Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales ended up quickest on Day 1 of Jerez MotoGP test which was affected by the weather and also multiple red flags.
Vinales set a 1m37.111s to be fastest on Day 1 of the Jerez MotoGP test as he tested an aluminium swingarm with Petronas SRT Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo (1m37.885s) slotting in second, running the 2020 engine, while Suzuki’s Joan Mir (1m38.012s) was third.
He once again led teammate Alex Rins (1m38.089s) as they continued to run the 2020 engine, where Mir had a crash too. Petronas SRT’s Franco Morbidelli (1m38.117s) was fifth as the team confirmed using the 2020 prototype without the swingarm.
Honda’s Marc Marquez (1m38.227s) was sixth testing the 2020 bike but had a big crash in the final corner as he was taken to the medical center for a check-up. He was released and returned to the track as LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow (1m38.253s) was seventh.
The Red Bull slotted in eighth with Pol Espargaro (1m38.348s) heading the three Ducati riders Danilo Petrucci (1m38.358s), Andrea Dovizioso (1m38.474s) and Pramac’s Jack Miller (1m38.492s), with the Italian getting crucial track time.
Espargaro had a late crash as all the Ducati riders had new parts to test as the Aprilia duo Aleix Espargaro (1m38.500s) and Andrea Iannone (1m38.751s) slotted in 12th and 13th from Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi (1m38.759s). Like his brother, Aleix had a fall too.
Avintia Ducati’s Tito Rabat (1m39.103s) was 15th with Suzuki test rider Sylvain Guintoli (1m39.148s) ending up 16th from Honda’s Alex Marquez (1m39.413s), who continued his learning and ended up as the fastest MotoGP rookie.
Ducati test rider Michele Pirro ended up 17th as he ran under Pramac guise with Francesco Bagnaia missing out due to injury, with Aprilia tester Bradley Smith in 18th from the two MotoGP rookies, Tech 3 KTM’s Iker Lecuona and KTM’s Brad Binder.
Pirro set a 1m39.652s as he suffered a fall, with Smith setting a 1m39.759s, Lecuona a 1m39.933s and Binder a 1m39.980s. Lecuona had a major crash at Turn 4 as he punctured the catch fence but the Spaniard escaped with some pain.
After the dramas, Avintia had Eric Granado (1m43.056s) in the bike as Karel Abraham’s replacement, to be 22nd. Along with the red flag, the day also saw spits of rain which sidelined the teams into the garage but it wasn’t that long.
#MotoGP Results testing day 1. @circuitodejerez #MsportXtra pic.twitter.com/33CeG3aOCe
— #MsportXtra (@MsportXtra) November 25, 2019
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