Predictability is boring, isn’t it? The usual suspects led the time sheet after the first day of the Sepang MotoGP test, with the exception of a quick lap by Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso, slotting himself in front of Dani Pedrosa. If anything, Yamaha factory riders looked strongest, before defending champ Marc Marquez put his Honda on top at the end of the day. Cal Crutchlow, aboard his coveted factory Honda, can’t be happy he was more than a full second slower than the fastest Ducati, but two days of testing remain.
Suzuki opened with its fastest rider, Aleix Espargaro, roughly 2 seconds off the pace, while class rookie Jack Miller, considering his jump straight from Moto3, seems to be coming to grips quite well. More later.
| Pos | Rider | Team | Fastest lap | Lead. Gap | Prev. Gap | Laps | Last lap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MARQUEZ, Marc | Repsol Honda Team | 2:00.262 | 62 / 63 | 1:07.607 | |||
| 2 | ROSSI, Valentino | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | 2:00.380 | 0.118 | 0.118 | 27 / 57 | 2:19.571 | |
| 3 | LORENZO, Jorge | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | 2:00.521 | 0.259 | 0.141 | 30 / 55 | 9:53.068 | |
| 4 | DOVIZIOSO, Andrea | Ducati Team | 2:00.617 | 0.355 | 0.096 | 36 / 41 | 1:07.239 | |
| 5 | PEDROSA, Dani | Repsol Honda Team | 2:00.745 | 0.483 | 0.128 | 25 / 45 | 15:14.790 | |
| 6 | ESPARGARO, Pol | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | 2:00.930 | 0.668 | 0.185 | 29 / 55 | 1:21.895 | |
| 7 | IANNONE, Andrea | Ducati Team | 2:01.424 | 1.162 | 0.494 | 58 / 59 | 1:16.608 | |
| 8 | BRADL, Stefan | Forward Racing Team | 2:01.556 | 1.294 | 0.132 | 50 / 58 | 1:10.446 | |
| 9 | SMITH, Bradley | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | 2:01.707 | 1.445 | 0.151 | 27 / 52 | 2:15.595 | |
| 10 | CRUTCHLOW, Cal | CWM LCR Honda | 2:01.713 | 1.451 | 0.006 | 34 / 61 | 1:11.360 | |
| 11 | REDDING, Scott | Estrella Galicia 0.0 Marc VDS | 2:01.917 | 1.655 | 0.204 | 59 / 63 | 2:03.190 | |
| 12 | PIRRO, Michele | Pramac Racing | 2:01.951 | 1.689 | 0.034 | 51 / 54 | 2:57.157 | |
| 13 | PETRUCCI, Danilo | Pramac Racing | 2:02.136 | 1.874 | 0.185 | 50 / 50 | 2:53.943 | |
| 14 | ESPARGARO, Aleix | Team Suzuki MotoGP | 2:02.225 | 1.963 | 0.089 | 42 / 46 | 1:22.379 | |
| 15 | BAUTISTA, Alvaro | Factory Aprilia Gresini | 2:02.285 | 2.023 | 0.060 | 27 / 50 | 1:10.156 | |
| 16 | AOYAMA, Hiroshi | HRC | 2:02.560 | 2.298 | 0.275 | 45 / 69 | 1:11.518 | |
| 17 | HAYDEN, Nicky | Drive M7 Aspar | 2:02.699 | 2.437 | 0.139 | 22 / 46 | 2:02.971 | |
| 18 | BARBERA, Hector | Avintia Racing | 2:02.700 | 2.438 | 0.001 | 28 / 55 | 1:10.304 | |
| 19 | MILLER, Jack | CWM LCR Honda | 2:02.807 | 2.545 | 0.107 | 53 / 59 | 1:14.178 | |
| 20 | NAKASUGA, Katsuyuki | Yamaha Factory Test Team | 2:03.092 | 2.830 | 0.285 | 38 / 47 | 1:13.946 | |
| 21 | VIÑALES, Maverick | Team Suzuki MotoGP | 2:03.164 | 2.902 | 0.072 | 58 / 69 | 5:34.207 | |
| 22 | LAVERTY, Eugene | Drive M7 Aspar | 2:03.295 | 3.033 | 0.131 | 41 / 47 | 2:57.584 | |
| 23 | DI MEGLIO, Mike | Avintia Racing | 2:03.878 | 3.616 | 0.583 | 34 / 58 | 1:18.129 | |
| 24 | ABRAHAM, Karel | AB Motoracing | 2:03.879 | 3.617 | 0.001 | 38 / 46 | 1:12.349 | |
| 25 | BAZ, Loris | Forward Racing Team | 2:04.163 | 3.901 | 0.284 | 57 / 66 | 2:15.970 | |
| 26 | MELANDRI, Marco | Factory Aprilia Gresini | 2:04.502 | 4.240 | 0.339 | 41 / 42 | 2:34.639 | |
| 27 | DE ANGELIS, Alex | Octo Ioda Racing Team | 2:04.673 | 4.411 | 0.171 | 40 / 46 | 2:23.456 | |
| 28 | TAKAHASHI, Takumi | HRC | 2:04.719 | 4.457 | 0.046 | 77 / 77 | 1:12.584 | |
| 29 | TSUDA, Takuya | Team Suzuki MotoGP | 2:05.478 | 5.216 | 0.759 | 13 / 18 | 2:23.659 | |
