MotoGP: Francesco Bagnaia tops the final day of testing

March 12, 2023 March 12, 2023

Francesco Bagnaia tops the final day of pre-season testing, with fellow Ducati rider Johann Zarco in second.

Ducati

Francesco Bagnaia leads the way on the final day of testing, after two successful days in the Algarve. The reigning MotoGP World Champion was the first rider ever to break the 1:37 bracket at the Portimao circuit.

Enea Bastianini had a far better day on the final day of testing, ending the session in fifth position. Less than half a second from the top spot, Bastianini looks to build on his 2022 season.

Alex Marquez spent the final test at Portimao managing the media’s expectations, after two impressive days. Marquez finished day two at Portimao in seventh position, ahead of Jorge Martin. However, his teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio would not take part in today’s test after a crash at turn seven on day one.

Both VR46 Ducati’s shot up the order at the end of day two at Portimao, with Bezzecchi finishing the day in fifth. Marini continues to impress in the preseason, ending the test in fourth position.

Yamaha

Fabio Quartararo was feeling far more confident on the final day of preseason testing, ahead of the season opener at Portimao. The 2021 MotoGP World Champion revered back to last season’s aero package, with great feedback.

The biggest news from today’s test came in the form of a new rear spoiler on the tail unit of Quartararo’s motorcycle. This wing had no impact on the bike, according to Quartararo who finished the day in third.

Franco Morbidelli still has some work to do on his M1, ending the day in 19^th position. Morbidelli was one of the last riders on track today, setting 89 laps around the Portimao circuit.

Morbidelli said: These were busy days of testing. We tried many things, did a lot of stuff, and did a lot of testing – that‘s what testing is for, so I‘m happy about that. It will be important to analyse well the data we‘ve gathered and make the right choices for the race weekend.

KTM

Brad Binder ended the second day in Portugal inside the top 10 and ended the day in ninth position onboard his factory RC16. Binder looked confident, finishing the day as the top RC16 on day two.

Jack Miller finished 17^th with the Australian continuing to look for minor improvements on his Red Bull Factory Racing KTM. He continued to work with the electronics of his motorcycle, as he continues to adapt to the KTM.

Aprilia

Aprilia had a tough day on track, with both factory riders facing issues early on in today’s running. Maverick Vinales struggled with the engine braking setting on his motorcycle, losing valuable testing time as they resolved the issue. Vinales was 12^th in today’s running showing his consistency throughout the day.

Aleix Espargaro struggled with arm pump on day one, only to confirm that he will fly home to Spain to get treated for suspected fibrosis. He struggled to do any long runs today and ended the second day of running in 10^th.

Miguel Oliveira was the top RNF Aprilia at his home in Portugal, ahead of Raul Fernandez. Oliveira finished day two in 11^th position, ahead of Fernandez in 16^th. The RNF Aprilia team will show their 2023 bike.

Honda

Marc Marquez had a better day on his RC213V, with an improved one-lap pace on his Repsol Honda. Marquez’s plan was to work on his base setting on day two, instead of trialling new parts. Marquez ended day two in 14th position, with a small crash in the morning session.

Joan Mir finished the day as the top Honda, ahead of his teammate and both LCR bikes. Mir switches from the inline 4 Suzuki in 2023. The 25-year-old finished day two in 13^th position, ahead of his teammate.

Joan Mir said: “Today we were able to make some more progress forward in adapting to the Honda. There is still a lot I need to learn and adapt to because it’s still a new bike and some aspects that are not yet second nature.

“Overall, it has been an off-season of progress but of course, as a rider, you are always wanting more and more. We head into the opening races wanting to keep improving and to see what’s possible.”

LCR Honda rider, Alex Rins had a better day on his RC123V, finishing his test at Portimao in 15^th position. Takaaki Nakagami struggled at the Portimao Official MotoGP test, ending the session in 20^th.

GASGAS

Augusto Fernandez finished his first test at Portimao on the Tech3 RC16 in 21^st position behind his teammate. Fernandez spent the test continuing to get comfortable on the GASGAS Factory Racing Tech 3 bike, on the undulating circuit.

Pol Espargaro ended the test in 18^th position, after spending the finalising the set-up of his GASGAS machine. He finished the day just 0.065 seconds off Jack Miller, on the Red Bull Factory Racing KTM.

Preseason testing is over with riders and teams not having to wait long to return to the Portimao circuit. Round one of the MotoGP World Championship will begin on the 24^th of March for Free Practice One.

Image credit: motogp.com