New Movistar Yamaha recruit Maverick Vinales not only turned the fastest lap time of all riders participating in a post-race test session Tuesday at Circuit de la Comunitat Valencia, the young Spaniard went faster than the race lap record Jorge Lorenzo set on his Movistar Yamaha en route to winning the MotoGP race at Valencia on November 13.
Lorenzo did a fastest lap of 1:31.171 on Sunday, and Vinales did a 1:30.930 today.
Vinales’ new teammate Valentino Rossi also went fast Tuesday, recording a 1:30.950, which was also under the race lap record and much faster than “The Doctor’s” best lap in the race, a 1:31.276.
Jorge Lorenzo’s move to Ducati was not a disappointment as the three-time MotoGP World Champion did a 1:31.052 in his first day on his new Desmosedici. That is also faster than Lorenzo’s race lap record and third-fastest during Monday’s testing.
Reigning MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez was fourth in the final time sheets Tuesday with a 1:31.102, which was faster than his best lap on his Repsol Honda RC213V on Sunday, a 1:31.299.
Lorenzo’s new teammate, Andrea Dovizioso, was fifth-quickest Tuesday (1:31.131) and also went quicker than his best lap in Sunday race (1:31.317).
LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow made a huge improvement over his performance during Sunday’s race, turning a 1:31.156 Tuesday compared to the 1:31.912 he did before he crashed out of the season finale.
Also making a debut with a new team was Andrea Iannone, who switched from Ducati to Suzuki, and the Italian also improved on what he did Sunday. In the race on his Ducati, Iannone recorded a 1:31.196, the second-best lap of the race. On Tuesday on his new Suzuki GSX-RR, Iannone did a 1:31.165. Maverick Vinales’ best lap on his Suzuki during Sunday’s race was a 1:31.313.
Of the MotoGP rookies making their debut Tuesday at the test, German Jonas Folger recorded the fastest lap, a 1:32.450, on his new Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1. That ranked Folger 16th on Tuesday’s time sheet and was not far off the best race lap of Pol Espargaro, a 1:31.744, which was seventh-best of the race.
Speaking of Pol Espargaro, the Spaniard’s debut on his new KTM Tuesday ended with him 19th at 1:32.613, which was just ahead of his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Bradley Smith, who did a 1:32.806 Tuesday. Both of those times were faster than the best managed by KTM test rider Mika Kallio (1:33.208), before he pulled out of Sunday’s race with mechanical problems.
FIM MotoGP World Championship Test
Ricardo Tormo Circuit de la Comunitat Valencia
Valencia, Spain
November 15, 2016
Day One Best Test Times (all on Michelin tires):
1. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yamaha), 1:30.930
2. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), 1:30.950, crash
3. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Ducati), 1:31.052
4. Marc Marquez, Spain (Honda), 1:31.102
5. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Ducati), 1:31.131
6. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Honda), 1:31.156, crash
7. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Suzuki), 1:31.165, crash
8. Scott Redding, UK (Ducati), 1:31.242
9. Hector Barbera, Spain (Ducati), 1:31.286
10. Dani Pedrosa, Spain (Honda), 1:31.306
11. Jack Miller, Australia (Honda), 1:31.477
12. Alvaro Bautista, Spain (Ducati), 1:31.674
13. Michele Pirro, Italy (Ducati), 1:32.068*
14. Aleix Espagaro, Spain (Aprilia), 1:32.177
15. Loris Baz, France (Ducati), 1:32.315
16. Jonas Folger, Germany (Yamaha), 1:32.450
17. Johann Zarco, France (Yamaha), 1:32.462
18. Tito Rabat, Spain (Honda), 1:32.578
19. Pol Espargaro, Spain (KTM), 1:32.613, crash
20. Bradley Smith, UK (KTM), 1:32.806
21. Alex Rins, Spain (Suzuki), 1:32.811
22. Eugene Laverty, Ireland (Aprilia), 1:32.935*
23. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Ducati), 1:33.231
24. Sam Lowes, UK (Aprilia), 1:33.359, crash
25. Takuya Tsuda, Japan (Suzuki), 1:34.110*
26. Francesco Bagnaia, Italy (Ducati), 1:36.940
* test rider
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
New kids on the block steal the headlines on Day 1 of 2017 testing in Valencia
Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) has topped the first test day for the 2017 MotoGP™ season, up to speed quickly before then stealing the top spot from new yet veteran teammate Valentino Rossi as the day wore on – an incredible statement of intent in his new home. With a 1:30.930, Viñales beat his 9-time World Champion teammate by only 0.020 on the first day, after Rossi led the time sheets for some time. The man he replaced, Jorge Lorenzo, was third quickest in his first outing with the Ducati Team – only a tenth off the top.
