On Wednesday and Thursday, the MotoGP riders took possession of the Jerez circuit for the second official 2019 pre-season test. A final opportunity for the manufacturers to fine-tune their machines before returning to the track at Sepang next February.
Here's the gist of what you need to remember.
Ducati always at the forefront of research
The Borgo Panigale factory has unveiled several new technical features visible on the Desmosedici, starting with an aerodynamic appendage placed at the rear of the saddle intended to provide support.
Among other curiosities, the transalpine firm has also released a system installed between the rear brake caliper and the suspension link. According to some, this mechanism is none other than that already tested in the past on many motorcycles, racing but also production, which allows the suspensions to be seated when the brakes are applied and to avoid parasitic movements. Jack Miller, Danilo Petrucci and Alvaro Bautista would have achieved their best lap with this device.
Danilo Petrucci, although slower on Thursday, concludes this test with the second time in the combined ranking: “I am satisfied with this test, but also with the one in Valencia,” confided the Italian at the end of the day. “I was very fast yesterday, especially on worn tires. We tried a lot of things on the bike and evaluated several solutions. We tried a new rear. The feeling was a little worse today. At the end of the day, we put on a new tire to assess the track conditions. Trying a lot of things, it was difficult to stay in 1'37. I suffered a lot to stay in 1'38. But we are still here and that bodes well for the future. I'm happy, but we have to wait until Sepang. I have often been fast with low temperatures. If I'm also quick at it, then we can see the bigger picture. I think we understood a lot today. »
Ranked seventh and second Ducati rider, two tenths behind Takaaki Nakagami, his teammate Andrea Dovizioso underlines that the times of a test are not significant: “After three years with the Michelins, I think everyone has understood that the times at the end of a test mean nothing,” explained the vice-world champion. “Especially when the drivers are very close. It's not that important. There are many ways to approach a test: some will give 99% and others 80% when trying out pieces. We don't have a lot of tires and you have to decide whether to use them for a lap time or to do a parts comparison. »
Dovizioso nevertheless took advantage of these two days to confirm his feeling for Valencia, although injured in his left hand following a fall late Wednesday afternoon: “The pieces we compared here give us the same feeling as in Valencia. We didn't have a brand new bike, we had things to try and we needed to give the right feedback, but we need to do more. »
Honda watches closely
With Takaaki Nakagami author of the best time, Honda compensates for the absence of Cal Crutchlow. Riding the Briton's factory RC213V, the Japanese set the benchmark in 1'37.945 on Thursday evening. “We compared different shock absorbers and different links to improve the grip at the rear, and that's why we achieved the best time. It's the best way to end the season.", he confided in his debriefing, “Marc has a special talent, so I try to learn from him.”
Third, Marc Marquez gave a positive assessment of his two days in Jerez. “We focused more on the details and straight away the feeling was good this morning,” he explained. “We spent some time testing some medium and hard tires and evaluated a few new things. Some updates have been good, others not so much. We have improved the engine and we need to continue working on this as well as the chassis. »
For the seven-time world champion, it is now time to take care of his left shoulder. “Operation next week and recovery all winter. It's a long recovery, and I may not be 100% in Malaysia. But I will have February and March to work on my physique. »
Marc Marquez tried new fins, as did his teammate Jorge Lorenzo who does not yet have the right to speak to the press.
Different opinions at Yamaha
The official Yamaha riders had roughly only one task during these two days in Andalusia: to choose which of the two new engines they would use next year. Maverick Vinales behaved very well by winning the third time on Thursday, which, logically, makes him very satisfied. “We kept a very good pace because we used a lot of worn tires and I'm happy because, at the end, when I attacked on a lap, the bike responded quite well. I know we can improve the chassis a lot, but at the moment we are focusing a lot on the engine. For me, it's quite clear and we'll see what we're going to say and do after the meeting." declared the Spanish driver who completed 78 laps and is already anticipating the next tests, “The important thing was to find the basis for the settings and, for Malaysia, yes, I think we need to improve the top speed a little because it is important on the long circuits. We need more traction and that's still our weak point, but I think overall we have a really competitive bike. We only wanted to test the engine. The times were there, very regular, roughly 38 or less than 39, and I think that's very good. »
Conversely, his famous teammate sounded the alarm on Wednesday after finishing the session in 17th position, 1,6 seconds from the lead. » The steering is pretty clear when choosing between engines but, from what I feel, it doesn't make a huge difference. In my opinion, it must be clear to Yamaha that this is not enough. In my opinion, if we raced tomorrow, we would be 5th, 6th, 7th, and maybe 4th if there was a crash in front. But we wouldn't fight for victory.", said Valentino Rossi.Having gained a second on the second day, the Italian's speech becomes a little more measured but nevertheless maintains the same conclusion as the day before: “I think with the engine we tested today it's quite easy to make the decision. Today we worked and it was a little better, especially regarding the pace. But for me, we have a lot of work to do if we want to try to be competitive against the Hondas and the Ducatis, but also the Suzukis. So I hope Yamaha will continue to push to give us something better in February.”
