MotoGP™ 2015 field gathers for Sepang 1 test
After two months away from their bikes the 2015 MotoGP™ grid will be back on track in Sepang as of 4th February for the first test of the year at the Malaysian circuit.
The South East Asian country has been the destination of choice for February preseason tests in recent years and the ‘tradition’ continues in 2015, with the first outing to be followed by another test at Sepang before the end of the month.
It would be no surprise to see the back-to-back MotoGP World title winner Marc Marquez at the top of the timesheets from the word go as the Repsol Honda rider and his colleague Dani Pedrosa look to fine tune any updates to their evolving RC213V prototype in the weeks before the season gets underway in Qatar at the end of March. HRC have been preparing for the return to action with a recent private test at Sepang with former MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner on board.
However, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP pair Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo will also be pushing their YZR-M1 machine to its limits to ensure that their technical package does not trail behind that offered by their HRC-equipped rivals.
Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso and his new teammate Andrea Iannone will be using a GP14.3 machine – an evolution of the GP14.2 – at Sepang 1. Their new GP15 should be ready for Sepang 2, which commences on 23rd February.
Elsewhere Aleix Espargaro and MotoGP Rookie Maverick Viñales will aim to get as many laps as possible under their belts on their new Suzuki GSX-RR, as the Japanese manufacturer prepares for a return to full-time premier class competition. Espargaro has been working hard in recent weeks to recover his fitness after a knee ligament injury sustained in December in a private training session.
The new-look CWM LCR Honda MotoGP team will give Cal Crutchlow some crucial track time on the factory-specification Honda RC213V bike, whilst Jack Miller reacquaints himself with the Open spec RC213V-RS. Miller rode the bike at Valencia and then again Sepang at the end of November, as he steps up from Moto3™.
Estrella Galicia Marc VDS Team’s Scott Redding will look to get on the pace as early as possible with his new RC213V factory prototype.
Another team with a new structure in 2015 is Factory Aprilia Gresini and they will hope to maximise their performance through the experience of Alvaro Bautista and Marco Melandri who also began testing their new bike in November. Likewise the incoming NGM Forward Racing pair of Stefan Bradl and Loris Baz will continue their adaptation to unfamiliar machinery as they build up experience on the Open Yamaha, with the package now centred solely around a Yamaha chassis.
Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s young pairing of Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro know they will get good support from Yamaha with their YZR-M1 bikes throughout the season and they will be keen to compare their lap times with those of Rossi and Lorenzo in Sepang.
Elsewhere the likes of Pramac Racing’s Danilo Petrucci, along with Avintia Racing’s Hector Barbera and Mike Di Meglio will shakedown their respective Ducati machines. Pramac Racing’s Yonny Hernandez misses the test due to a shoulder injury and will be covered for by Michele Pirro, the official Ducati test rider.
Drive M7 Aspar’s new signing Eugene Laverty will be closely watching colleague Nicky Hayden’s lap times on the Open RC213V-RS, with Cardion AB Motoracing’s Karel Abraham on the same spec bike. Octo IodaRacing Team’s Alex De Angelis has the task of keeping up with a highly competitive field on his Aprilia ride.
After three days of testing featuring the full 2015 grid on Bridgestone tyres, a fourth day of tests will be undertaken at Sepang by a smaller group of riders on Michelin rubber, ahead of the French brand’s return to MotoGP in 2016.
More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:
Tech3 duo excited for dawn of 2015 season as Sepang tests begin
The first outing of 2015 will commence this week at the familiar Sepang International Circuit as the opening week of testing begins for the Monster Yamaha Tech3 riders. Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith will be back in the saddle as they shake down after the long winter break and prepare for what will be a highly competitive year aboard their Yamaha YZR-M1’s.
Pol Espargaro who impressed with his efforts to seize the rookie of the year accolade last season and finish as the leading satellite rider in the championship standings, will use the experience and knowledge which he gained in his debut year to step up and battle some of the factory MotoGP riders in 2015. On the other side of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 garage,Bradley Smith will be seeking to continue his strong end to 2014 and will look to lead the challenge for the top satellite bike this year. With both riders confident after a productive winter break where training for the upcoming season was the main objective, the first of the three testing events will commence on the 4th until the 6th of February.
Pol Espargaro :
“I had a great time relaxing for a short while in the winter, but it wasn’t long until I got stuck into my thorough training programme for the upcoming season and now it’s time to get back into gear which I can’t wait to get started on. The stress and competition are something we, as riders, miss during the winter months because life is much slower when we are not racing! I am feeling optimistic about the season as this year we will begin with the experience that we lacked 12 months ago and this will be key to our success on track. It is extremely important as a rider to know the bike, the team, have references and understand how the crew are improving the bike, so we will begin with an upper hand but there is still a lot of margin to progress. We need to decide which direction to head towards and then adjust accordingly with the 2015 specification Yamaha YZR-M1 which I have already ridden in Valencia. In addition, I must work on myself as I still feel that I am a bit too aggressive on the bike and the Yamaha requires a smooth riding style in order to get the most out of it. However, this year I am certain I will improve this aspect and close in on the leading riders. My minimum overall target is to finish in the same place at last season, but of course, I want to be higher up. The competition will be stronger, but we will have to fight and I am ready to begin the battle at the first test in Sepang”
Bradley Smith :
“‘I’m very excited to get 2015 underway with Monster Yamaha Tech3. This will be my third season with the team in the MotoGP class and I am grateful to Herve and Yamaha plus I look forward to continuing our relationship. We all know each other well and we’ve had two great learning years together so I am expecting bigger and better things in 2015, having already taken my debut podium last season. My ambition for the year will be to replicate another podium finish and we must really look at being the top satellite bike. This will entail a lot of hard work from now onwards but if we can continue the progress and the improvements we made in the latter part of last season, then we will surely get strong results. I am thrilled to be throwing my leg over the Yamaha again this week for the first Sepang test. We more or less know the 2015 package which we tested at Valencia in November, so this week will involve shaking off the cobwebs and adjusting back to riding at 350 km/h. I’ve had a really productive winter season where I’ve trained hard and ridden a lot, so I’m feeling optimistic and I am in good form to start working with the Yamaha YZR-M1 for a successful 2015 season”
Hervé Poncharal – Team manager :
“Now it is time to finally get the ball rolling and head back to the track for what will be a very important season for our riders and also the team which is in it’s 15th year in MotoGP. It makes me proud to know that Guy Coulon and I have worked together for so long and provided platforms for riders to show their talents on. We have a great relationship with both Yamaha and Monster Energy as well as our other sponsors and I want to thank them all. This year will be a tough one for the guys, but everyone knows they are fast and amongst the world’s best plus up for the fight. It looks like they had a good break and seem really fired up to get back on their Yamaha’s. This week will ease them both back into the swing of things but we still have objectives and work to be done in preparation for the season opener in Qatar. Pol did a tremendous job last year in his rookie season and we hope he will continue to put all of his effort in to be the leading satellite bike and perhaps battle with some of the factory riders. As for Bradley, we have worked with him for a long time and this will be his third year in the premier class so we hope he can join his teammate in fighting for strong finishes and adding to his podium tally. Both of the riders have the potential to do really well and the team is all in it together with them for the fight. It’s been a long wait over the winter months, but it’s time to get the show back on the road”