Aleix Espargaro | Photo credits: MotoGP
While everyone is getting ready for the first official MotoGP test session of the year, which will happen from 6 to 8th of February at the Sepang International Circuit, the past few days saw some teams using the Malaysian track to do some work with their test riders, while some MotoGP teams also used their full time riders.
With 13 riders on track on this private three-day test session, the fastest rider around Sepang was Aleix Espargaró and his 2019 Aprilia RS-GP. The Spaniard was able to do a time-attack session on the final moments of the test on Sunday, and clocked the best lap with 2m00.500s, a great result for Aleix Espargaró and Aprilia, since the circuit lap record during a MotoGP race is 2m00.606s.
On the second spot of the timetable there’s another Espargaró, but this time it’s Pol Espargaró. The factory Red Bull KTM rider was the fastest rider in Sepang for most of the test, but was eventually passed by his older brother on Sunday, and the third fastest time was from Ducati test rider Michele Pirro, though Stefan Bradl, Honda Racing Corporation, was the third fastest rider of the test on the combined results. The German rider opted to sit out the last day of testing, so he can rest and be ready to participate the official test later this week.
Yamaha Racing also took the new Yamaha YZR-M1 for a preliminary test run before Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales can test the bike on the official MotoGP test in Sepang. Yamaha called their Japanese test rider Katsuyuki Nakagusa to help the team understand how the new bike performs, and Nakasuga finished with the sixth best lap time. Important to notice that Yamaha Racing is trying a new side fairing on this year’s prototype, probably to allow for better engine cooling, since this new engine is reported to develop around 280 hp, and needs to run cooler.
Johann Zarco and KTM also took their time to develop the KTM RC16. The French rider did 72 laps on the final day (almost 400 km), allowing the Austrian team to find the parts they need to fit on their bike to make it more competitive, while at the same time Zarco continues to adapt to his new reality.
The other KTM team, Red Bull KTM Tech3, also had the chance to continue to discover the Austrian bike during these days. Miguel Oliveira, the Portuguese rookie that moved up to MotoGP from Moto2, was the fastest rider and seems to have found a good feeling with the RC16, while Hafizh Syahrin was a bit slower that his new teammate, but expectations are high on how the Malaysian rider will perform on the official tests.
Here’s the final combined times of the MotoGP private test in Sepang
1. Aleix Espargaró, Aprilia, 2m00.500s
2. Pol Espargaró, KTM, 2m00.666s
3. Stefan Bradl, Honda, 2m00.924s
4. Michele Pirro, Ducati, 2m01.261s
5. Bradley Smith, Aprilia, 2m01.281s
6. Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Yamaha, 2m01.368s
7. Johann Zarco, KTM, 2m01.401s
8. Mika Kallio, KTM, 2m01.859s
9. Miguel Oliveira, KTM, 2m01.893s
10. Jonas Folger, Yamaha, 2m02.135s
11. Hafizh Syahrin, KTM, 2m02.211s
12. Sylvain Guintoli, Suzuki, 2m02.417s
13. Takuya Tsuda, Suzuki, 2m03.701s