MotoGP Test Portimão J1: Aleix Espargaró the fastest? Nothing really surprising!

At the end of the atypical first day of testing held today in Portimão, Aleix Espargaró proved to be the fastest, just as well this morning only this afternoon.

In 1'40.880 this morning, the Aprilia rider improved this afternoon, in 1'40.170, to compare with the pole position achieved by Jonathan Sale this year in 1'40.373.

Can we draw any conclusions from this? Paradoxically, no and yes.

No, because he is the only MotoGP rider who rides his own machine, due to the concessions granted to the Noale firm.

Yes, because, if necessary, it incidentally demonstrates the small difference that exists between a regular rider and a test rider, even if he is from MotoGP…

Behind the number 41, we find Bradley Smith and Stefan bradl who, like the Spaniard, must stop testing this evening to go to Le Mans. He will not be replaced tomorrow in Portugal, unlike the Aprilia rider who will leave his handlebars to Lorenzo Savadori.

Come next Michael Pirro, who only took to the track 20 minutes from the checkered flag, Sylvain Guintoli et Dani Pedrosa, all in very close times, busy defining the gearbox layout and testing the four types of front and rear tires to report back to Michelin.

Concerning the incumbent MotoGP riders riding on production motorcycles, the highlight of the afternoon is, unlike this morning, the use of a transponder by Maverick Vinales.

The Yamaha rider proved to be particularly diligent, with no less than 42 laps completed on the handlebars of his R1, while also proving to be particularly fast, a second faster than Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder.

Finally, at the back of the pack, Jorge Lorenzo, riding his 1 M2019, has reduced his gap on the three R1s compared to this morning, but we can still wonder what benefit they will get from it Fabio Quartararo, Maverick Vinales, Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi in November, during the Grand Prix…

LIVE TIMING