With Valencia, Malaysia and Australia, the first salvo of the official 2017 MotoGP tests has concluded. Everyone obviously noted the excellent performances of Maverick Vinales, who left it to no one to write his name at the top of each timing sheet and throughout these eight days of testing.
However, to this day, Marc Márquez revealed itself to be clearly fastest in race pace.
However, this was not enough to reassure the Catalan driver who continues to mention electronic/motor connection problems and who still has to choose between two specifications of the latter.
It is with this in mind that two new days of testing were planned, private this time, first in Sepang then finally in Jerez so as not to encounter the resurgence problems on the Malaysian track again.
Yes, despite a small fall during which he dislocated his shoulder, Marc Márquez declared this fact to himself on the only day he was able to ride in Spain, it seems to be the same for his teammate who, for his part, obviously had in addition to his program the choice of the frame with which he will perform at least the start of the season.
However, we have not failed to note that, since the tests at Phillip Island, Dani Pedrosa used the
same chassis as Cal Crutchlow. This frame, with greater flexibility due to its much thinner spars than those of the 2014, 2015 and 2016 models, was initially designed for Dani Pedrosa himself.
Tested during the race in Barcelona by the latter, it did not really satisfy the number 26 and was then made available to Cal Crutchlow.
The least we can say is that the latter had made good use of it, leading him to victory in Australia (classic setting in the Czech Republic), which is perhaps one of the elements which brought Dani Pedrosa to reconsider his judgment on him.
Tested with apparent satisfaction on tracks as different as Phillip Island and Jerez, it would seem logical that we see it again during the next tests which will take place on the Losail circuit, from March 10.
According to these photos made available by Repsol, we can legitimately ask the question whether a new front air intake was not tried in Jerez, with a lower lip more advanced to provide support. However, we are still very wary of optical illusions and will therefore wait for new information to be able to be categorical.
