All teams, with the exception of Ducati and the Angel Nieto team, attended this one-day test organized at the Barcelona–Catalunya circuit.
Here are the essence of the reactions of the drivers present, directly or put through the mill of the press officers…
Marc Márquez, 1st, 1'38.916: “we worked a lot today and we did a lot of laps. We had a few different things, some of them quite important. As always during a test, some of them worked well while others provided information for the future. We also worked a little on the electronics side. Other than that, at the end of the day we put all the right things together and, yes, I was fast but the most important thing is we had a good test. [The black bike] was an update and not the 2019 bike at the moment. But yes, it differed in small things and it was quite interesting. »
Andrea Iannone, 2nd, +0.104: “today we compared the new chassis that we have since Mugello because during the weekend, it is always very difficult. For the race, we preferred to stay on the standard chassis, but that said the program was to compare all the chassis several times. In the end, I think we chose the right one and did a very good job during this test. Anyway, I'm very happy because I feel a little better on the bike, especially with the front, and that's important.
Tito Rabat, 3rd, +0.446: “We tried different parts of the bike, like a new link to get more grip. Then we also worked with the new Michelin tire profile and had a long run. At the end of the day, I made a few starts. So I think it was a full day for me, also to ride the bike without pressure, being relaxed to take my rhythm. It was very positive because we saw a lot of things. Now we wait for Assen.”
Danilo Petrucci, 4th, +0.572: “I crashed at turn 9 which is quite fast. But anyway, when I got to the gravel I started rolling and hit my finger and my foot. But hey, there is no fracture and that is important. I can walk, even if I do it slowly, and I think I will be OK for Assen. It was a big test and we tried a lot of new solutions for the gearbox and the exhausts. I also tried a new swingarm but crashed with it. But anyway, and even if we didn't finish the test, I'm happy with today.”
Johann zarco, 5th, +0.618: “today in Catalonia, we had nothing to try because our Yamaha will remain the same throughout the year. But we know we can improve ourselves by always finding better settings and understanding the bike more with me on it. We did a few runs in the morning to get in condition, then I did a long run, almost a simulated race, to get a better feeling than what I had during the race on Sunday. Then I did it again in the afternoon and we found different things, even me on my driving, and now we have to think about how I felt during that day to have a good race at Assen in 2 weeks." .
Cal Crutchlow, 6th, +0.811: “we didn't have a lot to try but overall we were happy with how the race went and we just wanted to confirm the feeling we had during it. We still tried some electronic adjustments and a new Michelin front tire. We finished quite early as we didn't have many things to try. There have been positives and negatives with the new settings, and we have to keep working. We didn't really focus on the times, but I think we had a very productive test. We completed 61 laps and collected useful data for future races. The next stop will be Assen and our goal remains the podium but it is also very important to gain points for the classification.”
Dani Pedrosa, 7th, +0.822: “Today I worked from 10 a.m. to 18 p.m. I didn't stop and I tried to do as much as possible with the team. This made a lot of effort because we changed a lot of things on the bike, generally on the geometry. We played with the geometry and the mechanics didn't stop working. It was hard work but it was a little difficult to get a good understanding today because the track temperature rose a lot. So for a while it became difficult to understand where we were going. Finally, I think we were able to understand a few points and I have a slightly different geometry than the one used in the race. This is what we were looking for after yesterday's results. Now we should focus more in this direction.”
alex rins, 8th, +0.877: “definitely, it was a positive test. We tried a lot of things and compared the old and new carbon chassis. In the afternoon we tried some new swingarms, and in theory everything seems to be going great. The chassis helps with braking stability, which is helpful for me. We also improved on our best time of the weekend, and that was important. So in general, everything is positive and we are working well when it comes to Assen and the other races, even if the weather is not always good in Holland! »
Maverick Vinales, 9th, +0.881: “We worked a lot with a full tank, especially focusing on the first five-six laps, where I had the most difficulty. I think we improved a lot at the end of the afternoon, and I'm happy with that. I tried to sit a little further back, because I thought I could ride better like that. It didn't happen like that, because it disrupts the front. Ultimately the bike was the same, we just tried different settings to make the front tire work. I think we did a good job today, but it's just a testing day, we have to prove it in a race. I hope to come back strong in Assen and be able to attack from the start of the race. The bike is there, I just need to do the first five laps in a good rhythm.”