As the lights went out to signify the start of the first of 2017 testing, somewhere in the midst of a huddle of photographers there was a black-liveried 2016 Ducati preparing to meet its new rider: Lorenzo. Quick to exit the pits once action was underway, the 99 had a new 99 on the bike – with double devil horns.
After a few laps well off the pace, Lorenzo was soon up to speed; smiling and making adjustments in the pits in good company: test rider Casey Stoner. One of the biggest stories of the day had a happy first chapter, as the number 99 settled into the top ten around six tenths down – and then went for a final blast around the lengthening shadows of the circuit on the 2016 bike to go red in the first two sectors and cross the line in P3 – only 0.122s down.
The ‘Spartan’ then did a short run on the 2017 bike he is expected to run tomorrow.
New teammate Andrea Dovizioso was running the 2016 bike in full red and the 2017 in a full black testing livery, ending the day in fifth with a 1:31.31. ‘DesmoDovi’ was also one of the riders testing new front forks from Öhlins, alongside Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team).
Marquez spent his first day in defense of his 2016 World Championship in P3 on the time sheets after proving an early leader in the morning. A best of 1:31.102 after 53 laps saw the reigning World Champion slot into the time sheets just 0.050s behind Ducati’s new kid on the block Lorenzo. Marquez’ teammate Dani Pedrosa also led the time sheets for a window in the middle part of the day, doing 42 laps despite his ongoing recovery from a broken collarbone and registering a best of 1:31.306 – 0.376 off Viñales’ best as the ‘Baby Samurai’ closed out the top ten.
There were a number of victims of Turn 10 on Day 1, including Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi falling in the morning, as well as Red Bull KTM Factory racing’s Pol Espargaro and Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Andrea Iannone – with the latter walking more slowly away from the scene as he tested his back following a cracked vertebra sustained in FP1 at Misano in September; riders ok.
Iannone impressed on his first day at Suzuki, fourth for much of the day before the crash and eventually ending up P7 on the time sheets, just behind fellow crasher Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda).
Crutchlow, as well as riding his LCR Honda, got a taste of a full Repsol Honda machine with LCR livery – ending the session with a best of 1:31.156 after 69 laps over the day. He also suffered a crash at Turn 14 – the same place he crashed out of the 2016 season finale; rider ok.
Compatriot Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Yakhnich) finished the day in P8 and three tenths off the pace, completing 71 laps, with teammate for the test, Michele Pirro, in P13 as he sits in for Danilo Petrucci – who has returned to Italy for family reasons and is missing the test.
Hector Barbera and Loris Baz began Avintia Racing’s 2017 with a solid performance, with Barbera in P9 and 0.020 ahead of Pedrosa – three tenths down on P1. The Spaniard was on the 2016 Ducati – the bike he raced in red when replacing Andrea Iannone for two races this season – with Baz a further second back in P15 as he looks to get back to full fitness after a tough season.
Aprilia Racing Team Gresini saw their new arrivals start to settle in. Aleix Espargaro ended the first day in fourteenth and 1.2s back from P1, after also proving a key member of the top ten for much of the first few hours of the session. Sam Lowes, who does have some previous experience of the Aprilia machine following in-season tests, began his MotoGP™ career in earnest with a slightly more difficult day. He registered a 1:33.359 as his best lap over 63, then crashed out in the last minutes of the day – but walked away unscathed.
Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) was P11 in an impressive return to the track and only half a second back from the front, with teammate Tito Rabat putting in the most laps – 72 – and finishing up P18 on 1:32.578, a few tenths off his best from Q2 during the Valencia GP. Alvaro Bautista had a happy return to Aspar with the Pull&Bear sponsored team, closing out day one in P12 and seven tenths off P1 – the last man on the time sheets within a second of Viñales.
Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s new line-up, Moto2™ graduates Jonas Folger and Johann Zarco, had a good first day on track as they gradually improved lap times, down to around a second and a half off the fastest of the day by the end of their first taste of MotoGP™ – and both incredibly split by only 0.015 in P16 and P17.
With Iannone ending the day on a 1:31.165 in P6 on his first impressive showing for Suzuki, new teammate Alex Rins also had a good first day as the rookie chipped away at the lap time in his first experience of MotoGP™. Completing 71 laps on his first day in the premier class, the white-liveried number 42 Suzuki got down into the 1:32s by 16:00, ending the day with a 1:32.811.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith debuted in their new colours in P19 and P20 respectively, with Espargaro one of the fallers at Turn 10 but ending the day two tenths quicker than his recovering teammate as the pair get to grips with the switch to KTM.
Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia was another on track and completed the time sheets – getting a ride on the Aspar Ducati after winning a bet in the team that he could test the MotoGP™ bike if he won two races in Moto3™ this season with Pull&Bear Aspar Mahindra – duly taking the victory in Assen and then in Malaysia.
Teams and riders will be back on track tomorrow at 10:00 (GMT +1) – with many eyes on Viñales and Lorenzo once again after an incredible first day of 2017 action.
More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:
Positive beginning to Tech3 chapter for Folger and Zarco
The all new 2017 Monster Yamaha Tech3 line up got straight to work today at the post-Valencia GP test where they made their highly anticipated debuts on the Yamaha YZR-M1. Jonas Folger impressively finished the opening shakedown as the fastest rookie and ahead of some vastly experienced MotoGP riders, with a personal best time that was only 1.520 from the top. Meanwhile, the exciting French talent of Johann Zarco also rode at a notable pace and he finished just 0.012 behind his teammate as he got to up to speed with the premier class machine. The final day of testing will commence tomorrow where both rookies will continue to gather knowledge of the bike that they will contest next season with.
Jonas Folger
Position: 16th Time : 1’32.450 Laps: 52
“I’m very happy about my debut on the Yamaha because it was an exciting moment and overall, a great experience. Of course, the first outing was special and there was a large amount of information to absorb, but I started to get used to the YZR-M1 quite quickly and I’ve already learnt a lot. In addition, the team was also really helpful and they told me about what I had to change on the bike. The main goal was just to begin adapting to the Yamaha and to the MotoGP riding style, but we are all pleased about the progress. The thing that surprised me the most was the smoothness of the engine with all of that power and also the top speed, which is incredible. The bike is very impressive and it was fun to ride with such a strong yet controllable engine. Tomorrow, I aim to carry on from where we stopped but first, this evening I will study all of the data and then start comparing myself to some other riders. In addition, when I get back on the track, I will continue familiarising myself with the bike, and then we may possibly begin adjusting it later in the day.”
Johann Zarco
Position: 17th Time: 1’32.462 Laps: 61
“My debut on a MotoGP bike was very interesting, however, it was a bit tricky because I had to get used to a new motorcycle after many years in the Moto2 class. There is a lot to learn and many factors that I have to adapt to. My approach to this is to take everything step by step because of course, I will not be able to change in one session and I will need some time to comprehend everything. I am making progress and we finished in not a bad way at the end of the day and so this is the positive point. The Tech3 team understand my style of riding and I can see that with the YZR-M1, there are some really specific things that need to be undertaken in order to be fast. I have gained a lot of knowledge, but it will take time to improve and to adapt the bike, when necessary, to my style. It was a positive first day, but slightly more challenging than what I was expecting.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:
TESTING FOR 2017 STARTS AT VALENCIA FOR CRUTCHLOW AND LCR HONDA
The first day of testing for the 2017 MotoGP World Championship began at the Valencia circuit in Spain today, where the LCR Honda Team and Cal Crutchlow had lots to work on as they completed 69 laps of the sun-drenched track.
