While the Superbikes will be doing the second round of their season in Mandalika, the MotoGP test teams will be hard at work in Jerez. Then some will join another at Portimao on March 11 and 12, before continuing again at Jerez before the launch of the season in the Algarve for the Portuguese Grand Prix. The major maneuvers will therefore continue until the last moment of the offseason. But we note one big absentee for the moment in this progress: Yamaha.
Before specifying who will be where to do what from this Friday, we must remember that the timing is tight like the opportunities since in this 2023 vintage, the tire allocation for testers has increased from 240 to 200 tires. This is the reason why KTM will work with Dani Pedrosa from today and there will be no Portimao tests after that Ducati favored since Pirro will not be in Spain this weekend…
Fact, Honda, Aprilia et KTM are in action at the Circuito de Jerez in Spain from this Friday until Sunday. These are three important days for further evaluation of the prototypes for the 2023 season. Since the official tests in Malaysia, the teams had three weeks to evaluate the results and refine the technical file. The second and final official test for the full drivers will take place on March 11 and 12 in Portimao, Portugal.
Ducati et Yamaha decided not to travel to Jerez with their test teams, although they too had designated this track as one of three official test tracks. But at the official Portimao test, Ducati will be represented by the test pilot Michele Pirro who has a test in Jerez scheduled for the following week. Stefan bradl (Honda) and Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia) are also registered for this Portimao test. As for Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha), he will not be there in Portugal either. Which therefore makes two opportunities not considered by the troops of Lynn Jarvis.
Beautiful people in Jerez but also a big absentee
For its part, the test team KTM with Dani Pedrosa is in Jerez, but will not make the trip to Portimao the following week. The current Jerez test is also taken very seriously by Honda. Indeed, next to the new director of the test team Ramon Aurin will be Ken Kawauchi, the new technical director. As saying that Stefan bradl will have to have work.
The attention ofAprilia in Jerez will be, among others, to evaluate new ECU hardware of Magneti Marelli, which caused some difficulties at Sepang. A new engine specification is also planned for Portimao. We do not yet know if Savadori will have it in Jerez. KTM was not completely satisfied after the Sepang test. Dani Pedrosa therefore has its roadmap, in addition to being able to prepare a little more for its future wild card to the Spanish Grand Prix at the end of April, on the same route.
To finish the tracks we will recall the test tracks chosen by each manufacturer MotoGP :
Ducati: Jerez, Misano, Mugello
Yamaha: Jerez, Mugello, Motegi
Aprilia: Jerez, Misano, Valencia
KTM: Jerez, Misano, Valencia
Honda: Jerez, Misano, Motegi
Finally, there are no restrictions when it comes to tracks not included in the calendar, like Aragon for example.
