grip and consistency. The tyre was one of two additions to the race weekend allocation – the other being a medium rear with a different casing especially for Spielberg and Buriram, to be assessed further – and it will now be used in the allocation.

A little further down the timesheets, Jerez winner Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) ended the day in seventh after 75 laps, and set his quickest on the bike that wildcard and test rider Stefan Bradl rode in the race with carbon fibre chassis additions. Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) had a slightly modified seat and ended the day in P9 after 93 laps, and the five-time World Champion had two crashes. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was another late crasher and he ended the day in tenth, an infinitesimal 0.002 off Lorenzo.

For KTM the timesheets made for good reading with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as he ended the day in fourth, 0.735 off P1 after 63 laps, with teammate Johann Zarco in P16 after 71. They tested chassis parts, chassis settings and some engine parts. Red Bull KTM Tech 3, meanwhile, ended the test in P21 for Miguel Oliveira and P22 for Hafizh Syahrin. They had 2019 KTM tail and exhausts to test.

At Suzuki, Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was working on setting the bike up more for his style and he ended the day in sixth after more than 80 laps. Suzuki had a new swingarm, and a new swingarm attachment was also spotted in the Hamamatsu factory’s garage as it broke cover for the first time, but Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) ran on and damaged it soon after. He nevertheless did 69 laps with a best of 1’37.275 to put him in P8. Test rider Sylvain Guintoli was also out on track and he put in 79 laps.

Ducati weren’t inside the top ten by the end of the day. Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati) was P11 after 52 laps with a best of 1’37.601, but he wasn’t trying any particular new parts, instead focusing on big setup changes they’d not use time for during a race weekend. Dovizioso’s teammate Danilo Petrucci was P14, focused on working on setup and “some new parts” and spending the majority of his time on the hard tyre. The two were split by Pramac Racing duo Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller. All four were covered by just over a tenth, and the gap from Bagnaia back to Miller was only 0.003. Another tiny gap put Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) in P17, just 0.005 off Rossi, with teammate Karel Abraham only 0.014 in further arrears.

Finally, Aprilia were out on track with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and test rider Bradley Smith (Aprilia Factory Racing) as Andrea Iannone missed the test due to the after effects of his Saturday crash. Espargaro did 80 laps and was just 0.038 off Petrucci to take P15, testing rear suspension setups, traction control configurations, weight distribution and torque delivery, and Smith was only 0.002 off Abraham after 82 laps. He had some new parts and was also working on setups and tyre evaluation.

That’s it from Jerez for the one-day Official Test for the premier class, although Moto2™ and Moto3™ will be back out on track on Tuesday for their turn so make sure to stay tuned to motogp.com for updates ahead of Le Mans in just under two weeks.

More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3:

Intense day of testing for Red Bull KTM Tech3 pair at Jerez

Following the Gran Premio Red Bull de España last weekend, Miguel Oliveira and Hafizh Syahrin were out on track again today for one official day of testing.

Thereby, MotoGP newcomer Oliveira assessed several new parts brought to Spain by KTM, plus different settings. The Portuguese youngster did 77 laps in the course of the day to clock a best lap time of 1:38.649 minutes, which was even 0.245 seconds faster than his personal best in Qualifying last Saturday.

Likewise, Syahrin tried various things with his KTM RC16 in order to improve his feeling aboard the new machine and lower his lap time. The Malaysian star did a 1:39.053 as his fastest lap of the day, which saw him concluding the test day just 0.404 seconds behind his teammate after completing 57 laps in the Andalusian sun.

Miguel Oliveira

Position: 21st

Time: 1:38.649

Laps: 77

“Today was quite long, as we had many things to test. But finally, it has been positive because I was much faster with the ‘race condition bike’ than yesterday. I just missed the fast lap at the end. I used a medium front tyre with a soft rear, which was not the best choice, so I had to stop and change the front tyre, therefore I reused the soft rear and was not able to get this ideal lap in. I’m a bit disappointed for this, but we tested things here, which we think have great potential to help me in the future.”

