MotoGP
The second day of preseason training in Sepang was conditioned by the weather, which altered the work forecasts
The MotoGP preseason barely consists of five days spread over two tests: the three days in Sepang and two more in Portimao in March, just two weeks before the championship begins. In that reduced time, drivers and teams have to make a series of technical decisions that will be vital for the entire season. The most important, the selection of the engine, since once the first Grand Prix of the year has started, it is sealed and its development is frozen until 2024. A mistake made in February can weigh down an entire year of competition, for this reason it is so important to accumulate kilometers in the pre-season tests, and for this reason a rainy day like yesterday in Malaysia could also be a bigger problem than it seems.
The asphalt of the Sepang circuit woke up soaked by the rain that had fallen overnight. Little by little the blistering morning heat dried up and a window of barely two hours opened up to noon before another downpour flooded the track and made it impossible to run dry again. Malaysia’s equatorial weather is unpredictable and quite frustrating for any MotoGP team traveling to the other side of the world to escape the harshness of the European winter. And it frustrates especially for those who most need the kilometers of the preseason. For example, Honda, lost in recent years and looking to rebuild a winning bike for its star, Marc Márquez.
The Cervera rider worked with three new prototypes plus his 2022 bike to compare data. While on the first day he was able to do a total of 56 laps, this Saturday he was barely able to complete 26 laps in the dry, plus a dozen on asphalt in the wet. In any case, insufficient to achieve those “two steps forward” to which the eight-time world champion aspired on this circuit. In fact, while some rivals such as Fabio Quartararo, Jorge Martín or Pol Espargaró improved their first-day times, and so did their new teammates, Joan Mir and Álex Rins, Márquez was not able to beat his own record and they start to turn on the alarms in the box of ’93’, when it has not even reached the middle of the preseason.
Jorge Martín maintains Ducati status
The fastest in the second practice day was Jorge Martín. His time of 1’58.736 did not improve on the fastest achieved on Friday by the Italian Bezzecchi, but he did better his own from the first day. The Madrid rider is in the pools of many in the paddock this year, since he has a Ducati similar to those of the official team and has amply demonstrated his speed on a MotoGP. The only negative note of the day for him was a fall while riding on wet asphalt, which caused an abrasion on his strong right hand and makes him doubtful to ride on the final day this Sunday.
With less usable track time, most riders focused on working on the development of the bike without looking at the clock, which led to more variety at the front of the standings. The Portuguese Miguel Oliveira, with the satellite Aprilia, was in second position; while Pol Espargaró was third, on his return to KTM, but under the Catalan firm of GasGas. Despite the two years that he has been out of the Austrian project, everything is familiar to Pol in his new career. From his coaching staff, with whom he already worked in his previous days, to the motorcycle, to which he has quickly adapted.
Another of those who smile in this preseason is the 2021 champion Fabio Quartararo. After suffering last year from the low top speed of the Yamaha, he begged the factory for more power and they have granted it. Without making noise, the Frenchman was fourth and in the top speed table, his Yamaha (335.4 km/h) is already facing the Ducati arsenal, led in this regard by the 2022 champion, Pecco Bagnaia, only 1 km /h faster. If this leap forward by the Japanese factory is confirmed, Ducati will have a tough competitor in the figure of the talented Quartararo.
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