After the Spanish Grand Prix with Pecco Bagnaia’s return to victory, the MotoGP teams and riders remained in Jerez de la Frontera for the first day of collective in-season testing of the 2023 season. 1 pm, therefore three hours after the green light came on at the bottom of the pitlane, the Aprilia of Aleix Espargaro leads the standings. The driver from Granollers, who had scored pole during the weekend, leads the group with a time of 1’37″079.
The Noale-based manufacturer is among those that have already shown some innovations, because Maverick Vinales, currently 12th, took to the track with a brand new swingarm. Furthermore, during the day the wings on the front fork should reappear as they had already been seen during the winter tests.
We must also point out the absence of Miguel Oliveira, who was forced to rest after the accident at the start of yesterday’s race, in which he dislocated his right shoulder. In his place, Aprilia has urgently summoned test rider Lorenzo Savadori, who arrived in the morning. On the other hand, Raul Fernandez is regularly on the second RNF Racing RS-GP, as it was feared he could be stopped by a problem with compartment syndrome.
Following Espargaro we find the Ducati with the Pramac colors entrusted to Jorge Martin, slower by just 10 thousandths. The Borgo Panigale manufacturer shouldn’t have too many innovations available today, so it shouldn’t be surprised if world leader Pecco Bagnaia only took to the track after 12. So far, just 12 laps for him, with a best of 1’37″269 which keeps him in sixth position, also behind the other two Desmosedici GPs of Alex Marquez and Luca Marini. Absent, but it was quite obvious given the weekend package, Enea Bastianini.
In front of the Spaniard from Gresini Racing we find a Brad Binder who is confirming the excellent performance shown by KTM during the weekend with a 1’37″156 which keeps him in third position. As for the Austrian group, this morning it was noted that the rear wing used by test driver Dani Pedrosa during the weekend also appeared on Augusto Fernandez’s GasGas.
You have to go down to seventh and eighth place to find the two Yamahas of Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli. This morning in the garage of the Iwata manufacturer we worked mainly on aerodynamics, because the package that had also been used during the winter tests was dusted off. It is also not excluded that the double exhaust tested by the Italian driver during the weekend could also reappear. At the moment, however, the M1s are very close to the top in terms of gap.
There was great expectation then at Honda, because test rider Stefan Bradl finally brought the infamous chassis made by Kalex to its debut. At the moment the German test driver occupies the 15th position with a delay of seven tenths. In the HRC garage, Joan Mir, who also crashed at turn 6, tried the new aerodynamic package that Bradl had used over the weekend. As for Alex Rins, today there should be a “back to back” test with the Majorcan’s chassis, which for the moment he hadn’t had the opportunity to test this season.
MotoGP 2023 | Jerez test: times at 13.00
pos | Pilot | Motorcycle | Time | Turns |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | 1’37”079 | 35 |
2 | Jorge Martin | Ducati | 1’37”089 | 30 |
3 | Brad Binder | KTM | 1’37”156 | 34 |
4 | Alex Marquez | Ducati | 1’37”189 | 39 |
5 | Luca Marini | Ducati | 1’37”242 | 33 |
6 | I’m sorry Bagnaia | Ducati | 1’37”269 | 12 |
7 | Fabio Quartararo | Yamaha | 1’37”288 | 43 |
8 | Franco Morbidelli | Yamaha | 1’37”543 | 38 |
9 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | Ducati | 1’37”560 | 32 |
10 | Raul Fernandez | Aprilia | 1’37”600 | 35 |
11 | Johann Zarco | Ducati | 1’37”694 | 23 |
12 | Maverick Vinales | Aprilia | 1’37”713 | 27 |
13 | Augusto Fernandez | KTM | 1’37”739 | 38 |
14 | Takaaki Nakagami | Honda | 1’37”772 | 23 |
15 | Stefan Bradl | Honda | 1’37”782 | 38 |
16 | Jack Miller | KTM | 1’37”819 | 25 |
17 | Marco Bezzecchi | Ducati | 1’37”868 | 25 |
18 | Alex Rins | Honda | 1’37”882 | 32 |
19 | Joan Mir | Honda | 1’38”069 | 32 |
20 | Dani Pedrosa | KTM | 1’38”635 | 26 |
21 | Jonas Folger | KTM | 1’38”777 | 30 |
22 | Lorenzo Savadori | Aprilia | 1’39”866 | 13 |
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