MotoGP Test Jerez J2 LIVE: the last track day of the year live!

Le first day of IRTA MotoGP class testing organized on the Jerez circuit saw many innovations on the track. And for good reason: it was the first test in view of a 2022 MotoGP which already promises to be exciting…

Five rookies, Marco Bezzecchi on the Ducati of Team VR46, Fabio DiGiannantonio on the Ducati of Team Gresini, Darryn binder on the Yamaha of Team RNF (ex Petronas) and Raul Fernandez et Remy gardner on the KTM RC16 of Team Tech3 apprehended their new world. There are also new features for the teams. So, for the first time in many years, the team Gresini took to the track as an independent team. THE VR46 Racing Team debuted with the rookie Marco Bezzecchi, flanked by Luca marini, wheras'Andrea Dovizioso was able to test the 2022 version of the Yamaha M1, in the newborn Yamaha RNF Team, born from the “ashes” of Team Petronas. “ Dovi » was joined by Darryn binder, who went from Moto3 to MotoGP.

The fastest at the end of the first day was Takaaki Nakagami, who achieved the best lap with a time of 1'37.313. The Japanese rider of Team LCR, who also took to the track with the prototype of the 2022 motorcycle, beat three Ducatis, in order those of John Zarco (Pramac), Enea Bastianini (Gresini) and Francis Bagnaia (Team Factory). zarco was only 43 thousandths behind the Japanese and in turn ahead bastianini by only 46 thousandths. The former Avintia pilot is not ahead bagnaia than 13 thousandths.

At Ducati, officials bagnaia et Miller each had a 2022 motorcycle with the new engine, while at Pramac there was only a 2022 Desmosedici to share between the Frenchman and George Martin. All other Ducati riders had the 2021 bike.

Maverick Vinales with Aprilia signed the fifth time ahead of the Suzuki ofAlex Rins, the Yamaha Factory of Franco Morbidelli and Jack Miller's Ducati. fabio quartararo (Yamaha Factory) and Brad Binder (KTM Factory) close the Top Ten. The best rookie was Raul fernandez, who on Team Tech16's KTM RC3 set the 19th time 1.770s from the top. His teammate Remy gardner, 2 Moto2021 champion and diminished by a rib injury, finished 24th, 2.857 seconds behind Nakagami.

What will this second day in Jerez have in store for us, which is also the last opportunity to see MotoGP on track with the regular riders? Before answering this question, here is a reminder of the ranking established on a sunny but also windy Thursday.

20° in the air and a track at 14.3° illuminated by a beautiful sun are the conditions offered to the pilots for the 08 hours of exercise. No one takes the track at the opening of hostilities. The terrain is still too cold... After the Jerez tests, the drivers will benefit from a long winter break: they will be back on track on February 5 for the Sepang tests. The new season will officially begin on March 6 in Qatar, with the first 2022 Grand Prix.

Pol Espargaro is the first to venture out of the stands. he puts the first reference in 1'37.955. Dani Pedrosa follows in the footsteps of the KTM.

10h35: Mir takes the lead with 1'37.907. Behind him : Pol Espargarò, Dovizioso, Vinales, Bezzecchi et Aleix Espargarò.

The Aprilia is doing very well in this first phase of testing: Casa Particular in Viñales is in third position, followed by his teammate Aleix Espargaro.

10:52 TOP 10: Nakagami, Mir, P.Espargarò, Rins, Quartararo Vinales, Oliveira, B.Binder, A.Espargarò, Dovizioso et A. Marquez leads the rest of the peloton. Nakagami , after being the best during the first day of testing, is currently in the lead during the second day with a performance in 1'37.672.

After a first day of testing with some difficulties, Quarterly achieves what currently represents the second best time in 1'37.816.

The times after uno test time

alex rins falls in turn 6, causing the first crash of the day. A new detail appeared on the Ducati of bagnaia and it's a new escapement, much longer:

The new version of the Desmosedici is starting to bear fruit: bagnaia exceeds Nakagami and takes the lead with a time of 1'36,872.

