During the two days of intense testing on the Sepang track, which ended a few hours earlier than planned due to the arrival of rain on the Malaysian track, numerous technical improvements were able to be tested, with a view to prepare for the 2022 season.
During the two days in Sepang we saw a lot of new things. After detailing the developments made on the track by Aprilia, Ducati and Honda, let's review the 3 other brands competing in the MotoGP category.
–KTM
At KTM we had communicated a lot about the restructuring, the hirings strengthening the staff, a Dani Pedrosa increasing in skill and involvement and all that promised us a new synergy, so virtuous that velocity would be the logical consequence. During the shakedown, the rookies from Tech3, and in particular Raul Fernandez, put the RC16s in a good position. Then the two days of testing with the tenors arrived, and they showed another reality: KTM remains far from the score one month before the start of the season.
After getting a little lost with too many different parts tried last year, KTM returned to a known basis, the prototype from early 2021, with which good results were obtained, and the Austrian engineers worked from this one. In a way, this means that they must first find the direction they want to go in, and then develop it.
They had a lot of new Sepang parts to test, three different aerodynamic packages, a new swingarm and many other developments, but it seemed that not everything was positive. New team boss Francesco Guidotti admitted that some plays were good and others not so much, and they need another stage of validation regarding some of the good plays at Mandalika. Still, they don't have enough time to bring new pieces to this weekend's Mandalika test.
This year it seems like KTM needs time to develop the bike they have, but they don't have enough time to do it before the season starts. The same problems still remain, a lack of grip at the rear leading to a lack of top speed and a difficult feeling with the front.
Nothing is lost, the technical teams at the Mattighofen factory are not giving up and are looking for solutions to progress before the first race of the season!
- Suzuki
Suzuki carried out discreet tests at Sepang which nevertheless suggest that the 2022 GSX-RR is really well born.
Their new engine allowed them to achieve the power level that the engineers desired, which now allows them to compete with some of the slower V4s in terms of top speed, which is excellent for an inline 4. Better yet for Suzuki, the engine seems to have retained much of its character. Joan Mir mentioned that they still needed to work on the electronics side to be able to control and better use the new engine.
New aerodynamic parts and chassis developments were also tested, and although Shinichi Sahara admitted that some parts worked and others didn't, it seemed the positives far outweighed the negatives at Suzuki.
Their progress at Sepang has not gone unnoticed by their competitors either, with Fabio Quartararo pointing out that Suzuki has made the biggest step forward of any factory.
–Yamaha
On the disappointment side, there is undoubtedly Yamaha. To the point that we no longer really dare to talk about the “new” M1. Like a cold shower which was also felt by sports director Maio Meregalli : “We expected more,” he openly admitted.
The top speed is not there and neither is the engine power. The new World Champion understood this when he discovered what Yamaha was offering him for the 2022 MotoGP season, and there was disappointment. The order from Iwata had been repeated this winter, and sometimes clearly, with the implication of a condition for deciding to renew the lease: the Frenchman wanted a more powerful engine for a top speed more in line with that of the Ducati.
And although Iwata's engineers found a little more power, it seems frustrations arose as Yamaha once again failed to find the power increase they needed and 'they wished. However, this prototype is by no means bad. After all, the M1 won the drivers' title last year with Quartararo. But the frustration is understandable because this machine does not seem to have progressed much technically during the offseason, unlike the competition.
Yamaha tested a new chassis and a new aerodynamic package, but both parts did not seem to allow them to achieve the desired improvements, leaving riders frustrated. Because what's more, the other three M1s are lagging behind, at the back of the pack, not even making the top 20.
Andrea Dovizioso insisted that the M1 must be driven very precisely and that to compete at the level they need to, they must push it to the limit. This is something Fabio Quartararo was able to do last year to win the title, but it may not be enough in 2022.
However, while it seems like there are a lot of concerns about Yamaha, there are also some positives. Fabio Quartararo was fast during the Sepang test and was pleased that his times were more than decent on fairly worn tires, with the Frenchman feeling comfortable in these conditions.
Although the reigning World Champion insisted there were positives, the biggest question mark from the Sepang test hangs over Yamaha's head and with only three days of testing remaining before Qatar, they are running out of time to find a considerable increase in performance.
But after all, Ducati has had the most powerful prototype on the MotoGP grid for almost 10 years, allowing them to break speed records on several tracks, and yet this has not allowed them to win the rider's title. Power is not everything, maneuverability and consistency are just as important!
Photos: Dorna Sports
