Best Race Lap Record: Andrea Dovizioso, 1:32.678, 2018

Best All-Time Lap Record: Jorge Lorenzo, 1:31.629, 2018

FIM MotoGP World Championship

Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli

Misano, San Marino

August 30, 2019

Best Overall Test Times (all on Michelin tires):

1. Fabio Quartararo, France (Yam YZR-M1), 1:31.639

2. Danilo Petrucci, Itay (Duc GP19), 1:32.115

3. Franco Morbidelli, Italy (Yam YZR-M1), 1:32.253

4. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yam YZR-M1), 1:32.389

5. Jack Miller, Australia (Duc GP19), 1:32.405

6. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yam YZR-M1), 1:32.576

7. Francesco Bagnaia, Italy (Duc GP19), 1:32.607

8. Takaki Nakagami, Japan (Hon RC213V), 1:32.740

9. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Apr RS-GP), 1:32.900

10. Marc Marquez, Spain (Hon RC213V), 1:32.905

11. Joan Mir, Spain (Suz GSX-RR), 1:33.002

12. Tito Rabat, Spain (Duc GP18), 1:33.081

13. Alex Rins, Spain (Suz GSX-RR), 1:33.120

14. Andrea Iannone, Itay (Apr RS-GP), 1:33.253

15. Michele Pirro, Italy (Duc GP20), 1:33.254*

16. Dani Pedrosa, Spain (KTM RC16), 1:33.413*

17. Andrea Dovizioso, Itay (Duc GP19), 1:33.499

18. Pol Espargaro, Spain (KTM RC16), 1:33.523

19. Johann Zarco, France (KTM RC16), 1:33.690

20. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (KTM RC16), 1:33.955

21. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Hon RC213V), 1:34.089

22. Stefan Bradl, Germany (Hon RC213V), 1:34.136*

23. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Duc GP18), 1:34.696

24. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Hon RC213V), 1:35.722

25. Miguel Oliveira, Portugal (KTM RC16), 1:39.792

*test rider

More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3:

Useful track time for Syahrin to prepare round 13 in Misano

Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider Hafizh Syahrin was able to use two full days of testing ahead of the San Marino Grand Prix. Thereby, the Malaysian did 105 laps at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli and was able to try a new shock, a new front tyre brought by Michelin, plus more important was working on gaining his confidence back after his crash in Austria. He completed the test with a personal best of 1:33.955 minutes.

Following his crash at the British GP, Miguel Oliveira decided together with his Red Bull KTM Tech3 crew to skip the test in Misano after trying his condition in two flying laps in order to recover 100% for the upcoming San Marino GP. During his unfortunate fall, the Portuguese MotoGP rookie suffered a damage to a tendon in his right shoulder, which causes him a lot of pain and a loss of power on the brakes.

Hafizh Syahrin

Position: 20th

Time: 1:33.955

Laps: 105

“Overall, we had a good test. I managed to improve myself and my feeling to the bike. We did a decent job with very consistent lap times and were working really hard. Of course, we know that we are still a bit far away from the top, but for sure the feeling is very important. It was really great, although we didn’t have many new things to try, I was just concentrated on my riding. Now let’s wait and see what we can do here in two weeks’ time. I will prepare myself well in order to have a great base.”

Miguel Oliveira

Position: 25th

Time: 1:39.792

Laps: 2

“After Sunday’s crash, I had some pain on my right shoulder and after doing some scans and trying my condition for just a few laps, it was clear, that I am not at 100%. So, we just have to exploit these couple of days that we have left before the race weekend in Misano in order to recover fully. This test was important for us, but anyway, it’s better to be 100 percent fit for the Grand Prix rather than be just 70-70. I think it was the most reasonable decision we could take.”

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Repsol Honda Team complete positive and productive Misano Test

The Repsol Honda Team leave the Misano Circuit pleased with what they achieved and ready for the end of 2019 and beyond after diligent work in Italy.

MotoGP World Championship leader Marc Marquez did a total of 168 laps aboard his Repsol Honda Team RC213V across the two days of running at the Italian circuit. The test saw Marquez and his team of engineers working not just for the Misano race but also assessing and evaluate options for the future. Posting a 1’32.905, Marquez ended the test as the tenth fastest rider on the combined times.

