SEPANG – The first day of the 2022 MotoGP Official Test has concluded here at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) with Aprilia Racing closing out the top two spots of the timing sheets.
Number 41 rider Aleix Espargaro led the pack with a time of 1m 58.371s, with teammate Maverick Vinales 0.013s behind, making it a good day for the Italian team.
Talking to media during the post-test press conference, Espargaro says the bike has been much better compared to the one they used for testing in Jerez, Spain November last year.
“The strongest part of the bike now is that it turns better and is more agile, which is a huge difference from last year’s bike.
“But we need more time to figure more things out, I think I can go a lot faster tomorrow, maybe in the 1m57s range.
“But no matter what, it is just a test, even if we improve, we have to compare with the other riders as well, so we will have to wait and see,” said the Spanish rider.
Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins came in third, and 2021 champion Fabio Quartararo bringing his Monster Energy Yamaha at a solid sixth.
Despite two crashes, one at the beginning and another at the end of the testing session today, six-time world champion Marc Marquez placed his Repsol Honda in eighth place.
Rookie Marco Bezzecchi surprised many with a comfortable spot in tenth place, with his Mooney VR46 Ducati Racing teammate Luca Marini in eighteenth.
The final day of testing at SIC takes place tomorrow before the teams pack up and head to Indonesia for the last round of testing at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit on March 11. – The Vibes, February 5, 2022.
https://www.motogp.com/en/testResults/Sepang+MotoGP+Official+Test#ssid_1
