We'll have to get used to it this year: things turn around quickly in MotoGP and moods are in unison. From one day to the next, you can have a pilot in ecstasy and then the same pilot in depression. All things considered, it's a bit of this emotional roller coaster that we shared Valentino Rossi who regretted his Sunday before reveling in this Monday at Losail which closed the 2019 off-season.
The next time we see these riders and these bikes on the track again, it will be for real. For a Qatar Grand Prix which will open a 2019 ball which promises to be exciting. Because today's truth could be tomorrow's lie!
Take the case of the Doctor. At the end of the second day in Losail, Red had said the team had taken a wrong turn in search of more traction on the rear wheel. He was in 19th place. “Yesterday we tried a lot of things, maybe too much, in the end I lost the good sense for the bike. Sunday was difficult » diagnoses the Doctor. “ But today we have taken a step back. We took more settings from Sepang, which made me feel better. Before the last hour and a half I had a problem with the bike, I had to take a pit break. But in the last 90 minutes I felt good. My pace is good. At the end of the test, my results were positive. I think we can be quite strong in the Grand Prix ».
Here he is fourth. “ Maverick is in great shape, he drives very well. The second name to mention is Rins, who has always been fast this winter »Develops Valentino Rossi. " Joan Mir surprised us a lot, and you can never forget the two Ducati factories of Dovi and Petrux. Dovi is still strong in Qatar, but Petrucci was also impressive in this test. And of course Marquez. These are the best drivers for me right now ».
We therefore forget the two residents of the Petronas satellite team, whose fabio quartararo, still second. And we focus on this top speed which is still missing from the M1 in Qatar. The maximum speed deficit raised by Red et Casa Particular in Viñales remains a problem. Casa Particular in Viñales reached 327,2 km/h on Monday, Márquez 337,5 km / h, Red 332,3 km/h. But Petrucci drove 336,4 km/h, and Dovizioso even at 337,5 km/h.
But the 10 km/h missing since Sunday is no longer the subject of discussion, because the Yamaha factory arrived, on the third day, with more momentum in the corners. “ It's no secret that Yamaha has been struggling to achieve a better top speed since 2004. It's been a problem ever since. So, don't think we solved the problem overnight », smiles Valentino. “ I was once behind a Ducati factory. If we can take advantage of the slipstream, we can ride ».
What can you do with a Yamaha from this season? “ Hard to say. In the time trial with new tires we have a lot of Yamaha in front, all four in the top 6. That's good, Franco and Quartararo were also strong. In racing conditions we always have disadvantages compared to the best drivers, and I'm talking about Márquez, Dovi, Rins. On the other hand, Maverick is very fast in running pace. This is positive for Yamaha. The test didn't go wrong. Now I can't wait for the Grand Prix. Yamaha has worked a lot in recent months. We have seen progress since Sepang. I wasn't that fast on the attack, but the pace of the race was acceptable. We have improved. But I am convinced that we need more if we want to get past the Honda factory and the Ducati factory. It's my opinion ».
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 |