Jorge Lorenzo’s test was cut short after experiencing some pain while on the bike during running on Thursday morning. Lorenzo and the team elected to limit his testing to give Lorenzo the maximum amount of time possible to recover physically ahead of the Misano race, September 15. Before ending his test, Lorenzo was able to complete 31 laps as he assessed the Honda RC213V around the 4.2km long Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

Action resumes at Misano on September 13 when the San Marino GP begins. Both Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo are confident that their findings from the test will allow them to be competitive from FP1 on Friday morning.

Marc Marquez

10TH 1’32.905

“It was quite a busy test for us as we are already starting to work for 2020. First of all we did a bit of work for the end of the 2019 season to make sure we can finish it in a good way. Then we moved to trying some components for 2020. Overall it was a good test and we worked well and in a precise way to get the most out of our time on track. I was feeling good with the bike over these two days so we were able to understand a lot.”

Jorge Lorenzo

24TH 1’35.722

“Unfortunately I didn’t feel great and I had quite a lot of pain on the bike, even more than in Silverstone. We were able to make 20 laps in Silverstone and everyone was very pleased, but it took a lot of effort from me physically and I had some more inflammation and pain after the race. It improved a bit, but I am still hurting too much on the bike so we decided together with the team to finish the test early and to arrive at the Misano race in the best condition possible. Even with the limited running we were able to try some new parts like the chassis.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:

BUSY TEST FOR CRUTCHLOW IN MISANO

The LCR Honda CASTROL Team completed a two-day test at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on Friday, in preparation for the San Marino – Rimini Riviera Grand Prix there in two weeks’ time. Cal Crutchlow was just one of 25 riders out for the testing time at the Italian venue, with the whole MotoGP field plus test riders in attendance at the official session.

Over the two days Crutchlow completed a total of 59 laps of the tricky venue, with a best lap of 1’34.089. As well as working through a variety of settings for the race weekend, the Briton also had extra work to fit in for HRC and for tyre suppliers Michelin, who brought extra compounds for the riders’ assessment.The Grand Prix at Misano takes place in two weeks, from 13-15 September.

Cal Crutchlow – 21st

(1’34.089)

“We had a full programme of different tests to try and improve my feeling with the bike here in Misano. We’ve had a lot of things to try at this test including working on finding a good base setting on the bike that we can use in a couple of weeks. We also had a lot of things to test for HRC and Michelin which has meant we haven’t gone after a fast lap.”

“We’ve worked hard with the team and with Honda to improve, but I still feel there is more to come around this place. I’m not too worried about our position and lap times, this often happens that others put in one lap and come the race weekend they can’t repeat it. Hopefully it can work the other way around for me, I know I can be faster when the race week comes around. We’ll see how it goes. We had a decent weekend in Misano last year, so I hope we can repeat that this season.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:

POSITIVE TWO-DAY TEST FOR NAKAGAMI IN MISANO

Takaaki Nakagami and his LCR Honda IDEMITSU Team today completed a two-day test in sweltering conditions at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Ahead of the San Marino – Rimini Riviera Grand Prix at the same venue in two weeks’ time, the Japanese rider and the rest of the MotoGP field all got an opportunity to prep their machines for the forthcoming race.

Nakagami had already put in 41 laps of the tricky track on Thursday, before adding another 33 laps on Friday, ending the test with the eighth fastest time overall. Taka’s main focus was trying to get his bike set up perfectly for the race, however he also briefly tested some new rubber for Michelin before returning to the task at hand.

Takaaki Nakagami – 8th

(1’32.740)

“We have focused our work on the next race here in Misano, which is why it is good to have two days of testing. We worked a lot on the basic set-up of the bike. In terms of track conditions it was hard to find the grip on the first day, and even today on day two it’s still been very warm, but gradually there was more rubber on the track and this helped a lot”.

“Today was a little better than on Thursday, but we were still working on refining the base set-up. We had some new items to try for Michelin, but whilst we gave it a go, we had to focus our attention on how the bike was working for the race. It hasn’t been easy to find a setting that feels comfortable, but in the end by working hard we have got much closer. It has been so hot, and it takes a lot of energy out of you in these conditions, but as always together with the LCR Honda IDEMITSU Team we have worked together in a great way.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Pacesetter: Quartararo just 0.010 off the lap record at Misano

Rookie steals the limelight once again to end testing nearly half a second clear

Friday, 30 August 2019

After only a second mistake of your rookie season in a race, what’s the best way to bounce back? Topping two days of testing at Misano, half a second clear on the final day and within 0.010 of the lap record ought to do the trick for Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT). On Friday the rookie was once again top of the pile, this time ahead of the Ducati of Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) by nearly half a second, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) completing the top three after another impressive day for the Italian.

