The post-race test at the Brno circuit allowed all of the MotoGP teams to test new parts (including fairing designs) and tires before next weekend’s race at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. Most of the riders did more than 50 laps at the test.
Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) posted the quickest time … nearly two seconds quicker than his fastest lap from the race on Sunday, where he ended in fourth place. Rossi was followed by Marc Marquez (Honda) and teammate Maverick Viñales on the time-sheets. Here are the full results from yesterday’s test.
See more of MD’s great photography:
YAMAHA consistently proves that they have the overall fastest machines competing.
The data doesn’t lie.
Marc continues to be Honda’s best hardware, lately. 🙂 The Yamahas seem better all around, and are piloted by a good set of riders. (The main trick with the Yamahas seems be that the 2016s are sometimes still the preferred configuration.)
I seem to remember another primo piece of software (you say hardware, I say software) on Hondas – Freddie Spencer.
and his back-up computer, Erv Kanemoto
God I miss the two-stroke 500’s.
Amazingly Lorenzo is 9/10ths of a second quicker than Dovi in these tests. Makes me think Dovi wasn’t engaged, though he had the highest top speed on the track by a comfortable margin.
He could also be testing some things that are outside of the norm, without the expectation of immediate lap time improvement..
Testing being…testing, its hard to know what to make of the times. Re: JL’s time, he DID say it was his most important day of the season so far, so let’s see what that really means!
That’s why they call it testing. Sometimes changes yield improved lap times and sometimes they do just the opposite.
Surprised nobody is talking about the fairing in the photo. That is a pretty radical shape, in addition to the ducting on the sides.
You’re right, I didn’t even notice the new fairing, and it is a radical departure from the previous shape. Pretty soon here, with the unveiling of all these shark-shaped front ends, 2017 will become known as the dawning of the Hammerhead Era in MotoGP.
re: “MotoGP teams to test new parts “including fairing designs”
yup Yamaha TR7 “the Wedge”, gotta wonder if this is the shape of fairings to come…?
(no, some of you will not remember this)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ze_6dWmlEk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEwy7jND6QY
Rossi was also within a tenth of a second of Marquez’s best time during Saturday’s qualifying, and was leading the race, before brainfarting again during the flag-to-flag debacle.
Clearly, he is plenty fast enough. A lack of speed isn’t the problem. A multitude of mistakes have been the problem, which is strange indeed, considering who we’re talking about.
Lorenzo can put a good lap in. His issue appears to be getting long life out of the tires.
re: “Rossi Fastest at Brno Test”
in your face Suzuki RF-900…!!!
https://tinyurl.com/y7e2wz9d
Hey! I have one of those. 94 in the Midnight Blue(looks black). I have about 60K miles on it
Nice.