Hafizh Syahrin

Position: 22nd

Time: 1:39.053

Laps: 57

“Today has been a very positive day, because we did a big step compared to last weekend as during the Grand Prix I was struggling, the condition of my body was not good and on the last day, I just found a good feeling with the bike and also my body was better. In the race I set my fastest time. During the test today, we tried some new parts, which were better for me. But so far, we are not able to use the advantage of the new tyre for the corner speed. We found a very small improvement, so we still need to get better with the bike. At the moment this is not easy, but I hope it’s getting better and better in the future and I give my best to improve at the next round.”

More, from a press release issued by Mission Winnow Ducati:

Testing concludes at Jerez for the Mission Winnow team: next stop Le Mans

After positively concluding the Spanish GP with both its riders in the top five, the Mission Winnow Ducati team resumed action at Jerez de la Frontera for a collective, one-day test. In mild weather conditions, with about 20 degrees in the atmosphere and 30 degrees on the tarmac, Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci clocked 52 and 61 laps respectively. Dovizioso posted a personal best of 1:37.601 to finish in 11th position overall, with Petrucci (14th) just one tenth of a second slower in 1:37.720.

Andrea Dovizioso (#04 Mission Winnow Ducati) – 1:37.601 (11th)

“Post-race tests are always useful, because they allow you to work without pressure and evaluate some modifications that you usually don’t have the time to try during a race weekend, where track time is limited. Despite not having anything new, we were able to work on several details, both in terms of setup and electronics, to have a better understanding of how the bike reacts. We gathered some important data, which we’ll be able to use in all tracks from now on. Also, we tested a new medium-spec tyre, with positive outcomes. There is always room for improvement, both for the rider and the bike, and we’ll go to Le Mans with clearer ideas about how to do it.”

Danilo Petrucci (#9 Mission Winnow Ducati) – 1:37.720 (14th)

“In these tests, we focused on preparing for the next round without going for a ‘time attack’. I tried some different components and several setup changes, only using hard tyres and taking them over the race distance to understand how to improve our pace. In particular, we worked to maximize both stability under braking and corner speed, finding some solutions that should work well in Le Mans. I’m quite happy with what we tried and the feeling with the bike is good, so I hope to be able to make another step forward in France.”

The Mission Winnow Ducati team will resume action at Le Mans (France) for the fifth round of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship, scheduled for May 17-19.

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Busy and productive day of testing for Repsol Honda Team

The post-race Jerez Test gave Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo a chance to explore a number of potential setup options and development parts for the Honda RC213V.

After claiming his second win of the 2019 season, Marc Marquez and the Repsol Honda Team immediately got back to work at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto. First on the list to test was the development Honda RC213V ridden by Stefan Bradl during the weekend. Setting a 1’37.260, Marquez leaves Jerez seventh fastest in the test.

For Jorge Lorenzo, the test provided more important kilometres aboard Repsol Honda Team machine. He suffered a small crash at Turn 6 just before 16:00 local time but was able to return to testing shortly after. His test was brought to an end by a second crash at Turn 7 as the flag came out. Completing a total of 93 laps, Lorenzo concluded the test in ninth place with a best time of 1’37.466.

The Repsol Honda Team and riders now return home briefly before heading out to the French GP at the Le Mans circuit, May 17 – 19.

Marc Marquez

7TH 1’37.260

“We tried many things today and it was a really positive test as we were able to focus on the concept of a few things, not the details. When we finished with everything I stopped a bit early because the feeling was good with the bike and sometimes it’s best to stop when you’re feeling good. I tried Bradl’s bike to understand the concept, it was positive and we are ready for the next round.”

Jorge Lorenzo

9TH 1’37.466

“Today we were able to do a lot of laps and try many things. This was important for us as we are still trying to catch up on the time we missed testing at the start of the season. We found some interesting things for races to come. The day was upset by two crashes. It isn’t how we wanted to end the test with a crash. I am OK, sore but OK. Thank you to the Repsol Honda Team and HRC engineers for working hard all weekend and today during the test.”