Once more it was a scorcher on the Riviera de Rimini as the sun beat down on the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli for the second and final day of the two-day test. And as Petronas Yamaha SRT continued their almost-dominance at the top, Yamaha overall continued their solid showing. For Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP, Valentino Rossi was seen leaving pitlane with what looked like a carbon covered front brake on one of his YZR-M1s. Teammate Maverick Viñales was on track with the double exhaust again today as well, seemingly doing a comparison with the ‘normal’ Yamaha exhaust. The Spaniard was also back to using the usual tail on both of his bikes on Friday as he ended the test P6, just under a second back from Quartararo. ‘The Doctor’ had climbed into the top three in the closing stages, only to be displaced by Petrucci’s late time attack to end the day fourth at his home track.

Ducati shot up the timesheets on the second day with Petrucci. He and teammate Andrea Dovizioso were out testing with one of their two bikes having the swingarm attachment. In addition, the two Italians were both using the wheel covers on their GP19s, with test rider Michele Pirro displaying a slightly different looking Ducati belly pan. Pirro finished 15th on the timesheets, Dovizioso was 17th.

Jack Miller (Pramac Racing), meanwhile, was the lunchtime leader and he even ended his test at midday, the Australian encountering an issue with his number one bike during the morning. The number 43 was mainly working on his race pace and stability in the high-speed corners, something he says he struggled with a bit at Silverstone. Miller also said he and the team had found a little bit of direction in that department; good news ahead of the Grand Prix weekend. Teammate Francesco Bagnaia was also mainly working on race setup, and the rookie had a positive-looking test on board his GP18 as the Pramac duo finished up fifth and seventh respectively. Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) also put his Ducati in P12 after a solid day’s work.

Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was the fastest Honda rider at the Misano Test, the Japanese rider putting in his fastest laps towards the end of Day 2 to sit P8 on the timesheets. In the Repsol Honda garage, as well as having two Repsol liveried bikes, Championship leader Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) had HRC test rider Stefan Bradl’s bike at his disposal on Friday as he ended the test P10. Marquez rode a blacked-out Honda on Thursday and today it was the turn of Bradl to have a go, with Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) also having a black Honda on his side of the garage on Day 2. Five-time World Champion Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) didn’t ride on Day 2 as he continues to recover from injury.

Meanwhile at Team Suzuki Ecstar, Joan Mir finished the test in P11 as the Spaniard continued to get back up to speed following his huge Brno Test crash. “Some new parts”, settings and grip was Mir’s main aim, and the rookie ended the test ahead of British GP winner Alex Rins, who had a low key time on the timesheets at least.

Aprilia ended the second day in the top ten. Aleix Espargaro was ninth quickest on his Aprilia Racing Team Gresini machine as the Italian brand continue working towards 2020, although the Spaniard suffered two crashes during the morning session on Day 2. Teammate Andrea Iannone confirmed the team were working more in the direction of next year’s package and the Italian ended the test in P14.

Some of the headlines, however, remain reserved for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. MotoGP™ Legend Dani Pedrosa got a full day of testing done for Austrian factory KTM, with the three-time World Champion trying a tail unit that was similar to what Pol Espargaro and Johann Zarco used at the opening round of the season, something Pedrosa also used at the Barcelona Test earlier in the year. KTM did confirm they tested things they think they will use in the coming races and Pedrosa finished the day as the quickest KTM rider, with Dovizioso splitting him from Espargaro on the timesheets. Espargaro also crashed in the morning. Hafizh Syahrin (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) was behind the number 44, and his teammate Miguel Oliveira remains absent to recover from his Silverstone crash.

That’s a wrap for testing at Misano, with plenty of talking points to take us into the next race at…Misano. In the meantime, whet your appetite for the Riviera di Rimini classic with all the interviews, full results and highlights from the test on motogp.com.

More, from a press release issued by Ducati:

Two days of MotoGP testing in preparation for the San Marino GP conclude at the Misano World Circuit with Danilo Petrucci second. After his crash at Silverstone, Andrea Dovizioso completes 118 laps

The second and final day of MotoGP testing at the Misano World Circuit, which saw the participation of all the riders of the top class in preparation for the San Marino GP here in mid-September, concluded this afternoon at 18h00.