This is the image that scares everyone for 2022…

The family getting bigger and bigger 😍 Meet your 2022 @MotoGP #Ducati riders 🔥 #2022loading #ForzaDucati pic.twitter.com/YRadO19xqj

- Ducati Corse (@ducaticorse) November 19, 2021

It’s noon, enjoy your meal!

New sticker alert 🚨 @FabioQ20 is riding with a special 20 during pre-season testing 👀 # 2022Loading | #MonsterYamaha | #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/CK6ifcuUt1

- Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP (@YamahaMotoGP) November 19, 2021

Miller et bagnaia have two different motorcycles available: one with a new fairing and one in the 2021 version.

Raul fernandez is stopped by a technical problem. Here are the times at lunchtime.

Here are the times as we approach the 13h :

As happened on the first day of testing, Dovizioso rides with the M1 prototype in 2022 version. Pol Espargaró also used the Honda 2022 prototype. First fall for Darryn Binder. The pilot is fine.

13:35 p.m.: on the track we find only the brothers Binder et A. Marquez. The pilots take their lunch break. Only four hours left before the end of the day but Suzuki has already announced that its drivers will debrief around 14 p.m....

Ranking at 14 p.m.:

For a long time, fabio quartararo was the only driver on track. He has just been joined by Takaaki Nakagami but the pilots complain of the wind which makes any comparison of elements very difficult.
It is therefore possible that many pilots will stop this last day quite early.

Alex Espargaro et Miguel Oliveira are back on track while the Pramac team also announces the end of testing at 15 p.m. for Jorge Martin et Johann zarco.

The record of Maverick Vinales in 1'36.584 has held up well so far but it is undeniable that Ducatis are scary when going on vacation. The demonstration carried out in Valencia left its mark on people's minds and the time achieved by Francis Bagnaia during this test relegates everyone to almost half a second in the combined ranking and even to 8 tenths on this very windy day.

Doubt, even apprehension, is therefore clearly in the minds of the competition, even if no information concerning the tires used is disseminated, including to the teams themselves...

Johann zarco decides to add a little layer before his debriefing. Already author of the greatest number of laps yesterday (79), he is still there today with 53 units completed… for the moment.

Ranking at 15 p.m.:

During the Suzuki debriefing (which ultimately does not mean that the tests are over since his teammate has returned to the track), alex rins stressed the importance of Sylvain Guintoli, whose comments push Suzuki in the same direction as him.

At 15:30 p.m., when he is expected for his debriefing, Johann zarco is improving his first two sectors on the track… 🙂

On track, Bagnaia, Vinales, Quartararo, Mir, Brad Binder, Morbidelli, Zarco, Marquez, Fernandez, Guintoli, Bezzecchi, Darryn Binder.

Maverick Vinales achieves the 2nd time of the day, 0,787 thousandths behind Pecco Bagnaia.

A little before 16 p.m., things got lively with first of all the 4th place ofAlex Marquez then the 2nd of fabio quartararo, but still 7 tenths of Francis Bagnaia.

Ranking at 16 p.m.:

We questioned Johann zarco on the performance of Pecco Bagnaia. Basically, he switched to soft tires before the wind picked up…

At 16:07 p.m., Espargaro Pol jumped to 3rd position, then to 2nd on the next pass. Joan mir takes 4th place.

Jack Miller enters the top 10, Alex Rins achieves the 2nd time, 0,551 behind Pecco Bagnaia.

fabio quartararo makes his effort but stumbles in the 4th sector. After a few attempts, El Diablo However, he managed to regain 2nd place, 0,525 then 0,452 seconds behind the Italian.

Ranking at 17 p.m.:

It's still daytime in Jerez, but the temperatures are dropping. Lorenzo Savadori et Brad Binder are still on track but we no longer expect significant improvements.

We note the performance of the rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio who leads the way for beginners, just behind the two Pramac drivers. If Ducatis start to be beginner friendly, “We’re bad, we’re bad!” »...