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:

ALEIX AND BRADLEY WORKED ON DEVELOPMENT OF THE 2019 RS-GP AT JEREZ

PAIN STOPPED ANDREA WHO ATTEMPTED A STOIC RETURN TO THE SADDLE

It was an important day of testing today on the Spanish Jerez de la Frontera circuit, with all the MotoGP riders on the track. Two Aprilias were kept busy, Aleix Espargaró’s factory bike and the test team’s bike with Bradley Smith, whereas Andrea Iannone attempted to get back in the saddle but had to throw in the towel because of the pain.

Aleix was the first rider on the track from the first seconds of the tests and he carried out a plethora of tests during the 80 laps total that he turned. The tests involved engine torque management, weight distribution, various traction control configurations and a brand new rear suspension setup. The Spanish rider finished the session with a best lap of 1’37,758.

It was a highly intense schedule for Bradley Smith as well, turning 82 laps, the fastest of which in 1’38.077. The Aprilia test team’s operations focused on new components, different setups and the assessment of a few Michelin tyre solutions.

Still dealing with the after-effects of his crash in FP4 Saturday which prevented him from taking part in the race, Andrea Iannone was loath to give in and tried to get back in the saddle today after receiving the all-clear from the doctor. Unfortunately, the lack of strength caused by pain in his left foot kept him from shifting gears properly, so the rider and team decided to stop testing straight away to give the foot as much time as possible to heal. Comforted by the good sensations he had in FP4 and the great job done by teammate Aleix, Andrea stated that he is confident in anticipation of Le Mans.

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“This day of testing was very important for us. In fact, I was the first one out on the track. We worked non-stop, both in anticipation of Le Mans and to continue development on the RS-GP. As always when testing, some solutions return better results than others. It will be essential to carefully analyse the data collected today to decide which line to follow in the upcoming rounds.”

BRADLEY SMITH

“It was a rather busy day. We worked on three fronts: the hard front tyre, which we confirmed as the right choice for our bike on this track, weight distribution and some components we needed to evaluate in terms of performance and reliability. Since I got close to Andrea’s and Aleix’s performance, the feeling is that I can contribute to overcoming the limits that the factory riders are highlighting. It is not an easy process. It takes time, but we have a structure capable of doing it. I think that in the coming months we’ll be able to make some targeted changes in our weaker areas.”

ANDREA IANNONE

“I tried, but I was lacking strength in my foot to shift gears. It’s a pity because I would have liked to use the day of testing to confirm the positive note on which we had begun to work in FP4 where, before the crash, I was doing rather well. We received some confirmation from Aleix in the race and that is definitely positive. From tomorrow I’ll begin my recovery, but I am sure that I’ll be able to be at 100% for the Le Mans weekend.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:

JEREZ POST-RACE TEST COMPLETED WITH POSITIVITY

Joan Mir: 6th – 1:37.233

Alex Rins: 8th – 1:37.275

•Team SUZUKI ECSTAR pleased with progress in one-day test.

•Alex Rins continues his strong form and tries new parts.

•Joan Mir happy to have more bike time in his debut season.

•Sylvain Guintoli back on track to give useful feedback.

Just one day after Alex Rins took a stunning second position at Jerez circuit, the team were back on track for an official test. A busy programme saw the riders focusing on electronics and set-up as well as trying a new specification swingarm and a new swingarm attachment (Rins only).

The main focus of Alex Rins was to test new setup configurations and some improvements in electronics, as well as a new spec of the swingarm. He also debuted Team SUZUKI ECSTAR’s new swingarm attachment for a run early in the test day. However, it was damaged when Alex ran wide and into the gravel trap, so the team decided to switch back to the original testing plan. The Spaniard put in 69 laps and found useful data from the day. He feels positive ahead of the Le Mans GP.

Meanwhile Joan Mir was glad to spend some more time onboard his GSX-RR. The rookie worked on his riding style and approach to corner entry as well as adjusting his set-up. He reported positive feelings and worked very hard, completing a whopping 85 laps despite a small crash.