Hot summer weather conditions, with sun on both days and on-track temperatures of 45° C in the early afternoon allowed the teams present to carry out their full work programme without interruption and also test the new tyre options brought to Misano by Michelin.

Second place overall went to Danilo Petrucci, who focussed on set-up work with his Desmosedici GP in the two days and who today completed 71 laps, setting a best time of 1’32.155 on his final exit with an extra-soft rear tyre.

Coming off the back of his bad crash in the British GP last Sunday at Silverstone, Andrea Dovizioso took to the track yesterday in the early afternoon and completed 37 laps. Andrea continued today without any physical problems, completing 81 laps, the best of which was obtained this morning in 1’33.499, and he finished the test in seventeenth place but without using the extra-soft rear.

Also out on track was Michele Pirro with the Desmosedici GP of the Ducati Test Team, who will take part in the Misano race as a wild-card. The Italian set his best time of 1’33.254 this morning and finished the test in fifteenth place.

Danilo Petrucci (#9 Ducati Team) – 1’32.155 (2nd)

“These were two very important days because in view of the different conditions of the asphalt with less grip, being able to test at the same track we will race on in two weeks’ time allowed us to understand lots of things for the race. We did a lot of interesting tests and I’m satisfied with the work we’ve done even though for sure we’ll have to improve in the race weekend. In any case I’m pleased with my pace and confident about the upcoming GP.”

Andrea Dovizioso (#04 Ducati Team) – 1’33.499 (17th)

“Luckily I managed to do a day and a half of testing and physically I’m OK. In the last few days we did a good job at home: I was able to get back into good shape and here I managed to lap on track, even though I still feel a bit knocked about. It was very important to test here, because we found a track that was quite different to last year, with not so much grip and because there were also all the other riders. We were able to do a lot of interesting tests in view of the race, both with the material available and with the set-up. I’m not entirely satisfied with our speed but it was important to get out on track in this test; we did it so now we’ll prepare well to get ready during the race weekend.”

Michele Pirro (#51 Ducati Test Team) – 1’33.254 (15th)

“In these two days we were able to work on several different aspects, both regarding chassis set-up and the new tyres brought by Michelin, especially in view of the race because of the change in grip of the tarmac. We have a few different ideas and let’s hope that the temperature won’t be as high in two weeks’ time, because for sure cooler temperatures could give us an advantage.”

The Ducati riders will next be out on track, again at the Misano World Circuit, from 13th to 15th September for the San Marino Grand Prix.

More, from a press release issued by PETRONAS Yamaha SRT:

Mega Misano test for Quartararo and Morbidelli

PETRONAS Yamaha SRT duo of Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidello end two-day test at Misano first and third

Misano Test – 30 August 2019

The PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team duo of Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli have set themselves up perfectly for the San Marino Grand Prix by ending a two-day test at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli first and third respectively. Capitalising on a strong day one where they finished first and second, the pair were able to work through their testing program as well as ending fast on both time attack and race pace.

Making his MotoGP debut at the track, Quartararo was able to get up to speed rapidly by completing 170 laps in two days. Concentrating on understanding the Misano track ahead of the race, he heads home confident that his pace and outright speed means he won’t be at a disadvantage when practice gets underway.

Working on making marginal gains in small areas for the two days, Morbidelli was able to finish the opening day only 0.02 behind his team-mate before ending the test in third overall. Content that he and his team have improved their understanding of the Yamaha YZR-M1 ahead of his home race at Misano, Morbidelli says he’s leaving the test more than happy with their progress.

Action gets back underway in the 2019 MotoGP championship at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on Friday 13th September, ahead of the San Marino Grand Prix on Sunday 15th September.

Franco Morbidelli:

“Today we wanted to improve a little bit and we were able to do just that even though the conditions were hotter and more difficult than yesterday. We made the turning of the bike better, which is something that we were missing in Silverstone, and I’m happy with the progress we’ve made. I’m looking forward to resting a little bit this week, but I’m pleased with the way we’re going into the race weekend. I don’t think the times show too much about what will happen though, because with perfect conditions and lots of track time, testing is always quite different from the reality.”