| 30 | LAVERTY, Michael | Aprilia Test Team | 2:06.190 | 5.928 | 0.712 | 23 / 28 | 1:21.116 |
No surprise about Crutchlow either. He did zero riding off season and said it would take him a few days to get back into the swing of things. I think the quote was something like – it takes a while to wrap your head around going 200mph. True that. He also has to relearn how to steer a bike after a season on the Ducati…
I don’t have words to describe how disappointed I am that one of the Suzukis is faster than Nicky on the customer Honda. Granted, Espargaro is a phenom, but still…
I think Nicky did very well. He was the second fastest of the Open Class riders.
They may all start together but Moto GP is two classes that happen to be on the track at the same time.
Just happy that MotoGP will be back with us soon. Wouldn’t expect anybody to be faster than the factory riders, especially by day 3 of testing. The pack will sort themselves out and have a pecking order before the season begins. Good to see Suzuki and Aprilia back in the fray. Wouldn’t expect too much out of them this year. People who expected Hayden to go faster with a faster bike are just dreamers.
I’m intrigued by Jack Miller and Maverick Vinales; Maverick earned his way into this class the usual way but is on a new machine, while Jack is making a huge jump but to an established machine. Which rookie comes out on top is a nice side plot to the championship. Also, with Yamaha looking strong, I think we’ll see Pol scoring podiums regularly.
Maybe I’m off a bit, but I’m actually surprised with Suzuki’s time. I thought they would be slower.
Which bikes have seamless style gearboxes this year?
re: “Maybe I’m off a bit, but I’m actually surprised with Suzuki’s time. I thought they would be slower.”
no, that’s EXACTLY where they need to be. they’ve been testing and developing for 3 years and came back and promptly scattered 3 engines. if there’s a team more in need of having something to show for their efforts…? I haven’t seen ’em.
Q: Which bikes have seamless style gearboxes this year?
A: Honda and Yamaha.
Half right, Yamaha doesn’t have their seamless box yet. Only Honda for now.
Yamaha had a seamless box last year, but it was seamless only running up the gears and not down from what I understand. I would think they should have it sorted to be seamless in both directions for the 2015 season, but I don’t know that for sure.
Winter testing, how fitting Vale has snowflakes on his lid.
Hell of a showing by Dovi, I’d think that would chap Crutchlow’s hide a bit. Looks like he and Scott Redding will be fighting it out. Man Nicky is way off the pace, 2.5 seconds a lap. Might be time for retirement. Nice to see Pol and Iannone in the top 10, I wonder if Aleix is regretting his decision to go to Suzuki. He was neck and neck with his brother last year. I’d be betting that Maverick Vinales will pick up the pace as the season progresses on.
Re: “I wonder if Aleix is regretting his decision to go to Suzuki”
Why would he? I assume he’s being paid more, on a longer contract with low expectations based in the birth of his new bike. Of course guys want to win but this is MotoGP. If you’re not on a Repsol Honda or Movistar Yamaha then you’re not racing for wins, you’re racing for money.
re: “I wonder if Aleix is regretting his decision to go to Suzuki.”
let a 4th engine scatter…? then go ask him.
Which open class bike isn’t 2.5 seconds off the pace?
Dovi & Iannone’s Ducatis? Bradl’s Yamaha? Pramac’s?
Go Nicky – now that you have a fast bike you should be right up there with…….eerrr……never mind….. 🙁
No, not a surprise at all, but that doesn’t take my interest away.