The pre-season test held this week in Sepang was not easy for Aprilia. Handicapped by two riders from the first hours of running, the Noale factory completed the three days of running with a rookie, Ai Ogura, its test rider, Lorenzo Savadori, and Marco Bezzecchi. The brand's factory rider did not lose heart, however, and worked hard to tick all the boxes on Aprilia's programme.
Despite the nightmare that Aprilia experienced this Wednesday, losing two of its riders in falls with serious consequences, the Italian brand can be satisfied with the work done, and assures that it has a solid base for the start of the season.
This Friday, Lorenzo Savadori focused on the electronic part, and on testing some parts belonging to the field of aerodynamics. For his part, Marco Bezzecchi was preparing for the start of the championship. To do this, the Italian focused on testing several parts of the bike, with the aim of improving its performance.
The Italian ended the day with a smile and the satisfaction of having completed most of the tasks, without the precious help of Jorge Martín, who returned to Europe to undergo surgery.
"It was a good test, we tried almost everything we had planned, which is very positive, assures Marco Bezzecchi. I had the opportunity to do a time attack and it was good, I'm happy with the time I was able to do."
Like most of the riders during the morning of this third day, Bezzecchi actually focused on the time trial. He thus finished the session with the ninth time. The rest of the day was dedicated to many other test programs, which remain the priority of Aprilia, and the other factories of the grid.
In total, the number 72 completed a total of 61 laps, setting his best time in 1:57.328, less than a second off the lead, defended by Alex Marquez in 1:56.497, riding the Ducati Desmosedici GP24.
“This is my first real time-attack with this bike, and I have to say I'm satisfied, He continues. Anyway, the important thing for us is to focus on what we have to test, and stay focused on the end goal, which is to develop the whole package to the best of our ability and try to take the right direction for the start of the championship."
The championship will start in just under three weeks, in Thailand. In the meantime, the MotoGP riders will take part in two additional days of testing at the Buriram circuit. It remains to be seen how long Jorge Martín and Raul Fernandez will need to take to the track. While it seems complicated for both riders to take to the track next week, the target date remains the opening round of the championship.
The pressure on the shoulders of Marco Bezzecchi, Lorenzo Savadori and Ai Ogura will therefore certainly be the same next week, as they must ensure Aprilia's proper preparation for the 2025 season.
MotoGP – Sepang Test – Day 3 Classification:
Ranking : MotoGP.com
