MotoGP: The winners and losers of the cancellation of the Sepang test

THEcancellation of shakedown and Sepang test, even if they will be may be partially replaced by additional tests in Qatar, leads to consequences, for some negative, for others positive.

Losers :
- Aprilia appears to be the big loser of the decision taken. The Noale firm had to take advantage of the shakedown and the test to determine who would be its official driver in 2021 alongsideAleix Espargaró. The choice had to be made between Bradley Smith et Lorenzo Savadori at the end of the six days of testing. This will now have to wait for Qatar, with an official announcement of the titular driver only a few days before the first Grand Prix!
Technically, the situation is not ideal either since Aprilia is undoubtedly the brand which, thanks to concessions, can and must develop its motorcycle the most. With a shakedown initially planned more than a month before the first Grand Prix, this gave engineers time to still make numerous modifications after the burn-in. With, at best, only three weeks between the two events, much less... And we can't even imagine the situation of the RS-GP if the shakedown is not replaced!

- The rookies fingers crossed that the shakedown finally takes place in Qatar. Enea Bastianini (Avintia Racing), Luca marini (Avintia Racing) and George Martin (Pramac Racing) are indeed counting heavily on this three-day session to get their bearings on their Ducati. They will of course participate in the official test from March 10 to 12, but 6 days of testing to get the quintessence of a MotoGP would not be too much!

– Despite having the most victorious motorcycle of the 2020 season, Yamaha seems to have worked a lot this winter and, in any case, to have decided to "go all out" on the winter tests, following a test program almost reduced to zero last year with Jorge Lorenzo because of the health situation. Indeed, the entire team in test tuning was expected at Sepang, Cal Crutchlow in the lead, which had not been seen for a very, very long time. In Iwata, we are also crossing our fingers that a shakedown will be scheduled in Qatar!

The winners :
– Only one really stands out from the crowd and it’s called Marc Marquez. Still in a period of convalescence, the Honda spearhead has not yet been back on a motorcycle since his third arm operation. Each day, each week and each month that passes without MotoGP activity offers him additional respite even if, unfortunately, we must admit, we do not have the slightest idea of ​​when the multiple world champion will be able to get back in the saddle on its official RC213V.
In this regard, we will not have failed to notice that even when his brother álex having fun with a trials bike in the snow in slow motion, Marc Márquez stay on foot...
Will this additional time be enough for the eight-time world champion to line up in Qatar alongside his opponents? Only he knows… Maybe!

– To a lesser extent, the team Suzuki Ecstar, orphaned by his team manager who left for Formula 1, will benefit from more time to refine its new organizational chart.