MotoGP | Sepang Test, Day 3: Bagnaia shatters the record at 2pm

The Ducatis are literally terrorizing the competition in the Sepang collective MotoGP tests. When we reached the halfway point of the final day, therefore when 2pm struck in Malaysia, the new Desmosedici GP24s in fact monopolized the top three positions and had dug a significant gap on their rivals.

Yesterday Pecco Bagnaia promised fireworks for his time attack and so it happened: the world champion was the first in the history of the Malaysian track to break the 1'57″ barrier and he did so with a sensational 1 '56″682, a time about eight tenths lower than the pole position he himself had achieved in 2023. A sign that the feeling with the new creation from Borgo Panigale already seems to be at important levels.

However, in its wake, as mentioned, there are the other two GP24s, with Jorge Martin second in 1'56″854 and Enea Bastianini third in 1'56″915. If the two riders of the official team have already decidedly chosen the new aerodynamics, the Prima Pramac Racing rider from Madrid must carry out comparative tests today to be sure of the package to be approved in Qatar.

As if that wasn't enough, there is another bike that fell below 1'57″ and it is another Ducati. In this case it is the best of the GP23s, i.e. the one with the Gresini Racing colors entrusted to Alex Marquez. In the garage of the Faenza team, however, they can smile for another reason, because the feeling between the GP23 and Marc Marquez seems to have suddenly exploded, with the eight-time world champion moving into sixth position, but above all he has removed about nine tenths of his time yesterday, dropping to 1'57″270.

The only “intruder” in the first six positions is therefore Aleix Espargaro, author of a 1'57″091 with his Aprilia. The Granollers rider has the tail with the F1-style diffuser on both his RS-GPs, while Maverick Vinales, who is 12th, is carrying out comparisons with that standard.

The Ducati contingent expands to six bikes in the top seven positions with the GP23 of Fabio Di Giannantonio, who crashed at turn 9 without any particular consequences. Pedro Acosta also did well, following him in eighth place and with his 1'57″365 he set his best of the three days. The GasGas Tech3 rookie, therefore, continues his progression and today too he is less than seven tenths from Bagnaia's fastest time. But not only that, because so far he is the best of the KTM riders, given that Brad Binder, engaged in a long series of comparative tests with the aerodynamic material of the RC16, has not yet improved on yesterday's time and he is tenth.

The Japanese bikes therefore remain close to the top 10. Like yesterday, Joan Mir is currently the best of the Honda riders, with his RC213V occupying ninth place in 1'57″374, with Luca Marini definitely lagging behind with his 1'58″026 which is worth 18th place. A little further behind the 2020 world champion is his successor Fabio Quartararo, 11th with Yamaha, who in turn improved a lot compared to yesterday with a 1'57″525 which however keeps him almost nine tenths behind However, today's times are truly impressive, with 16 riders dropping below 1'58″.

MotoGP | Sepang Test, Day 2: times at 2pm local time