Portimao MotoGP Test results – Day 1 (Saturday 4:30pm)

Portimao MotoGP Test results – Day 1 (Saturday 4:30pm)

 
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The 2023 MotoGP grid has its last chance for pre-season preparations with a two-day official test at Portimao this weekend, the same circuit where the season-opener will take place on March 24-25.

VR46 Ducati’s Luca Marini has set the fastest lap time at both previous winter outings, at Valencia in November and then a three-day test at Sepang in February.

While Marini is using a year-old Ducati, Portimao will be the last chance for factory teams to pick the aerodynamic and, most importantly, engine with which they will start the 2023 racing season.

Once chosen, the engine design cannot be changed until the end of the world championship, while aero can be updated just once.

Testing takes place at Portimao from 9:30-17:30 on Saturday and Sunday, followed by practice starts…

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4:30pm: There’s been plenty of action at the top of the timesheets with Miguel Oliveira, Francesco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez all moving ahead of Luca Marini, before the VR46 Ducati rider regained the advantage with a 1m 39.005s on his 58th lap. Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales then slotted into second place, just 0.020s behind.

Alex Rins is impressing as the top Honda, in ninth, with Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo now down to twelfth. The four KTM/GASGAS riders are ahead of only Rins’ LCR team-mate Takaaki Nakagami, who (like Fabio di Giannantonio) fell in the last hour.

2023 Official Portimao MotoGP Test – Day 1 (4:30pm)
    Rider Nat Team Time Lap Speed
1 = Luca Marini ITA Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) 1m 39.005s 58/60 340.6
2 ^3 Maverick Viñales SPA Aprilia Racing (RS-GP23) +0.020s 71/75 334.3
3 ^3 Alex Marquez SPA Gresini Ducati (GP22) +0.331s 56/63 337.5
4 ˅2 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Lenovo (GP23) +0.395s 60/68 334.3
5 ^3 Miguel Oliveira POR RNF Aprilia (RS-GP 22) +0.461s 59/65 337.5
6 ^1 Marco Bezzecchi ITA Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) +0.603s 62/67 337.5
7 ˅4 Fabio Di Giannantonio ITA Gresini Ducati (GP22) +0.636s 32/50 334.3
8 ˅4 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP23) +0.638s 38/56 335.4
9 ^3 Alex Rins SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.641s 66/68 332.3
10 ˅1 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Racing (RS-GP23) +0.643s 59/60 338.5
11 ^6 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP22) +0.711s 44/55 335.4
12 ˅2 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.966s 36/73 333.3
13 ˅2 Enea Bastianini ITA Ducati Lenovo (GP23) +1.004s 27/48 336.4
14 ˅1 Raul Fernandez SPA RNF Aprilia (RS-GP22) +1.080s 45/58 333.3
15 ˅1 Joan Mir SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +1.106s 56/64 329.2
16 ^5 Stefan Bradl GER Honda Test Rider (RC213V) +1.157s 58/66 331.2
17 ˅2 Marc Marquez SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +1.165s 35/65 336.4
18 ˅2 Michele Pirro ITA Ducati Test Rider (GP) +1.331s 45/58 333.3
19 = Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +1.409s 75/81 330.2
20 ˅2 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) +1.457s 50/51 335.4
21 ˅1 Jack Miller AUS Red Bull KTM (RC16) +1.814s 32/43 331.2
22 = Pol Espargaro SPA Tech3 GASGAS (RC16) +2.024s 35/50 333.3
23 = Augusto Fernandez SPA Tech3 GASGAS (RC16)* +2.036s 54/57 330.2
24 = Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) +2.189s 60/63 328.2

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.

Official Portimao MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati 1m 38.725s (2021)
Fastest race lap:
Fabio Quartararo FRA Yamaha 1m 39.435s (2022)

Ducati and Aprilia riders filled the top nine positions on the Sepang timesheets, with Marc Marquez and Honda best of the rest in tenth.

While Ducati and Aprilia appeared to have made light modifications to their proven packages, Marquez whittled down four different Hondas to one preferred machine, but warned it was not good enough to win the title and more was needed for Portimao.

After a scare at Valencia, Yamaha riders Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli were pleased with their more powerful 2023 engine, selecting the final version for the racing season.

But while pleased with their pace, the bike ‘didn’t work’ in qualifying spec, with low fuel and new tyres, leaving them 17th and 20th on the combined times. Solving the qualifying issue, as well as a final decision on aero and chassis parts, will be among Yamaha’s priorities in Portimao.

The GASGAS/KTMs struggled the most on paper with Pol Espargaro best of the RC16s in 13th place followed by Brad Binder in 14th, Jack Miller in 18th and rookie Augusto Fernandez in 22nd. But with plenty of parts available and more to come, will the Austrian factory put the pieces together at Portimao?

 

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