Fabio Quartararo:

“We tried some really positive new settings on the front of the bike, which is positive because there’s a lot of braking on the side of the tyre at Misano and you need to get good feedback from the bike. We didn’t make a lot of laps on the second day like we did on day one, but we found some good things for the race. I’m really looking forward to the weekend now that we’ve been able to be really fast. The times won’t mean too much come the race because we’ll have very different levels of grip then, but I was able to do an amazing lap, I have good pace and we’ll arrive to the race with over 150 laps done before we even start FP1.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:

SUZUKI CONFIRMS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTIONS AT MISANO TEST

Joan Mir: 11th – 1:33.002 (+ 1.363)

Alex Rins: 13th – 1:33.120 (+ 1.481)

Alex Rins and Joan Mir have completed a positive two-day test session in Misano Adriatico today, with a lot of work carried out by both riders.

While Rins spent his time on track to test some of the items already introduced throughout the season, Mir had the primary objective to regain his confidence on the bike, and after a few laps yesterday he already felt good, and also tested some new items.

The Team exploited the two days in Misano to also prepare for the upcoming race which will be run at the circuit in a two weeks’ time, which meant working on some setup configurations and electronics solutions.

Ken Kawauchi – Technical Manager:

“In truth we didn’t really have brand new items here. Our main work was to confirm what we already tested in Brno. Trying those items again meant we could find some direction for the development. I’m very satisfied with these two days. It was also important to have Joan back with us and check his recovery, as this was the first time for him on the bike after the crash in Brno. I was happy to see that his physical condition is very good. Alex is also taking profit of the good shape he is in, especially after the win in Silverstone, so I hope for a good race when we return here for the GP in two weeks.”

Davide Brivio – Team Manager:

“It has been positive test because we went back and tried to continue the work that we already started in Brno. For instance, we had a different chassis specification there that we wanted to check here as well, which is a different track and also requires different settings. We could also focus on preparing for the next race here in Misano. It was positive for Joan to come back here after his injury because he could rediscover his feeling in a test situation, which is easier than restarting during a race weekend. He got his confidence back quickly under these circumstances and we could also do some work with him to prepare for the race. Alex also carried on a positive preparation for the forthcoming GP weekend, so we cannot wait to get back into ‘racing mode’ very soon.”

Joan Mir:

“My feeling on the bike was good, and today went even better than yesterday, which actually was already above expectations. I’m not yet at 100%, so now I feel tired, but we were able to make a positive test without compromising the technical work. Now I have two weeks to rest a bit more and to train to get ready for the GP. We worked mostly on the settings of the bike; nothing special apart getting the feeling.”

Alex Rins:

“I think it was a really positive test for us, we tried a lot of things including the different chassis which we already tried at the Montmelo Test. We also tried a swingarm and some electronic settings, as well as some new tyres that Michelin gave us. So, in general, it was positive. I’m not concerned by the lap times I’ve set during this test, there are no prizes for setting the quickest time, and there’s no point pushing to the limit when you’re trying to test new things.”

More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:

MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP TEST NEW DEVELOPMENT AT MISANO

Misano Adriatico (Italy), 30th August 2019

MISANO IRTA MOTOGP TEST

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales spent two days at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli trying various testing items to improve grip and acceleration during the Misano MotoGP Test.

4th VALENTINO ROSSI 1’32.389 / 135 Laps (68 + 67) LAPS

6th MAVERICK VIÑALES 1’32.576 / 191 Laps (93 + 98) LAPS

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales were back aboard their YZR-M1s yesterday and today for the Misano MotoGP Test and secured fourth and sixth place respectively in the overall combined timesheets.

With the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini two weeks away, the team-mates used the available testing time to start preparing for next year, and to get a jump on round 13 of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship.

Rossi had two productive days at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. He was eager to make another step with his bike and was feeling confident as he was strong right from the start of Day 1. At first, he tried the new prototype 2020 bike and later focused on comparing various parts and settings for the 2019-spec, all with positive results. The Doctor completed 68 laps on Day 1 and 67 laps on Day 2 for a 135-lap total. His best time, a 1‘32.389s set in the fourth – and last – session on lap 40, put him in fourth place in today‘s and the overall standings, 0.750s from first.