Crutchlow was testing an evolution version of the 2017 RC213V he had previously used at the Aragon circuit following the race, and was positive about the initial sensations even if there were still some things to be ironed out.
The British rider suffered a minor crash as temperatures dropped around the Spanish circuit, but still managed to complete a good chunk of the work programmed for the two-day outing. He set the sixth-best time of the day on lap 42, stopping the clock with a 1’31.156.
#35 Cal Crutchlow – 6th (lap 42 of 69)
“I was testing a new engine today, an evolution of what I tested in Aragon. As always there are some positives and some negatives, but we ran the bikes back-to-back and tried some different settings with each of the bikes – some suspension and mapping changes – and in the end it was a positive enough day.”
“It will be a long night tonight digesting some of the information we’ve collected and we will see then what we use tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Marquez and Pedrosa start 2017 season in Valencia
Fresh from winning the 2016 Rider and Constructor titles, the Repsol Honda Team was back on track in Valencia today for the first official test for the 2017 season.
Reigning World Champion Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa took to the track around 11:30 a.m. to begin a programme that included a prototype 2017 machine to compare with their 2016 bike. The test of the new Michelin tyres is planned for tomorrow.
It was a productive first day, as the ideal conditions (air 18°C, track 22°C) allowed both riders to fully exploit the track time available to work on their RC213V setup. Marc ended the day fourth, with his time of 1’31.102 coming on lap 33 of 53. Dani was just 0.376 seconds off the top, with a 1’31.306 time on lap 32 of 42, placing him 10th for the day.
Testing continues tomorrow, with the second and final day beginning at 10 a.m. local time.
Marc Marquez
4TH 1’31.102
It has been a very long test day, because when the bikes are new, it takes a lot of time to make changes and get back out on track. We only did one stint with the bike we used in the Grand Prix, to see what condition the track was in, and then we started to work on the new bike. As a rider, it’s a bit boring because I had to wait a long time in the garage as with being everything new the engineers have to adjust a lot of things along the way, but finally we were able to try several solutions. Let’s see if tomorrow we can continue improving and make the most of the day”.
Dani Pedrosa
10TH 1’31.306
“The first day of testing was positive because I was able to ride with both bikes and compare them. I haven’t yet tried out anything specific and instead have just been riding both of them and analysing the feeling. We had already debuted the bike before, and that’s also a good thing, although physically I didn’t push myself to the maximum since I wanted to conserve strength for tomorrow and be able to do a little more specific testing then. Hopefully the weather tomorrow will also be positive because today the track was a bit tricky at some points and we saw quite a few crashes. It has also been interesting to see the changes of riders and manufacturers, and surprising to see that they have adapted so quickly.”
More from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:
VIÑALES AND ROSSI TOP FIRST 2017 MOTOGP IRTA TESTING DAY IN VALENCIA
Maverick Viñales kicked off the 2017 MotoGP pre-season testing in Valencia on a positive note, finishing first in today‘s session timesheets, 0.020s ahead of Valentino Rossi in second place.
Valencia (Spain), 15th November 2016
The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team had a positive first day of testing at the Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo. Today‘s seven-hour long session gave Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi the chance to make their first steps in preparing for the 2017 MotoGP season.
Though the main goal of today‘s outing for Viñales was to get a feel for his new bike, he didn‘t waste time to make a statement. The Spaniard started his test around eleven o‘clock and only took half an hour to ride to second place and continued to be in the top six throughout his morning run. He kept the momentum going during his afternoon stint and showed his confidence posting a 1‘30.930s on lap 55 to take over first place from Rossi. The 21-year-old completed 61 laps in total and wrapped up the day of testing leading the way.