Suzuki’s test rider, Sylvain Guintoli, provided his usual valuable feedback and worked towards the development of the GSX-RR including electronics settings.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager

“It’s always useful to do a test, especially after the first few races, because you already know what some of the key areas are where you want to improve. Today we went through a few different things, including a new swingarm and new swingarm device, but also a lot of work on electronics and other areas. It’s a good chance to go through things which are hard to work on during the race weekend. We feel positive about the coming races.”

Alex Rins

“Today we’ve done a full day of work, testing a lot of things and completing a lot of laps. We found a lot of positive things, and I liked the settings that we tried. Now we head to Le Mans with a really strong package and I’m happy with what we’ve done. I ran off when trying the new swingarm device, so I didn’t get to try it much. Instead we went back to our original plan of testing a new swingarm and focusing on electronics.”

Joan Mir

“I’m really happy with today, especially as I did so many laps. I found I was able to increase my pace and build on the lap times I set during the weekend. I feel that my settings for Le Mans will be good as we tried a lot of different things here. I had a crash today, but it was without consequences and I’m happy to have been back on my bike and always learning.”

More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM:

BENEFICIAL TESTING MILEAGE CLOCKED AT JEREZ AS ESPARGARO SITS 4TH FASTEST

MotoGP 2019 test Circuit de Jerez-Angel Nieto (ESP)

There was little respite for Red Bull KTM after the Gran Premio Red Bull de España as all four KTM RC16 riders joined the rest of the MotoGP grid around the Spanish asphalt for the first of four post-race test sessions in 2019 and Pol Espagaro set the 4th fastest time of the day.

The Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto was much quieter and the bustle was significantly slower twenty-four hours after the fourth round of 2019 MotoGP but the pace barely eased on the track itself. Riders and team continued to wring throttle grips around the 4.4km layout for what was the first official test session of the season. Red Bull KTM and Red Bull KTM Tech3 were busy working through more new components, parts and ideas direct from the crew at the factory in Mattighofen in an effort to refine the RC16 race machinery.

Highest on the time sheets at the end of another sunny day at the famous facility was Pol Espargaro with a lap-time 0.7 away from the fastest effort logged by Fabio Quartararo. The Spaniard, who finished 13th in Sunday’s 25 lap affair, completed 63 circulations and made progress with engine settings among other details. Teammate Johann Zarco pushed his new chassis through further adjustments and modifications to improve corner entry and feeling. The Frenchman was 16th after 71 laps and 1.5 seconds from Quartararo.

Miguel Oliveira rode 77 laps and placed 21st while Hafizh Syahrin, who toasted his 25th birthday on Sunday, was 22nd.

Red Bull KTM will take a break tomorrow and then embark on another day of private testing on Wednesday to wrap-up their activities at Jerez.

Pol Espargaro: “Tiring day but happy with the result. KTM have worked very hard in the winter and delivered some things that we could not test until Le Mans and here because of the overseas races. We improved on some areas of the engine and also the chassis and found a good balance. We tried different configurations and I think with what we did on the engine we have more room to play, which is good. I’m happy we keep developing and keep improving.”

Johann Zarco: “I expected to have a good day and after a race it is useful to be on track again and have a reference from the weekend: after just three laps you are ready to start the work. We tried things looking for confirmation for the technicians and that means a bit of up-and-down and it can be hard to have a consistent feeling. Fabio did an amazing lap-time with that new rear Michelin and I tried it too and had a small improvement over qualifying. Anyway, many laps done and lots of information for the team. We made a little step to let me have more feeling on the front into the fast corners, and from that we tried to improve the rear and could work there.”

Miguel Oliveira: “Today was quite long as we had many things to test but finally it has been positive because I was much faster with the ‘race condition bike’ than yesterday. I just missed the fast lap at the end. We tested things here which we think have great potential to help me in the future.”