Viñales was feeling fully motivated to get to work after his podium at the Silverstone Circuit last weekend. Though he struggled with grip on Day 1, he still showed a strong rhythm, completing 93 laps. He continued working on the set-up of his bike today, for 98 laps, until the very end of the last session, when it was time to quickly put his findings to the test. The Spaniard clocked a 1‘32.576s, on lap 57/57 in FP4, and ended the day in sixth place in the Day 2 and the overall results, 0.937s from the top.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

“Overall, the test has been very positive. After the race in Silverstone, it‘s good that we found ourselves here in similar hot and dry conditions to do some testing. We suffered some grip issues during that race, so that was one of our targets here for this test. Over the two days Vale and Maverick tried the new 2020 engine-spec, the new carbon fibre rear arm, the new Akrapovic exhaust, and we also worked on the aerobody. All those items have been approved by our riders and will most likely be used at the next race. We‘ve not strayed from our plan and kept focused on maximising the race pace whilst preparing for the upcoming rounds. We will gather all the data to make further steps and are looking forward to the race here in Misano in two weeks‘ time.”

VALENTINO ROSSI

“First we tested the prototype of the 2020 bike, but after that we focused more on some new stuff that we can also use in the last part of the current season. The test overall was not so bad because we improved the rear grip, the acceleration, and I feel good, and we are competitive.”

MAVERICK VIÑALES

“We tried to work a lot for the race. We worked all the time on the set-up, especially to try to improve on the first laps of the race. Today has been a bit more positive than yesterday, so I‘m quite happy and pleased about the test. We especially improved in the hotter conditions. I‘ve been riding a lot when the temperatures were higher, trying to do a race simulation, and my pace is quite good, so I‘m actually really pleased with that.”

Best Race Lap Record: Andrea Dovizioso, 1:32.678, 2018

Best All-Time Lap Record: Jorge Lorenzo, 1:31.629, 2018

FIM MotoGP World Championship

Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli

Misano, San Marino

August 29, 2019

Day One Combined Test Times (all on Michelin tires):

1. Fabio Quartararo, France (Yam YZR-M1), 1:32.996

2. Franco Morbidelli, Italy (Yam YZR-M1), 1:33.019

3. Marc Marquez, Spain (Hon RC213V), 1:33.222

4. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yam YZR-M1), 1:33.247

5. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yam YZR-M1), 1:33.296

6. Pol Espargaro, Spain (KTM RC16), 1:33.588

7. Michele Pirro, Italy (Duc GP20), 1:33.650*

8. Johann Zarco, France (KTM RC16), 1:33.690

9. Joan Mir, Spain (Suz GSX-RR), 1:33.763

10. Takaki Nakagami, Japan (Hon RC213V), 1:33.777

11. Jack Miller, Australia (Duc GP19), 1:33.802

12. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Apr RS-GP), 1:33.842

13. Andrea Dovizioso, Itay (Duc GP19), 1:33.854

14. Francesco Bagnaia, Italy (Duc GP19), 1:33.945

15. Alex Rins, Spain (Suz GSX-RR), 1:34.003

16. Tito Rabat, Spain (Duc GP18), 1:34.242

17. Andrea Iannone, Itay (Apr RS-GP), 1:34.243

18. Danilo Petrucci, Itay (Duc GP19), 1:34.274

19. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Hon RC213V), 1:34.411

20. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (KTM RC16), 1:34.599

21. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Duc GP18), 1:34.696

22. Stefan Bradl, Germany (Hon RC213V), 1:34.774*

23. Dani Pedrosa, Spain (KTM RC16), 1:34.976*

24. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Hon RC213V), 1:35.722

25. Miguel Oliveira, Portugal (KTM RC16), 1:39.792

*test rider

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Quartararo heads Morbidelli on Day 1 of the Misano Test

Yamaha assault the top on Thursday, with Marquez the only non-Yamaha in the top five

Thursday, 29 August 2019

Petronas Yamaha SRT duo Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli set the pace on Day 1 at the Misano Test, the Frenchman’s 1:32.996 in the afternoon pipping his teammate by just 0.023 and making him the only rider in the 1:32s. The duo sit over two tenths clear of third-fastest Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) at the end of the first day of track action, with the reigning Champion the only non-Yamaha in the top five.

(Above) Marc Marquez (93). Photo courtesy of Dorna.

On a sunny Thursday at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, neither Quartararo nor Morbidelli were testing anything in particular, but they both lit up the timesheets. It was the rookie’s first visit to the venue on a premier class machine so the main aim was to find the best setup for the Grand Prix weekend, with electronics the main goal for Friday. Morbidelli, meanwhile, wanted to test the Michelin tyres to find the best balance, with the aim of improving grip.

