Official Sepang MotoGP Test results – Day 1 (FINAL)
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Marco Bezzecchi, using a 2022-spec Desmosedici, stole the limelight with a late lap of 1m 58.470s, with Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales then moving into second place to break what had been an all-Ducati top three for much of the day.
New factory Ducati rider Enea Bastianini, team-mate and reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia, plus Pramac’s Jorge Martin all took turns at the top on their way to third, fourth and fifth.
Other final-hour improvements by the likes of Johann Zarco, Fabio di Giannantonio, Alex Marquez and Franco Morbidelli pushed Fabio Quartararo and Marc Marquez to eleventh and twelfth.
Quartararo had three Yamahas in the Monster pits while Marquez had four RCVs in the Repsol Honda garage (one with a new ‘ground effect’ style fairing).
While the other KTMs looked to start on 2022 spec, Jack Miller appeared to go straight to the new parts, including the carbon-black fairing tested by Dani Pedrosa at the Shakedown. Brad Binder switched to the new aero later in the day.
Miller was the top RC16 rider in 16th.
- PICTURES: 2023 MotoGP action begins at the Official Sepang test
Sepang Test day one top speeds: 4LVPmN7mHi
— (@McLarenMotoGP) February 10, 2023
Following the Shakedown earlier this week, which saw Ducati’s Michele Pirro fastest from Yamaha’s Cal Crutchlow, the 2023 MotoGP race riders take over at the Malaysian circuit from Friday to Sunday.
Rookie Augusto Fernandez is the only rider from this year’s 22-strong line-up eligible for both the Shakedown and Official test.
With Yamaha eying a significant improvement in top speed this year, much attention will also be on the max km/h of the M1s.
The Shakedown signs were promising, with Crutchlow recording a 335.4km/h. That was 5.2km/h faster than Fabio Quartararo managed during last October’s Malaysian Grand Prix qualifying and race (330.2). The Frenchman had clocked a 332.3 in FP3 with the aid of a slipstream.
Crutchlow didn’t ride on Friday, but is expected back on track for days two and three of the Official test. Pedrosa is not due to ride at the Official test.
Testing took place from 10am to 6pm…
| 2023 Official Sepang MotoGP Test – Day 1 (FINAL) | |||||
| Rider | Nat | Team | Time | ||
| 1 | ^10 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) | 1m 58.47s |
| 2 | ^2 | Maverick Vinales | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP 23) | +0.130s |
| 3 | ˅2 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP23) | +0.262s |
| 4 | ˅2 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP23) | +0.267s |
| 5 | ˅2 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP23) | +0.387s |
| 6 | ˅1 | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP 23) | +0.471s |
| 7 | ^2 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | +0.496s |
| 8 | ^7 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP22) | +0.551s |
| 9 | ^1 | Alex Marquez | SPA | Gresini Ducati (GP22) | +0.566s |
| 10 | ^9 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.648s |
| 11 | ˅5 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.952s |
| 12 | ˅5 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.954s |
| 13 | ˅5 | Luca Marini | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) | +0.999s |
| 14 | ˅2 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | RNF Aprilia (RS-GP 22) | +1.260s |
| 15 | ^6 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | RNF Aprilia (RS-GP 22) | +1.343s |
| 16 | ^4 | Jack Miller | AUS | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.356s |
| 17 | ˅4 | Joan Mir | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +1.362s |
| 18 | ˅4 | Alex Rins | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +1.493s |
| 19 | ˅3 | Augusto Fernandez | SPA | Tech3 GASGAS (RC16)* | +1.557s |
| 20 | ˅3 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Tech3 GASGAS (RC16) | +1.608s |
| 21 | ˅3 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.615s |
| 22 | = | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +2.734s |
| 23 | = | Katsuyuki Nakasuga | JPN | Yamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1) | +2.769s |
| 24 | = | Stefan Bradl | GER | Honda Test Rider (RC213V) | +5.031s |
* Rookie
Key:
^X Rider is X positions higher than previous hour.
= Rider is same position as previous hour.
˅X Rider is X positions lower than previous hour.
2023 Sepang MotoGP Shakedown Test:
Michele Pirro ITA Ducati Test Rider 1m 59.803s
Official Sepang MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Jorge Martin SPA Ducati 1m 57.790s (2022)
Fastest race lap:
Jorge Martin SPA Ducati 1m 59.634s (2022)
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