Rossi had a mixed but ultimately successful day of testing. He was quickly on the pace in the morning on his 2016 bike and topped the standings after his 11th lap, clocking a 1‘30.950s, which was only bettered by Viñales later in the afternoon when the temperatures rose. Despite suffering a crash on lap 32 in turn 10, he walked away unharmed and started the Valencia test with a positive feeling overall. The Italian spent his afternoon session preparing for next year‘s season. He completed 47 laps in total and finished in second place in today‘s testing results, just 0.020s off the front.
Tomorrow Movistar Yamaha MotoGP will be back at the Ricardo Tormo track to continue their testing programme.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
Today has been a momentous occasion and a promising start to the first pre-season MotoGP IRTA test. Maverick made his first kilometres on the Yamaha and, just like we expected, he has taken to the bike very well. He used today just to get a feel for the YZR-M1. Valentino was very quick this morning on his 2016 bike. It was unfortunate that his crash on the bike with the 2017 frame lost us some time, because the damage was quite substantial, but the main thing is that Vale is OK. Later in the afternoon he resumed his testing plan and the feedback we got from him is very clear, so overall we are satisfied with how the test has started and with our progress so far.
VALENTINO ROSSI
It was a positive day, because I‘m second and the lap time was not so bad, but I did it with the old bike. With the new chassis the first feeling was OK, but after unfortunately I crashed because I put the hard tyre on the front, which on the right side doesn‘t give enough grip for our bike. I damaged the bike and I didn‘t have enough time to try it again, so now the guys are working and I will try the new chassis some other time tomorrow and we will see.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
Lorenzo third and Dovizioso fifth on opening day of IRTA tests at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo Circuit
Jorge Lorenzo made a positive debut on the Ducati Desmosedici GP today, on the first day of IRTA tests at Valencia, which officially mark the start of the 2017 MotoGP season. The three-time MotoGP world champion from Mallorca completed 60 laps on the 2016 version of the Italian bike, setting a best time of 1’31.052, and he finished the day in third place.
Team-mate Andrea Dovizioso was also on good form, switching between the 2016 and 2017 versions of the Desmosedici GP, as well as carrying out several runs on the bike without winglets. The Italian, who did a total of 54 laps, ended the day in fifth place with a best time of 1’31.131.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’31.131 (5th), 54 laps
“These two days of testing are very important for us, because they are the last ones we can do until the IRTA test at Sepang at the end of January 2017, and so we are doing everything necessary to define the details of next year’s bike. Today went well and we did several runs on the 2016 bike, both with and without wings, before switching to the new bike, which immediately proved to be very competitive, seeing as we were able to replicate virtually the same times. Tomorrow we hope the weather will remain good, because it will mean we’ll have all day to carry on with our work schedule.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
SUZUKI ECSTAR KICKS-OFF 2017 TESTING AT VALENCIA
Andrea Iannone – 7th.
Alex Rins – 21st.
The 2017 MotoGP™ season kicked-off today at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, Spain with the first test of the season held right after the season finale at the Spanish circuit.
Team SUZUKI ECSTAR revealed their new riders Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins, who joined the crew to have a first taste of the Suzuki GSX-RRs. The main purpose of the opening day of the two-day official test allowed the riders to get their first feelings with their machines, starting from actual set-up as a base to start working on for the future.
Today started slowly, with a very cold temperature at the track and the need to understand the new bikes before starting to push for real. Under these conditions, Iannone took advantage of his experience and after a first run of adaptation he could start to apply some modifications in the set-up and electronic configuration, progressively improving his performance. He incurred a crash in middle of the afternoon, without any injury, during this process of improvement and he still remained in the top-part of the timing sheets for the whole day, ending in seventh position.
