Marquez rubs shoulders with the ‘big three’ in MotoGP race simulation
The three-day test at the Malaysian venue provided plenty of indicators as to who has made the biggest leap since 2023, and who could be on the back foot going into the new season. In the midst of high heat and humidity, double reigning champion Franco Bagnaia set a blistering time of 1m56.682s to top […]
Yamaha MotoGP team still chasing mechanical grip «missing since 2019»
The Japanese manufacturer had been testing an upgraded version of the M1 across the two tests at Sepang this month in its pursuit to close the gap to the front and become a race-winning force in MotoGP again. Quartararo and new signing Alex Rins both got to ride the 2024 version of the bike in […]
What we learned from the Sepang MotoGP test
As MotoGP heads off from its annual winter Sepang residency, this year’s pre-season shakedown and test had plenty of focus points going into it and even more coming out. Ducati demonstrated its new weapon will remain the standard as a number of its riders went under the lap record with ease. To see a Ducati […]
I’m still not at the same level as top MotoGP riders on Ducati
After an initial try-out of the Ducati GP23 at Valencia last year, Marquez got his first proper opportunity to acclimatise to his new bike during a three-day test in Malaysia this week. The Spaniard ended up sixth on the timesheets on the final day of running, finishing just under six tenths off the pace of […]
Aprilia needs to improve MotoGP engine to fight at the front
Aprilia has debuted an updated version of the RS-GP in pre-season testing at Sepang, with a lot of work put in on introducing new aerodynamic devices on the bike. Espargaro finished a strong fifth on the final day of the test, and was the top non-Ducati rider on the timesheets as he set a lap […]
Bagnaia under lap record to lay down marker on final day
Under a cloudy sky that provided cooler conditions for the start of the track action, the two-time MotoGP world champion’s 1m56.682s remained the time to beat throughout the day, with several challenges coming up short over a single lap attack. Opening day pacesetter Jorge Martin came closest to toppling Bagnaia with a 1m56.854s on the […]
Brivio set to be new director of Trackhouse MotoGP team
Despite several reports linking him to a potential move to Honda, it is understood that Brivio has already committed to the new Trackhouse squad that has joined the grid this year after taking over the entry that belonged to RNF and its partner CryptoDATA. Brivio will replace PJ Rashidi, who had initially been chosen as […]
New Ducati fairing has «really good potential», says Bagnaia
First spotted on the Ducati of test rider Michele Pirro at last week’s shakedown, the new aerodynamic package combines the stepped layout on the side of the bike with a diffuser at the bottom of the fairing — two parts that were separately trialled last year. The idea is to improve both the cornering and […]
Marquez still riding Ducati like Honda in Sepang MotoGP test
Following an initial run in Valencia towards the end of last year, Marquez is getting a second chance at getting accustomed to the GP23 in this week’s official pre-season test at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Completing a total of 72 laps on Wednesday, the Gresini rider ended up 14th on the timesheets with […]