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Testing report

Bezzecchi fastest in post-race Jerez MotoGP test

Marco Bezzecchi led a VR46 Ducati 1-2 in the post-Spanish Grand Prix test, as MotoGP experimented with a new rider radio warning system.

Marco Bezzecchi, VR46 Racing Team

Marco Bezzecchi, VR46 Racing Team

Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Monday’s eight-hour session at Jerez is one of two scheduled in-season tests in 2023, with factories rolling out a number of notable updates to try.

The early part of the test saw three riders – Fabio Quartararo, Aleix Espargaro and Jonas Folger – try a radio system where race direction warnings were fed to them.

The idea is for this to be used as an extra warning system for riders in case of an incident, with Quartararo noting that the system has potential to be useful but needs some refinement.

The Yamaha rider topped the opening hour of the session with a 1m37.304s as he tested a new double-headed exhaust and a new aerodynamic package.

He was replaced at the top of the standings by Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin at the end of hour two, who found a 1m37.089s, before Quartararo reinstalled himself at the head of the pack with a 1m36.725s at the halfway point.

This stood as the benchmark until the final hour, when Bezzecchi on his year-old Ducati produced a 1m36.574s that would keep his fastest of all when the chequered flag fell at 6pm local time.

He headed VR46 team-mate Luca Marini by 0.104 seconds, with Quartararo rounding out the top three.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Fabio Di Giannantonio was fourth on the Gresini Ducati from Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales, who completed the most laps of the day with 94, and Spanish GP winner Francesco Bagnaia on the factory team Ducati.

Aleix Espargaro was seventh on his Aprilia from Jerez sprint winner Brad Binder on the first of the KTMs, Martin and Gresini’s Alex Marquez.

Takaaki Nakagami led the Honda charge in 12th for LCR as HRC finally debuted its long-awaited Kalex chassis.

Test rider Stefan Bradl did the honours, though the German did crash while using the new frame and ended the day in 19th.

There were crashes for fellow Honda riders Joan Mir – who had a new aero kit to try – and LCR’s Alex Rins, who was testing a different chassis.

Mir was 15th, with Rins 17th, while Johann Zarco (Pramac) and KTM’s Jack Miller slotted in ahead of Mir.

Aprilia drafted in Lorenzo Savadori to do some testing at RNF to replace Miguel Oliveira, who dislocated his shoulder in a crash in the grand prix on Sunday.

MotoGP Jerez test - results

Pos Rider Team Time Gap Laps
1 Marco Bezzecchi VR46 Racing Team 1:36.574   64
2 Luca Marini VR46 Racing Team 1:36.678 +0.104s 81
3 Fabio Quartararo Yamaha  1:36.725 +0.151s 88
4 Fabio Di Giannantonio Gresini Racing  1:36.963 +0.389s 63
5 Maverick Vinales Aprilia  1:36.964 +0.390s 94
6 Francesco Bagnaia Ducati  1:37.024 +0.450s 44
7 Aleix Espargaro Aprilia  1:37.060 +0.486s 79
8 Brad Binder KTM  1:37.068 +0.494s 73
9 Jorge Martin Pramac Racing 1:37.089 +0.515s 52
10 Alex Marquez Gresini Racing  1:37.189 +0.615s 77
11 Raul Fernandez RNF  1:37.285 +0.711s 71
12 Takaaki Nakagami LCR Honda  1:37.314 +0.740s 70
13 Johann Zarco Pramac Racing 1:37.326 +0.752s 60
14 Jack Miller KTM  1:37.431 +0.857s 67
15 Joan Mir Repsol Honda 1:37.516 +0.942s 67
16 Franco Morbidelli Yamaha  1:37.543 +0.969s 80
17 Alex Rins LCR Honda  1:37.722 +1.148s 82
18 Augusto Fernandez Tech3 1:37.739 +1.165s 69
19 Stefan Bradl Repsol Honda 1:37.782 +1.208s 54
20 Dani Pedrosa KTM  1:38.397 +1.823s 35
21 Jonas Folger Tech3 1:38.542 +1.968s 63
22 Lorenzo Savadori RNF  1:38.558 +1.984s 45

 

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