Hafizh Syahrin: “Today has been a very positive day because we did a big step compared to last weekend. During the Grand Prix I was struggling, the condition of my body was not good and on the last day, I just found a good feeling with the bike. In the race I set my fastest time. During the test today, we tried some new parts, which were better for me but so far, we are not able to use the advantage of the new tyre for the corner speed. We found a very small improvement, so we still need to get better with the bike.”

Mike Leitner, Red Bull KTM Team Manager: “All the comments from the riders over the winter and pre-season tests arrived for this chassis and engine work today at Jerez. We had some positive points and in general the result was good. We had a new rear tyre from Michelin which allowed everyone to go fast but we also had some good times on race tyres and were in the top ten. Pol did a great job and Johann improved his feeling but he’s still not 100% happy with the handling so we’ll continue working in the private test on Wednesday.”

Sebastian Risse, Technical Director MotoGP: “Today we had quite an intense and productive test. Of course coming to it right after a race is the best way to know where you are. With Pol we made decent steps forward and I think the final lap-time shows that. We hope we can carry these parts into racing soon. With Johann we are struggling a little bit more to match his riding style to the bike. We are constantly trying loops in different directions and we used today for that: not only hardware but also in riding and the set-up of the bike. We want to make a bike for him, not match him to the bike, but that means we need to build up understanding of what is good for his style. So we worked through parts and a different point of view. We have one more day to put this together and I hope we can make a step there and bring him forward.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:

PRODUCTIVE DAY FOR TAKA AT JEREZ TEST

LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider Takaaki Nakagami ended the day in tenth position as the MotoGP field undertook the first official in-season test in Jerez on Monday. Having taken ninth place in Sunday’s race at the Circuito de Jerez Angel Nieto, Nakagami spent the day looking to improve the settings of his RC213V and achieved his aim, despite a fall late in the day.

The Japanese star managed a total of 63 laps, with his quickest being the 24th of the demanding eight-hour session. The 27-year-old was happy with the improvements his team found and believes they are now in a good place ahead of the next round of the World Championship in France in two weeks’ time.

Takaaki Nakagami – 10th

(1’37.468 – lap 24 of 63)

“The test was going well, but unfortunately I had a crash in the last few minutes. I’m ok though and it was a really important test for us. We tested some small things back-to-back and the bike is working well, like the weekend. We didn’t focus on our performance on the first lap, but the lap time was really consistent and I had a better feeling on the bike than over the weekend. I’m pretty happy with how we worked today, so we’re ready for the next race in Le Mans. We just need to keep going.”

More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:

MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP FOCUS ON SET-UP DETAILS DURING ONE-DAY JEREZ TEST

Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), 6th May 2019

JEREZ IRTA TEST

TEST

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi returned to the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto for the one-day official IRTA Test. They worked on some electronics specs, tested new rear tyres, and took 5th and 17th place respectively in the overall timesheets.

5th MAVERICK VIÑALES 1’37.226 / 94 LAPS

17th VALENTINO ROSSI 1’38.056 / 74 LAPS

Less than 24 hours after the Spanish GP, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGPs Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi were back in their leathers at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto for the official Jerez MotoGP Test. They resumed their YZR-M1 development by trying new electronics solutions and took 5th and 17th place respectively in today’s rankings.

Encouraged by yesterday’s third-place finish, Viñales headed out late in the morning with specific tasks in mind. He had decided to work on acceleration, smooth delivery of engine power, and on trying the grip of the two new Michelin rear tyres in the hotter conditions. Making the most of the available time to collect as much data as possible, the Spaniard completed 94 laps, setting a personal best time of 1’37.226s on lap 90, for fifth place, 0.847s from first.

Rossi ran a similar testing programme to his team-mate in an effort to further improve bike performance. He left pit lane as soon as the circuit was up to a good temperature, eager to fully focus on the settings he had not been able to try during the race weekend. Like Viñales, he rode until the very end of the session, putting in 74 laps in total. His best time, a 1’38.056s set on lap 59, put him in 17th place in today’s standings, 1.677s from the top.

