SEPANG – The all-time unofficial MotoGP track record has been broken twice during the early hours of day two testing at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC).
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro, who topped the time sheets on the first day of testing, broke the unofficial time of 1m 58.371s − set in 2019 by Ducati rider Danny Petrucci during pre-season testing − with a time of 1m 58.157s.
But it didn’t last long as Enea Bastianini placed his Gresini Ducati ahead of Espargaro with a time of 1m 58.131s − 0.026s quicker than yesterday’s leader.
Currently, the official MotoGP lap time record is held by last season’s world champion Fabio Quartararo, who clocked in at 1m 58.576s in 2019.
Aprilia’s other rider Maverick Vinales sits at fourth place with a time of 1m 58.261s while Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin is in third with 1m 58.243s.
Today will be the final day of testing here at SIC and with lap times at their fastest during the first and final hours of the testing period, the potential to see the times dip below the 1m 57s is still likely.
But with dark clouds looming above, teams are eager to get in as many laps as possible before the weather threatens to work against them.
The teams will head over to Indonesia for the final round of testing before heading to the Middle East, where the season kicks off at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. – The Vibes, February 6, 2022
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