After the second of the three-day MotoGP test in Buriram, Marc Marquez steals again the show and sets a new lap record. He is the only rider to go below 90 seconds.
The MotoGP bikes are the fastest bikes in circuit racing, and today it has been proved again. Marc Marquez set a stunning 1:29.969, new lap record in Buriram. His team-mate, Dani Pedrosa, was almost two tenths off the time set by the Spaniard.
The previous track recod set on a bike was propierty of Jonathan Rea during last year’s World Superbike event, but it was already shattered in the first hour of MotoGP testing. Of course, it is the normal thing as the Superbikes are closer to road bikes than the MotoGP prototypes.
These test days help the teams and riders to get used to the new venue to the FIM World Championship, specially during the first day of testing. This is why the gaps were closer yesterday than the times set in the second practice day.
Andrea Dovizioso was not so happy about the layout of the officially known as Chang International Circuit. Ducati excels in top-speed, but twisty racetracks do not suit the Borgo Panigale bike. “Buriram is a very particular place, and it is not easy to adapt. There are three real corners, and the rest is one after another”, said Dovizioso to Motociclismo website.
The Hondas of Marquez and Pedrosa were quite the opposite today. Both Spanish riders led 1-2 throughout the different stints and tests of the day. Marquez said he was confident with the changes made to the bike, and times support him.
And Yamaha? Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi were also very disappointed with the handling of the Yamaha. Although, Viñales finished fourth today, just mere three tenths off Marquez blistering time. The Spaniard told the press that there were some work to do yet.
The fastest riders on day one were Cal Crutchlow and Alex Rins, but it was an aclimatization session. The times were not as reliable as the second session, held today.
The rookie Hafizh Syahrin made a good impact on the Yamaha Tech 3 team. He finished today’s test only 1,7 seconds behind Johan Zarco, and the Malasian keeps impressing during his first taste of a MotoGP bike.
Tomorrow is the last day of testing in Thailand, and the teams will head then to Qatar. In over a month time, the FIM MotoGP World Championship will be under way. All the brands, teams and riders will be full power to get in the best shape possible to the first round.
DAY 2 TEST RESULTS
| POS. | RIDER | BIKE | TEAM | TIME | GAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marc Márquez | Honda | Repsol Honda Team | 1:29.969 | |
| 2 | Dani Pedrosa | Honda | Repsol Honda Team | 1:30.127 | 0.158 |
| 3 | Jack Miller | Ducati | Alma Pramac Racing | 1:30.185 | 0.216 |
| 4 | Maverick Viñales | Yamaha | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | 1:30.274 | 0.305 |
| 5 | Johann Zarco | Yamaha | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | 1:30.360 | 0.391 |
| 6 | Danilo Petrucci | Ducati | Alma Pramac Racing | 1:30.367 | 0.398 |
| 7 | Álex Rins | Suzuki | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | 1:30.446 | 0.477 |
| 8 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda | LCR Honda CASTROL | 1:30.490 | 0.521 |
| 9 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | Ducati Team | 1:30.494 | 0.525 |
| 10 | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | Ducati Team | 1:30.729 | 0.760 |
| 11 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | 1:30.775 | 0.806 |
| 12 | Tito Rabat | Ducati | Reale Avintia Racing | 1:30.855 | 0.886 |
| 13 | Álvaro Bautista | Ducati | Ángel Nieto Team | 1:30.883 | 0.914 |
| 14 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | 1:30.888 | 0.919 |
| 15 | Takaaki Nakagami | Honda | LCR Honda IDEMITSU | 1:30.901 | 0.932 |
| 16 | Bradley Smith | KTM | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 1:31.113 | 1.144 |
| 17 | Aleix Espargaró | Aprilia | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | 1:31.130 | 1.161 |
| 18 | Franco Morbidelli | Honda | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | 1:31.185 | 1.216 |
| 19 | Mika Kallio | KTM | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 1:31.598 | 1.629 |
| 20 | Scott Redding | Aprilia | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | 1:31.637 | 1.668 |
| 21 | Karel Abraham | Ducati | Ángel Nieto Team | 1:31.661 | 1.692 |
| 22 | Thomas Luthi | Honda | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | 1:31.994 | 2.025 |
| 23 | Hafizh Syahrin | Yamaha | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | 1:31.998 | 2.029 |
| 24 | Xavier Simeon | Ducati | Reale Avintia Racing | 1:32.267 | 2.298 |
DAY 1 TEST RESULTS
| POS. | RIDER | BIKE | TEAM | TIME | GAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda | LCR Honda CASTROL | 1:30.797 | |
| 2 | Álex Rins | Suzuki | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | 1:30.809 | 0.012 |
| 3 | Marc Márquez | Honda | Repsol Honda Team | 1:30.912 | 0.115 |
| 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | Ducati Team | 1:30.945 | 0.148 |
| 5 | Dani Pedrosa | Honda | Repsol Honda Team | 1:30.960 | 0.163 |
| 6 | Danilo Petrucci | Ducati | Alma Pramac Racing | 1:31.003 | 0.206 |
| 7 | Jack Miller | Ducati | Alma Pramac Racing | 1:31.044 | 0.247 |
| 8 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | 1:31.189 | 0.392 |
| 9 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | 1:31.235 | 0.438 |
| 10 | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | Ducati Team | 1:31.246 | 0.449 |
| 11 | Maverick Viñales | Yamaha | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | 1:31.294 | 0.497 |
| 12 | Johann Zarco | Yamaha | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | 1:31.305 | 0.508 |
| 13 | Tito Rabat | Ducati | Reale Avintia Racing | 1:31.523 | 0.726 |
| 14 | Álvaro Bautista | Ducati | Ángel Nieto Team | 1:31.525 | 0.728 |
| 15 | Aleix Espargaró | Aprilia | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | 1:31.662 | 0.865 |
| 16 | Scott Redding | Aprilia | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | 1:31.685 | 0.888 |
| 17 | Takaaki Nakagami | Honda | LCR Honda IDEMITSU | 1:31.692 | 0.895 |
| 18 | Karel Abraham | Ducati | Ángel Nieto Team | 1:31.698 | 0.901 |
| 19 | Franco Morbidelli | Honda | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | 1:31.729 | 0.932 |
| 20 | Bradley Smith | KTM | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 1:31.741 | 0.944 |
| 21 | Thomas Luthi | Honda | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | 1:32.716 | 1.919 |
| 22 | Xavier Simeon | Ducati | Reale Avintia Racing | 1:32.720 | 1.923 |
| 23 | Mika Kallio | KTM | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 1:32.749 | 1.952 |
| 24 | Hafizh Syahrin | Yamaha | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | 1:33.165 | 2.368 |
FOTO| MotoGP Media