The last test of the MotoGP off-season at Qatar showed that nothing will be simple at Honda this season in MotoGP. At least at first. The new RC213V has knocked down its four riders and the three equipped with the latest opus have serious questions about the front of their bike. As for the engine, it seems to be fine. All with champions still below their optimal form. But Marc Márquez did not give up and finally placed third. But without a margin of safety...
Two falls on Monday, in addition to that of Saturday, Marc Márquez remains the one who often falls while remaining at the top of the ranking. Diminished by a still recovering shoulder and, above all, a recalcitrant Honda, he did not do a race simulation on the field of the first Grand Prix of the year in Qatar. For only 40 thousandths, he dominates his new teammate, Lorenzo. But more is needed to worry him…
The seven-time winner states: “ we are well ". The Honda official, barely 26 years old, secured third place behind Maverick Vinales et fabio quartararo Monday, but fell 0,405 seconds off the best time. “ This Monday, I felt ready to start the season,” said Marc. “We did a good job. I'm very happy with how the day went and how we finished the pre-season, especially in these tests we improved day by day. I think I have good pace, enough to fight for the podium even on a circuit we don't particularly like like this. But we still have to move forward. I don't feel 100% comfortable on the bike yet. However, we found the right feeling for the machine here in Qatar. Normally, the Losail circuit is a track that causes us problems. But we're not bad. It's gratifying. Very positive ».
« It was colder on the last evening than the previous ones, so it bothered me a little », declared the teammate of a fifth-placed Lorenzo, who also fell. “ There was a lot of wind. Normally I ride here with the hard front tire. But I did not follow this choice because, in these conditions, the hard tire was too dangerous. It was too cold for that. I wasn't able to do a particularly long run because it was cold and windy. A weak point remains the front which, despite a new chassis, remains difficult to interpret. We saw it today; when temperatures dropped, all 3 Hondas crashed. We need to understand why.”
" The fall ? I tested my shoulder well and I'm ready for battle (laughs). I'm not 100% with the bike but the pace is good and that allows me to be optimistic. Others ? On a single lap, I saw Valentino and Quartararo, and on the pace there are around four: the two Ducatis did not show everything, and I add Rins and Vinales to them. In pre-season, however, they are all fast, and the same goes for the first race because they have all done testing. In the following races there will be no tests, and there will only be three days of weekend: it will be more difficult for everyone. Lorenzo had a very good time today, but the pace is far behind. We will see during the weekend, also because it is a track where it is generally fast. Obviously he needs time, but at HRC you always have to be among the first.”
He concludes: “Finally, I completed eight laps in a row, which did not cause me any physical discomfort. Of course, the race is longer than 22 laps. But I feel good. I'm ready for the start of the season and very happy with the end of winter testing ».
MotoGP, Qatar J3 Test: times
| 1 | 12 | Maverick Vinales | Yamaha M1 | 1:54.208 | ||
| 2 | 20 | fabio quartararo | Yamaha M1 | 1:54.441 | 0.233 | 0.233 |
| 3 | 93 | Marc Márquez | Honda RC213V | 1:54.613 | 0.405 | 0.172 |
| 4 | 46 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha M1 | 1:54.651 | 0.443 | 0.038 |
| 5 | 99 | Jorge Lorenzo | Honda RC213V | 1:54.653 | 0.445 | 0.002 |
| 6 | 21 | Franco Morbidelli | Yamaha M1 | 1:54.660 | 0.452 | 0.007 |
| 7 | 44 | Pol Espargaro | KTM RC16 | 1:54.770 | 0.562 | 0.110 |
| 8 | 30 | Takaaki Nakagami | Honda RC213V | 1:54.789 | 0.581 | 0.019 |
| 9 | 9 | Danilo Petrucci | Ducati GP19 | 1:54.818 | 0.610 | 0.029 |
| 10 | 43 | Jack Miller | Ducati GP19 | 1:54.851 | 0.643 | 0.033 |
| 11 | 42 | Alex Rins | Suzuki GSX-RR | 1:54.852 | 0.644 | 0.001 |
| 12 | 36 | Joan mir | Suzuki GSX-RR | 1:54.997 | 0.789 | 0.145 |
| 13 | 63 | Francis Bagnaia | Ducati GP18 | 1:55.074 | 0.866 | 0.077 |
| 14 | 53 | Tito Rabat | Ducati GP18 | 1:55.229 | 1.021 | 0.155 |
| 15 | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati GP19 | 1:55.233 | 1.025 | 0.004 |
| 16 | 29 | Andrea Iannone | Aprilia RS-GP | 1:55.343 | 1.135 | 0.110 |
| 17 | 35 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda RC213V | 1:55.690 | 1.482 | 0.347 |
| 18 | 88 | Miguel Oliveira | KTM RC16 | 1:55.773 | 1.565 | 0.083 |
| 19 | 41 | Aleix Espargaró | Aprilia RS-GP | 1:55.814 | 1.606 | 0.041 |
| 20 | 38 | Bradley Smith | Aprilia RS-GP | 1:56.072 | 1.864 | 0.258 |
| 21 | 17 | Karel Abraham | Ducati GP18 | 1:56.121 | 1.913 | 0.049 |
| 22 | 5 | Johann zarco | KTM RC16 | 1:56.162 | 1.954 | 0.041 |
| 23 | 55 | Hafiz Syahrin | KTM RC16 | 1:56.371 | 2.163 | 0.209 |
