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Misano MotoGP test: Aprilia's Espargaro heads final day from Bagnaia

Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro topped the final day of MotoGP testing at Misano by 0.080 seconds as KTM rookies Raul Fernandez and Remy Gardner made their debuts.

Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini

Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini

Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Wednesday’s running at Misano was notable for the first outings on a MotoGP bike for Raul Fernandez and Remy Gardner on the Tech3 KTMs they will race in 2022.

The current Moto2 championship leaders and team-mates took over from Iker Lecuona and Danilo Petrucci at Tech3.

Fernandez was 0.726 seconds quicker than Gardner in 22nd and 25th, with the latter suffering a crash towards the end of the morning session.

Espargaro led the standings at the end of the morning session with a 1m31.599s as he continued to evaluate various developments on the RS-GP.

The four-hour afternoon session began with championship leader Fabio Quartararo topping the first hour with a 1m32.003s, the Yamaha rider trying the 2022 prototype M1 as well as various settings on his current machine.

Espargaro returned to the top of the standings in the second hour of the afternoon with a 1m31.743s, which he improved later to a 1m31.584s.

This lap time would go unchallenged through to the chequered flag as most of the field packed up early.

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Dorna

Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia didn’t set any times in the afternoon session but remained second overall with a 1m31.664s as he tried, amongst other things, a new fairing on his factory Ducati.

Joan Mir – who crashed in the afternoon session - completed the top three on his Suzuki as he tested the 2022 engine and chassis, as well as other 2021 items, with LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami and the other factory team Ducati of Jack Miller rounding out the top five.

Honda’s Pol Espargaro suffered a late technical issue in the afternoon session but was sixth overall, as he and team-mate Marc Marquez put more miles on the radical 2022 RC213V prototype.

Quartararo was seventh in the end ahead of Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales, while ninth-placed Miguel Oliveira ended the test in buoyant fashion as he believes KTM has figured out what was causing its lack of pace in recent races.

Marquez completed the top 10 on the Honda, while 18th-placed Andrea Dovizioso discovered exactly where he needs to improve his riding style on the Petronas SRT Yamaha.

Misano podium star Enea Bastianini (Avintia Ducati) suffered another crash during the test in the morning session and didn’t ride again in the afternoon.

Misano MotoGP test results - Afternoon session

Pos Rider Bike Time Gap Laps
1 Aleix Espargaro Aprilia 1:31.584   37
2 Takaaki Nakagami Honda 1:31.735 0.151 23
3 Joan Mir Suzuki 1:31.873 0.289 33
4 Fabio Quartararo Yamaha 1:31.974 0.390 33
5 Maverick Vinales Aprilia 1:32.035 0.451 52
6 Pol Espargaro Honda 1:32.105 0.521 37
7 Marc Marquez Honda 1:32.151 0.567 36
8 Jack Miller Ducati 1:32.166 0.582 26
9 Luca Marini Ducati 1:32.201 0.617 28
10 Brad Binder KTM 1:32.202 0.618 44
11 Alex Marquez Honda 1:32.259 0.675 44
12 Michele Pirro Ducati 1:32.331 0.747 29
13 Alex Rins Suzuki 1:32.352 0.768 32
14 Jorge Martin Ducati 1:32.624 1.040 12
15 Miguel Oliveira KTM 1:32.898 1.314 24
16 Dani Pedrosa KTM 1:32.959 1.375 31
17 Franco Morbidelli Yamaha 1:32.978 1.394 28
18 Andrea Dovizioso Yamaha 1:33.027 1.443 32
19 Valentino Rossi Yamaha 1:33.656 2.072 12
20 Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 1:34.043 2.459 38
21 Raul Fernandez KTM 1:34.360 2.776 17
22 Remy Gardner KTM 1:35.086 3.502 14

Misano MotoGP test results - Morning session

Pos Rider Bike Time Gap Laps
1 Aleix Espargaro Aprilia 1:31.599   45
2 Francesco Bagnaia Ducati 1:31.664 0.065 39
3 Joan Mir Suzuki 1:31.707 0.108 35
4 Jack Miller Ducati 1:31.798 0.199 55
5 Takaaki Nakagami Honda 1:31.887 0.288 44
6 Pol Espargaro Honda 1:31.926 0.327 52
7 Fabio Quartararo Yamaha 1:31.959 0.360 44
8 Maverick Vinales Aprilia 1:32.002 0.403 57
9 Miguel Oliveira KTM 1:32.136 0.537 47
10 Luca Marini Ducati 1:32.156 0.557 34
11 Brad Binder KTM 1:32.175 0.576 39
12 Marc Marquez Honda 1:32.246 0.647 33
13 Alex Marquez Honda 1:32.278 0.679 46
14 Alex Rins Suzuki 1:32.371 0.772 45
15 Jorge Martin Ducati 1:32.412 0.813 22
16 Michele Pirro Ducati 1:32.491 0.892 32
17 Franco Morbidelli Yamaha 1:32.635 1.036 10
18 Andrea Dovizioso Yamaha 1:32.830 1.231 47
19 Valentino Rossi Yamaha 1:32.842 1.243 30
20 Enea Bastianini Ducati 1:32.975 1.376 10
21 Dani Pedrosa KTM 1:33.373 1.774 22
22 Raul Fernandez KTM 1:33.988 2.389 34
23 Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki 1:34.141 2.542 33
24 Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 1:34.367 2.768 22
25 Remy Gardner KTM 1:34.641 3.042 33

 

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