Quartararo: All four Hondas really fast, pace amazing
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The dirty and deteriorating track surface in Mandalika for the final MotoGP pre-season test means it’s harder than ever to predict who will be strongest at this weekend’s Qatar season opener.But based on what he saw in testing, Fabio Quartararo agreed that the manufacturer that looks to have taken the biggest step since last season is Honda.The heavily-revised RC213V topped the timesheets in Mandalika courtesy of Pol Espargaro, but crucially also looked very quick in terms of average pace.LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami and Alex Marquez looked fastest of those that completed final day race simulations, although not all riders used the same tyre choice and time of day was also a factor.Related Aleix: Rider weight ‘very important’ even with 300hp Miller: Pre-event Covid tests ‘quite scary’, Quartararo ‘crossing fingers’Nonetheless, “If you check all the Honda riders, the pace is amazing,” Quartararo said.”You look at Pol, he’s for me the fastest, or pretty close. Marc is super fast, Alex is super fast also, Taka made a really great race simulation.”So the four Hondas are really fast. And you can see the bike is working in a different way. Then about the riders, from the outside it looks pretty good.”Smiling that “power” was one thing on the side of the Honda riders compared to his Yamaha, Quartararo added:Related Marini ‘one of my favourites’, Bezzecchi ‘waiting for this day since Valencia’ ‘Something I couldn’t have imagined’ – Marc Marquez starts tenth year in MotoGP”I didn’t ride that bike, but for sure the trail braking of that bike looks really good, I saw Marc braking super strong on the edge. And for me, the characteristic of the engine is different.”When we slide, our bike is not stopping and not turning, and their bike, when it’s sliding, they can still really turn. That’s not something we are missing, that’s just the characteristic of their bike.””4At the end of the Indonesian test, which saw Ducati once again dominate the top speeds, Pol Espargaro hinted that Honda are planning to deliver a little more power in time for Qatar.Top speed is something Quartararo badly needs for his Yamaha, but he’s not expecting a late miracle.”To be honest, no. Because for three months, we haven’t received something special. In two weeks, I will not expect something amazing,” he said.”5Nonetheless, Quartararo also set a very strong pace in Mandalika and was a close match for the Hondas during his race simulation.”With used tyres, I could really be fast. With 28 laps on the front, 20 on the rear, I was doing 32.4, 32.5. So I was feeling really strong, and from my side, I’m 100% [ready],” he warned.Free practice in Qatar, where Quartararo took the first of his five victories last season, starts on Friday.”6
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