Franco Morbidelli, 12th, +1.088:“We focused today on the traction control and anti-wheelie settings to better understand how the bike behaves. Both with the hard rubber and the soft rubber, we have gained traction. I had a very good pace and improved my times compared to the race. It's positive. I also tried the new one before which Michelin plans to introduce next year. There are some things better but I prefer the current tire for the moment. »
Hafiz Syahrin, 13th, +1.192: “We just tried a new Michelin tire today, and I worked on my driving style. I modified my braking to brake harder initially so I could stop the bike more easily. We have taken a good step. After yesterday's accident I'm not feeling in great shape, so we stopped a little early today. Regardless, we are on a very good path and we try to continue working in this direction. I hope I can continue like last weekend when we are at Assen, being strong from the first free practice session.”
Valentino Rossi, 14th, +1.208: “we had different things to try today to try to improve the acceleration. We worked hard and we also worked on other details, like for example a Michelin tire for the future which I liked because it was not bad, but unfortunately we were not able to improve our performance and acceleration. Well, that’s how it is! This test could be important to take a small step forward because the next test will be in Brno after the break, but now the plan is simply to race with the bike we had yesterday racing for the next races. And we hope to improve in the next test.”
Espargaro Pol, 17th, +1.805: “I feel worse and worse (laughs). Everything wakes up after the fall which was rapid in the last corner. Luckily I didn't have anything broken and everything seems to be looking good. And luckily, it was at the end of the test.”
Tom Luthi: 20th, +2.291: “It was important today to be able to do as many laps as possible in order to improve my feeling with the bike. By crashing at the start of the race I didn't have time to really get the feel of the bike on this circuit. So I did a lot of laps to improve my sensations with the front axle. The goal was not to go for a time but to gain confidence and feeling. In this respect, this session was positive. I think we have found a good direction for the next races. »
Sylvain Guintoli, 21st, +2.400: “today was great. First of all, getting back on the bike, because yesterday I was so disappointed to give up so early in the race, and I was really happy to get back out there and enjoy it again. The test program went well, we tested new elements such as new electronic configurations, and for me it was very good. We also found other positive elements, such as a different fork. Everything we've tried performs well and this has been great. The bike feels really good now, especially after I went back to a longer fork and got better feedback from the front tire.”
| Pos | No | Pile | Motorcycle | Chrono | Diff | |
| 1 | 93 | Marc Marquez | Honda RC213V | 1:38.916 | ||
| 2 | 29 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki GSX-RR | 1:39.020 | 0.104 | |
| 3 | 53 | Tito Rabat | Ducati GP17 | 1:39.362 | 0.446 | |
| 4 | 9 | Danilo Petrucci | Ducati GP18 | 1:39.488 | 0.572 | |
| 5 | 5 | Johann zarco | Yamaha M1 | 1:39.534 | 0.618 | |
| 6 | 35 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda RC213V | 1:39.727 | 0.811 | |
| 7 | 26 | Dani Pedrosa | Honda RC213V | 1:39.738 | 0.822 | |
| 8 | 42 | alex rins | Suzuki GSX-RR | 1:39.793 | 0.877 | |
| 9 | 25 | Maverick Vinales | Yamaha M1 | 1:39.797 | 0.881 | |
| 10 | 43 | Jack Miller | Ducati GP17 | 1:39.799 | 0.883 | |
| 11 | 41 | Alex Espargaro | Aprilia RS-GP | 1:39.915 | 0.999 | |
| 12 | 21 | Franco Morbidelli | Honda RC213V | 1:40.004 | 1.088 | |
| 13 | 55 | Hafiz Syahrin | Yamaha M1 | 1:40.108 | 1.192 | |
| 14 | 46 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha M1 | 1:40.124 | 1.208 | |
| 15 | 38 | Bradley Smith | KTM RC16 | 1:40.462 | 1.546 | |
| 16 | 30 | Takaaki Nakagami | Honda RC213V | 1:40.541 | 1.625 | |
| 17 | 44 | Espargaro Pol | KTM RC16 | 1:40.721 | 1.805 | |
| 18 | 45 | Scott Redding | Aprilia RS-GP | 1:40.732 | 1.816 | |
| 19 | 10 | Xavier Simeon | Ducati GP16 | 1:41.145 | 2.229 | |
| 20 | 12 | Tom Luthi | Honda RC213V | 1:41.207 | 2.291 | |
| 21 | 50 | Sylvain Guintoli | Suzuki GSX-RR | 1:41.316 | 2.400 | |
| 22 | 36 | Mika Kallio | KTM RC16 | 1:41.976 | 3.060 |
Photo credit: Michelin, MotoGP.com
