Like all of his colleagues, Marc Márquez discovered the Buriram track which will be the playing field for the next and unique Thai Grand Prix from October 5 to 7. And the World Champion leaves delighted with this first contact in the furnace, riding a new Honda which seems decidedly well born since it was Cal Crutchlow's RC213V which completed the race. the first of three days of testing in the lead, while Pedrosa is in the top 5.
The return to Malaysia went well and the rest in Thailand was of the same order. At Honda, we are enjoying this off-season and although we still need to refine our choices, it seems obvious that the basis is good. Basic certainties that the competition does not yet seem to have. In fact, the reigning World Champion is already eyeing the track record which remains to be established: “ I think we will be able to do a good 1'29, but I don't think we will be able to go down to 1'28 » estimates the one who finished his exercise with a 1'30.921, returning 0,115s to Cal Crutchlow.
« This day was interesting and firstly because it's always nice to discover a new track. We always find new things at these times. In the morning, I focused on my lines, the balance of the bike and the electronics. During the afternoon, we focused on the new stuff. I quickly found the right base. For the racing settings, you still have to wait the next two days before knowing more ».
« We are focused on setting up the electronics. Tomorrow, we will evaluate the big new features, which we have already tested at Sepang but which we will try again. On the tire side, it's okay, Michelin has brought four types of rear rubber. I haven't taken the softer ones yet because the track is still dirty. At the front I took the hardest tire ».
« We are fast and we have already tested a lot of things. Buriram is very similar to Sepang so that the engine with the most torque seems the most advantageous here. But on European tracks, it might be too much. This is our thinking at the moment and the situation is clearer than at Sepang. We are moving towards the latest version of the engine. All three drivers and the engineers in Japan agree on this. But we still have problems to solve ».
The Buriram tests will continue until Sunday.
#ThaiTest MotoGP Buriram J.1: Chronos
1. Cal Crutchlow, Honda, 1:30,797 min
2. Alex Rins, Suzuki, +0,012
3. Marc Marquez, Honda, +0,115
4. Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati, +0,148
5. Dani Pedrosa, Honda, +0,163
6. Danilo Petrucci, Ducati, +0,206
7. Jack Miller, Ducati, +0,247
8. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, +0,392
9. Andrea Iannone, Suzuki, +0,438
10. Jorge Lorenzo, Ducati, +0,449
11. Maverick Vinales, Yamaha, +0,497
12. Johann Zarco, Yamaha, +0,508
13. Tito Rabat, Ducati, +0,726
14. Álvaro Bautista, Ducati, +0,728
15. Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia, +0,865
16. Scott Redding, Aprilia, +0,888
17. Takaaki Nakagami, Honda, +0,895
18. Karel Abraham, Ducati, +0,901
19. Franco Morbidelli, Honda, +0,932
20. Bradley Smith, KTM, +0,944
21. Tom Lüthi, Honda, +1,919
22. Xavier Siméon, Ducati, +1,923
23. Mika Kallio, KTM, +1,952
24. Hafizh Syahrin, Yamaha, +2,368
