Third in the wake of his teammate during the first day of testing, Jorge Lorenzo today conceded a place but reduced his gap with the fastest to only a good tenth, thus taking on the role of leader of Borgo Panigale.
There is no doubt that, on a circuit which is not the preserve of Ducati, this is not due to chance, but rather the sign of a growing agreement between the pilot from Mallorca and his GP18.
Jorge Lorenzo, who immediately felt at ease aboard the Desmosedici pre-2018 version during the last tests in Valencia, finishing 5th in the general classification, today set a lap time of 1'59.498, thus gaining more than three tenths compared to yesterday.
“We remained very competitive today,” confided the Ducati representative. We tried to put every detail in the right place. “We improved our time from the day before as well as our pace and I am delighted about that. »
The mount from the Borgo Panigale firm based on the GP17 is nevertheless equipped with a new chassis as well as a new engine which is intended to be less aggressive despite the two horses gained.
And the Spaniard admits that he has not yet said his last word. “I think we still have room for improvement”, he added. “Once we clarify things, I believe we will be able to take full advantage of the full potential of the new Desmosedici, which is very high. So far we haven't focused on tenses. Maybe on Tuesday we will have the opportunity to get a time. But even if I achieved the best time, it wouldn't be that important. The key is to be quick and consistent with worn tires. We must be fast without suffering. Our new bike is much better than the one before. More importantly, in my opinion, the potential is higher. »
You have been warned...
MotoGP #SepangTest J.2: Chronos
1. Maverick Vinales, Yamaha, 1:59,355 min
2. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, +0,035 sec
3. Cal Crutchlow, Honda, +0,088
4. Jorge Lorenzo, Ducati, +0,143
5. Jack Miller, Ducati, +0,154
6. Johann Zarco, Yamaha, +0,347
7. Marc Marquez, Honda, +0,375
8. Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati, +0,377
9. Danilo Petrucci, Ducati, +0,392
10. Andrea Iannone, Suzuki, +0,562
11. Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia, +0,570
12. Dani Pedrosa, Honda, +0,644
13. Alex Rins, Suzuki, +0,687
14. Pol Espargaro, KTM, +0,907
15. Tito Rabat, Ducati, +1,151
16. Bradley Smith, KTM, +1,165
17. Franco Morbidelli, Honda, +1,307
18. Mika Kallio, KTM, +1,346
19. Álvaro Bautista, Ducati, +1,373
20. Karel Abraham, Ducati, +1,559
21. Takaaki Nakagami, Honda, +1,597
22. Sylvain Guintoli, Suzuki, +2,037
23. Scott Redding, Aprilia, +2,101
24. Yonny Hernandez, Yamaha, +2,199
25. Xavier Siméon, Ducati, +2,334
26. Tom Lüthi, Honda, +2,455