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales were trying a second version of Yamaha’s 2020 engine, having tried a first one at the Brno Test. Viñales and Rossi finished fourth and fifth respectively to place all four Yamahas inside the top five, with the Iwata factory rolling out a different exhaust, similar to Suzuki’s double exhaust setup, as well as a carbon swingarm and a carbon cover on the front brake. ‘The Doctor’ had three bikes in his garage, while Viñales was out testing the front aero that was seen in Brno and the new tail unit we also saw in Czechia.

(Above) Valentino Rossi. Photo courtesy of Dorna.

Championship leader Marquez had three bikes at his disposal for most of the day and then four by the end of play, with fellow Honda rider Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) given three to play with. Marquez’ completely black bike seemed to have a cover on the swingarm, while there was also some carbon reinforcement at the top of the chassis. HRC test rider Stefan Bradl was also on track with two bikes to use, one in Repsol colours and one in his usual HRC livery. The German was also on track with EG 0,0 Marc VDS duo Alex Marquez and Xavi Vierge on Wednesday, and now continues his program.

Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team), meanwhile, is still suffering from pain, reporting it was worse than at Silverstone. The five-time World Champion decided to end Day 1 slightly early as he continues his comeback from injury.

At Ducati, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was back on his GP19 in the afternoon session having been declared fit to ride earlier in the day, as were Quartararo and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). Ducati Team Manager Davide Tardozzi said the Italian’s testing plan was cancelled as ‘DesmoDovi’ checks his physical condition on the bike after his Silverstone crash. Teammate Danilo Petrucci, though, was testing electronics and test rider Michele Pirro had new chassis parts and settings to try, with the fairing he used at the KymiRing seen out at Misano on Thursday. In addition, Petrucci, Pirro and Pramac Racing’s Jack Miller had the swingarm attachment back on their bikes.

(Above) Ducati test rider Michele Pirro had a prototype fairing on his Desmosedici. Photo courtesy of Dorna.

At Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, it was a very positive day on the timesheets. Pol Espargaro and Johann Zarco finished 6th and 8th respectively, with the duo both working towards the race at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. As always, KTM are constantly developing the RC16 and while working on race setup, the Austrian factory were also busy working on the chassis and engine. In the afternoon, test rider Dani Pedrosa took to the track before the MotoGP™ Legend does a full day of riding at the venue on Friday, with Zarco only riding on Thursday. On the Red Bull KTM Tech 3 side, Miguel Oliveira’s test ended after two laps as the Portuguese rider was still feeling the pain from his Silverstone crash. He flew home on Thursday, with Hafizh Syahrin the sole machine for the squad on track from then on, aiming to regain his confidence on the RC16.

(Above) Pol Espargaro (44) was sixth-quickest on Thursday. Photo courtesy of Dorna.

In the Team Suzuki Ecstar garage, it was a return to action for Joan Mir after his injury layoff. The Spaniard finished P9 on the timesheets with a best time of 1:33.763 to finish 0.767 off Quartararo’s lap. Teammate and British GP winner Alex Rins was testing some settings for the race weekend, as well as checking parts on the swingarm, some electronics and a slightly different chassis they used in Brno to do some comparison work. Rins also suffered a crash at Turn 8 near the end of the morning session.

(Above) Joan Mir (36) returned from injury to test at Misano. Photo courtesy of Dorna.

According to Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Technical Manager Romano Albesiano, his team were trying a very different setup on the RS-GP. In addition, both Aleix Espargaro and Andrea Iannone were working on electronics, engine braking, the swingarm and the chassis. Espargaro finished 12th fastest with a best time of 1:33.842, with Iannone claiming P17.

(Above) Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro (41) on pit lane. Photo courtesy of Dorna.

Reale Avintia Racing’s Karel Abraham left the circuit early as he was suffering from injury. The Czech rider was on the bike in the morning, with teammate Tito Rabat completing an impressive 74 laps in the afternoon. The Spaniard will complete a full day of testing on Friday.

In terms of tyres, Michelin provided the teams with the same allocation as they will have for the race weekend. In addition, the tyre manufacturer gave the riders the new rear that had previously been testing in Barcelona and Brno in a medium compound. And, there was also a new front casing, which has been developed to improve grip under braking. This was tested for the first time on Thursday.

That’s Day 1 complete at Misano, with plenty hustle and bustle up and down pitlane. They’ll be back out for another action-packed day on Friday, and in the meantime, interviews, full results and highlights from Day 1 can be found on motogp.com.