“I’m very, very happy, we did a lot of laps and we improved in some areas,” says Marquez. “Today I didn’t push for a timeattack, I did a long run. I was very, very happy with the long run. It was consistent and physically I felt well.” There was a small crash for the reigning Champion – at 50km/h, with customary, attempted save – but he shrugged it off. “After more than 200 laps, concentration isn’t the same, I was trying a new front fork and I lost the front but it was just 50km/h!” Source link
Sport News
Syahrin impresses in first MotoGP™ session
Hafizh Syahrin is off to a good start in his premier class career, with the Malaysian taking part in the #ThaiTest at Monster Yamaha Tech 3 with a view to replacing Jonas Folger for the full season. The ‘Pescao’, the first Malaysian in MotoGP™, put in a solid first session and was within half a second of fellow rookies Tom Lüthi (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and Xavier Simeon (Reale Avintia Racing). Source link
Jerez test: Arbolino, Bastianini, Martin the fastest trio
Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) ended the three days P11 overall, ahead of Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Skull Rider Team), Andrea Migno (Angel Nieto Team Moto3) and Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing). Czech veteran Jakub Kornfeill (PruestelGP) completed the fastest fifteen, just ahead of Jaume Masia (Bester Capital Dubai). Masia, who, like Bulega, is recovering from injury, likewise made a big step up on the final day. Fellow rookies Alonso Lopez (Estrella Galicia 0,0), Kazakhstani rider Makar Yurchenko (CIP – Green Power), and reigning Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion Kazuki Masaki (RBA BOE Skull Rider) were P19, P20 and P25 respectively as they gear up for their first season in the World Championship. Source link
Bagnaia and Marquez lead testing timesheets in Jerez
2016 Moto3™ World Champion Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was P11for KTM, ahead of the fastest of the Moto3™ graduates this season: Romano Fenati (Marinelli Snipers Team). And it was an identical gap back to the returning Danny Kent (Beta Tools Speed Up Racing) in P13, with 0.089 between them. Fourteenth was another KTM with Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors), former Moto2™ title contender, getting to grips with his new bike, ahead of reigning Moto3™ Champion Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS). Source link
Syahrin: the 'Pescao' moves into MotoGP™
After a first foray onto the world stage at Sepang in 2011, the following year the ‘Pescao’ arrived with a splash as he took a stunning third at his home track on only his second ever wildcard appearance. Not actually taking to the podium that day as a disqualification later confirmed Syahrin was the man in P3, it was nevertheless his first ever podium placement. In 2012, that same season, he also competed in the Moto2™ European Championship in the FIM CEV Repsol, coming sixth overall. Source link
Martin and Bastianini split by less than a tenth in testing
Behind the top three, the gaps didn’t get any bigger. Day 2 crasher Aron Canet (EG 0,0) was fourth overall and only 0.017 off Bezzecchi, with exactly the same gap back to Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) in fifth as the Italian gets up to speed quickly in his new team, much like compatriot Bastianini. Philipp Oettl (Südmetall Schedl GP Racing) broke the Spanish and Italian dominion at the top in six, with the German on the Austrian bike a tenth and a half further back. Source link
Rain interrupts Moto3™ and Moto2™ return in Valencia
Three riders opted to brave the conditions in Moto3 ™, with Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Philipp Oettl (Südmetall Schedl GP Racing) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) all taking to the track late in the day. Di Giannantonio put in the most number of laps as the Italian looked to give feedback on a number of changes made by Honda for 2018. Source link