Suzuki prepares for a year without benefits
At Suzuki, we didn't really chase the clock, wanting to take advantage of every minute to work for next season. The Japanese manufacturer's two drivers are in the Top 15 and, despite a crash on Wednesday for alex rins, he gave a very positive assessment of these tests: “These two days were very positive because we tried everything, new chassis, new engine, and we made a lot of comparisons. Yesterday I was more focused on the chassis and today on the engine. This morning we started with the 2018 chassis and the new engine specs, and we tried all the suggestions the engineers made; it was very positive. We haven't finalized the engine yet, but engineers will work on it. We have worked very hard and we feel like we can have a very competitive bike. »
Finalizing the engine is essential for Suzuki, which will lose its advantages (called concessions) next year, and will no longer be able to develop its 4-cylinder in-line during the year. Joan Mir et Sylvain Guintoli were therefore also involved.
“It was a very hard day today. We were really focused on testing the new parts because we need to get everything ready for winter so the guys in Japan can continue their work there. The day was pretty positive, we tried a bit of everything and made some comparisons and it was useful. We weren't focused on lap times today, it was more about me testing the engine. We have a lot of good information to send to Japan. I feel like I'm improving every session, I still have to get used to riding the big bike, but it's going well", declared the rookie Joan mir at the end of the second day, while the French test pilot specified: “This test has been very helpful to us when it comes to charting the path forward for next year. The loss of concessions made our work during these testing days all the more relevant as once the choice of engine is settled, this will obviously be the case. We all worked a lot during this test in Jerez, and we are very happy with the work we did. I'm going to miss my bike for the next two months! But we have achieved a lot with testing and as we saw in 2018, the work of testing really pays off on the track. »
Zarco makes his mark at KTM
The KTM representatives were more discreet at Jerez, with Pol Espargaro leading the Austrian bikes with the 17th time. Johann zarco, 19th, continued to work on the RC16. “I started my fourth day on KTM with a better level”, explained the Frenchman. “I controlled the bike better and we improved a bit. We then tried different things and different bikes, and we got good responses. We encountered a technical problem and the mechanics took time to fix everything on the bike. But as I said, my feeling is improving and during my last run, I set a time only a tenth of my best time. I feel better on the bike and I was able to try to progress over several laps. When we don't progress, we manage to improve our consistency and that means we are growing, but it takes time. »
Having made a mistake twice in Valencia, the French driver made no mistakes in Andalusia: “I reached a milestone in terms of driving and I was able to give good feedback.” And Zarco added: “Copying Pol’s style is not the solution to winning races. I can draw inspiration from it for certain points. I am at the start of a new era to grow as a driver. I play in a great team and this opportunity comes at the right time, because I have enough maturity to remain calm. »
Before treating himself to a few days of rest, Zarco has a few meetings on his schedule before returning to training at the beginning of January. “You have to keep training like you can win. You have to know how to appreciate the present moment. »
The rookies shine
In the clan of rookies, Francis Bagnaia was incisive in Jerez aboard his GP17. The reigning Moto2 World Champion took the ninth fastest time and said he was delighted with his adaptation to the premier category. “The feeling progressed lap after lap”, he said. “I am also delighted because we have improved the braking phases compared to the first day. We still have room for improvement, but we are undoubtedly in the right direction. »
Ranked sixth in the hierarchy in the middle of the afternoon, fabio quartararo continued his learning, progressing with each outing. If braking was the aspect that surprised him the most in Valencia, in Jerez it was rather the top speed: “In Valencia, we had the possibility of staying behind the bubble until braking. Here, just out of a bend, we have very little time,” he smiled on Wednesday. “Compared to Moto2, it’s super short! » The Niçois, however, made significant progress on Thursday, gaining almost six tenths. “I feel better and better on the bike”, he pointed out. “I adapted my riding position to counter wheelies and also learned to use the rear brake. »
To improve his style, Quartararo knows that he can count on the support of his team manager, Wilco Zeelenberg, stationed at the side of the track alongside his long-time friend Torleif Hartelman, the coach of the Petronas team. “I didn't make a mistake, I didn't fall. » The Yamaha rider, delighted with his debut in MotoGP, is however still having a little trouble being very fast on a lap, a bit like in Moto2, “but I am consistent, especially with worn tires. » Between now and the start at Sepang, Quartararo will spend a few days in the United States to follow a training program with Jack Miller and Marcel Schrötter.
Rossi and Cadalora, it's over
Luca Cadalora, Valentino Rossi's trackside coach for three years, has for his part decided to bow out. The three-time world champion, tired of traveling, decided to stay at home. Valentino Rossi, who has not appeared on the first step of the podium since Assen last year, could call on former driver Idalio Gavira, already coach of the VR46 structure.
MotoGP test ranking in Jerez J.2:
MotoGP test ranking in Jerez J.1:
Credit rankings: MotoGP.com