The team worked through the packed schedule without putting in any hot laps. As they found some small improvements, they felt mostly satisfied with the outcome of the day’s hard work. The findings will be put into practice at the next round, the Grand Prix de France, held in Le Mans in two weeks’ time.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

“We were able to complete our work programme today. Above all we had to try some electronics set-ups to improve acceleration and the two new rear tyre specs that Michelin gave us today. Because we focused fully on these tasks, we didn’t think about doing a time attack to put in a hot lap. We have found some small improvements that can be used for the next GP in Le Mans. In all honesty, we expected something more significant but, in any case, another step was taken. We will try new updates at the next test in Barcelona.”

MAVERICK VIÑALES

“We tested many items today. I did a lot of laps on race tyres, which wasn’t bad. I was riding quite well over a race distance, but anyway we need to keep improving. Le Mans is a track where the grip level is quite good, so I’m not too worried about it. It’s a good track for me, so my mind is already there at the French GP. We have found some positives and negatives in today’s test, as always, but nothing special. There are still some things to improve, especially on my side, my riding style, and we need to find something to improve the traction. But I’m not worried because my race pace was there, I was feeling close to the top.”

VALENTINO ROSSI

“We had a programme for today. We had some things to try to improve the package, especially working on the acceleration, on the grip, all these things. The test wasn’t too bad. We didn’t find something that will change our lives, but there were some details that, if you put them all together in the package, maybe we can be stronger. I also had to try the two tyres for Michelin. These are two tyres we will use in Austria and Buriram. They are harder and stronger, but I wanted to try them, because usually we suffer a little bit with that type of tyre, but it wasn’t a time attack.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:

Quartararo fastest and Morbidelli third at Jerez test

Fabio Quartararo goes faster than his pole time from last Saturday’s Q2 session. Franco Morbidelli rounds off an excellent test for the entire team at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto.

1st FABIO QUARTARARO 1:36.379

3rd FRANCO MORBIDELLI +0.714

One day on from the Spanish GP, the PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team continued working at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto on Monday in a post-race official test. Riders Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli were again amongst the fastest men on track, with the former topping the timesheets with a 1:36.379 under the fastest lap record, and the latter in third with his 1:37.093 lap.

After misfortune on raceday at Jerez in the Spanish GP, Fabio Quartararo had a great test alongside his crew. The Frenchman focused his work on the front fork, setups and geometry of his Yamaha YZR-M1. After putting in extensive work with hard tyres, he used soft rubber for his last outing in search of a fast time. A three-lap stint of consecutive laps in the 1m 36s ended the day in positive style, with Quartararo going quicker than the official fastest lap record he set on Saturday of 1:36.880.

Franco Morbidelli also had a very productive day in southern Spain, finishing in third position with a time of 1:37.093. The Italian had the opportunity to try out new aerodynamic winglets for his bike, as well as doing exhaustive work to improve his feeling with the front end and increase rear grip.

The next challenge for PETRONAS Yamaha SRT will be the French Grand Prix, which will be held on May 17th-19th at the legendary Le Mans circuit.

#21 Franco Morbidelli

“We worked on a few very specific areas during this test, with the aim of improving the setup of the bike. We found some new solutions that I believe will be useful at upcoming rounds this season. During the race I never felt comfortable with the front end, and today we were able to improve that feeling. We also worked on rear grip, something that we lacked a little during the weekend. We have found solutions and this is important on days like today. We have pace and the feeling is pretty good now.”

#20 Fabio Quartararo

“All the frustration from yesterday was compensated for by the excellent day of testing we had today. We tried several different setups and a new front fork. The results were very positive, and it’s something that we will continue investigating in the future. We also managed to find a very good pace with used tyres and we worked with the hard compound for many laps.

At the end of the day we tried a time attack and it went very well. This was the first time that the grip has been so good at this track. On my last three laps I was on the limit and I saw that I could not improve much more, with us putting in three times in the 1m 36s. I am very happy with the work that we’ve done and I want to thank the whole team. I can’t wait to get to Le Mans, my home Grand Prix, and to carry on enjoying riding the bike.”