MotoGP™ Rookie Rins had to start feeling the Factory GSX-RR’s behaviour without electronic controls, and then to start using them to understand how they change the potential riding characteristics and today has been a step-by-step approach, allowing him to take all the time he needed to get acquainted with the bike.
Together with Suzuki’s new 2017 Factory riders, Japanese Suzuki Test Team Rider Takuya Tsuda flew into Valencia to start testing various improvements that may be applied to the Factory machines in the future, if their effectiveness is confirmed in this and further tests.
Davide Brivio – Team Manager:
“I’d say this has been a good start of the 2017 season with both our new riders. Of course they had a different schedule and working plan, as their experience is very different. Andrea wanted to see how our machine is performing and find a comfortable position and base set-up, but also we were curious to hear his comments and first impressions. We were happy to hear that he liked the machine, he said he felt at ease on it, and he has already given us some areas on which we will have to work to improve. We will, of course, try to follow his feedback.
“Rins had a different objective: His priority was to get the first feeling with a MotoGP machine, him being a debutant in this class, and we are very happy because he is learning the process needed to ride such a kind of bike; he’s making the right steps, so we start with him a path that we will bring on. We have plans for tomorrow to explore some more options, he’s a very smart guy, very focused, and he seems to be quick in learning. It’s been a positive start with both riders; it’s only the first day so we will continue tomorrow with the scheduled working plan.”
Marco Rigamonti – Iannone’s Crew Chief:
“This has been a positive first day for us, it was mainly intended to get the first feeling with the machine, to start knowing the mechanics of the new crew and to get a first feeling on the potential of the machine. Andrea reported to me very positive feelings, we’ve worked intensively with hard-tyre testing, also how the bike reacts with the tyres dropping; and in fact, the best time came with pretty-worn tyres.
“Andrea started with winglets to have a first touch of the machine as it was – and then we took them away, as they are forbidden in 2017. The first runs were to get to know the machine, but he could immediately appreciate the effectiveness of the project and then already start to give us and the engineers some areas to work on. The good thing is that all the improvements he saw as possible are little steps, as the base-setting made him already feel confident and comfortable.”
Alex Rins:
“This day has been a very emotional one for me. My priority, as agreed with Suzuki, was just to get a first taste of the machine, which is obviously very different from any machines I’ve ridden before. The most impressive thing, in my opinion, is the acceleration, which is really impressive. Today we started with the basic set-up and our plan was to start without any electronic control so that I could understand the machine’s performance without any filters. Then we gradually introduced some traction control and anti-wheeling, so that I could start to understand how the electronics-settings worked. The team gave me total support; everything is new and at a top level and I’m really enthusiastic of this first experience.”
More, from a press release issued by Aspar Team:
Pull&Bear Aspar Team start next year’s preparations at Valencia
Álvaro Bautista and Karel Abraham complete positive first day of tests
The 2017 preseason started in earnest for the Pull&Bear Aspar Team at Valencia today, where Álvaro Bautista and Karel Abraham completed their first laps with the team in preparation next season on board the Ducati GP16. Bautista, returning to the team where he won the 125cc World Championship back in 2006, clocked a best lap of 1’31.674, finishing the day in twelfth position, seven tenths off the day’s best, towards the end of his 58 laps of the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo.
Karel Abraham rediscovered his feeling for a MotoGP bike, spending all day on the Ducati GP14 as he prepares to return to the category he left back in 2015. Tomorrow the Czech rider will mount the Ducati GP15, after today completing 59 laps with a best time of 1’33.231.
Jorge Martínez “Aspar”: “The season is barely over and here we are looking forward to an exciting new project, with new riders Álvaro Bautista and Karel Abraham and new bikes from Ducati. Bautista is adapting, he is happy and his pace is good. He was twelfth fastest, seven tenths off the top, and that is not bad for the first day – we’ve never been so close. This was Abraham’s first day back on a Ducati, on the GP14, and tomorrow he will take a step forward and ride the GP15 that he will campaign in 2017. I am very happy with how the first day went.”