Uncle Calvin topping the time sheets before the big boys get out there next weekend https://www.crash.net/motogp/results/1019897/1/sepang-motogp-shakedown-test-results-day-1
Cal top after day two although wee Dani on the ktm turning his transponder off and supposedly quicker https://www.crash.net/motogp/results/1019906/1/sepang-motogp-shakedown-test-results-day-2 Dear lord that ducati is a pig ugly thing now.
Possibly controversial but the Ducati MotoGP bike has been pig ugly for years. Since 2011. And the Panigale V4R tbf isn’t my cup of tea and looks grim in race trim also
Aero often makes bikes look ugly if followed in it’s purest form - sometimes new design grows on you - sometimes it doesn’t. I thought the Hayabusa was ugly the first time I saw it……… I still think it’s fucking ugly 24 years later! Let’s hope for another season of competitive racing and another new champion - I hate predictable racing when a single team or rider dominates year after year.
tbf, none of the gp bikes are that pretty. But the Duck is particularly grim. I don't think they've made a pretty bike since the 1098. The last really pretty bike was the 999. The V4 looks ok from the front. Like the Panigale's in general, 1199, 1299 etc.
Off Topic I know, but for me the Panigale V2 is the prettiest Ducati you can buy, and probably the prettiest Ducati for years, it's better looking than the early V4's as personally I found them a bit 'Hump Back' with the tank shape.
Results from Day 1 MotoGP 2023 Official Sepang MotoGP Test results - Day 1 lap times (Friday) | MotoGP | Crash- 2023 Official MotoGP Pre-season Test - Sepang, Malaysia 2023 Official Sepang MotoGP Test results - Day 1 lap times (Friday) | MotoGP | Crash 1 = Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP23) 1m 58.737s 21/40 334.3 2 = Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Lenovo (GP23) +0.120s 23/36 334.3 3 = Enea Bastianini ITA Ducati Lenovo (GP23) +0.249s 21/35 335.4 4 = Maverick Viñales SPA Aprilia Racing (RS-GP 23) +0.568s 24/39 332.3 5 = Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Racing (RS-GP 23) +0.587s 19/30 332.3 6 = Marc Marquez SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +0.687s 23/38 333.3 7 = Luca Marini ITA Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) +0.732s 21/28 332.3 8 = Alex Marquez SPA Gresini Ducati (GP22) +0.832s 26/35 332.3 9 = Fabio Di Giannantonio ITA Gresini Ducati (GP22) +1.276s 21/30 330.2 10 = Augusto Fernandez SPA Tech3 GASGAS (RC16)* +1.290s 23/37 326.2 11 = Marco Bezzecchi ITA Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) +1.331s 21/34 335.4 12 = Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) +1.348s 18/41 330.2 13 = Miguel Oliveira POR RNF Aprilia (RS-GP 22) +1.352s 15/30 331.2 14 = Joan Mir SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +1.369s 29/41 329.2 15 = Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +1.398s 22/40 332.3 16 = Pol Espargaro SPA Tech3 GASGAS (RC16) +1.417s 14/36 331.2 17 = Jack Miller AUS Red Bull KTM (RC16) +1.483s 27/31 330.2 18 = Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +1.518s 33/41 334.3 19 = Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP22) +1.566s 27/33 333.3 20 = Raul Fernandez SPA RNF Aprilia (RS-GP 22) +1.582s 27/36 331.2 21 = Alex Rins SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) +2.312s 25/41 329.2 22 = Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) +2.467s 27/33 328.2 23 = Katsuyuki Nakasuga JPN Yamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1) +3.155s 11/38 325.3 24 = Stefan Bradl GER Honda Test Rider (RC213V) +4.764s 2/3 325.3 Looks like Fabio has found some top speed though
This is a real indication of Honda's lack of understanding of what direction to go in. It just looks like they are throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks.
If Maverick gets off to a decent start and stays in the right place mentally he could be my tip for the title this year
He mentioned on interview it was three different bikes, two new 2023 models, a hybrid between the 2022 & 2023 and the fourth bike was the old 22 bike. All the riders went out on their 2022 bikes to get warmed up before taking the the new bike out.
Not looking good for Fabio's one lap pace... Sepang MotoGP Test: Fabio Quartararo: ‘We put a new tyre, and it's a nightmare’ | MotoGP | News (crash.net)
Marini: the rider to beat so far in 2023 Fastest at the Valencia Test. Fastest at the Sepang Test. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) was – unsurprisingly – all smiles after he topped the combined timesheets in Malaysia with the second-ever fastest lap we’ve seen at the Sepang International Circuit.
Marini was class in moto 2 for a couple of years. Whats this his third year and not done much to speak of yet? Probably be a few peoples "dark horse to look out for". Not for me though.
