Offseason testing – MotoGP Thailand testing – Day 3: Pedrosa puts everyone in agreement at Buriram –

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MotoGP Thailand testing – Day 3: Pedrosa puts everyone in agreement at Buriram

Offseason testing - MotoGP Thailand testing - Day 3: Pedrosa puts everyone in agreement at Buriram -

Dani Pedrosa leaves Thailand with the best time of the first MotoGP tests organized on the circuit of Buriram. Honda-Repsol rider precedes Johann Zarco’s Yamaha-Tech3 and Cal Crutchlow and Marc Marquez RC213Vs by only 86 thousandths. Debriefing, statements and rankings.

Johann Zarco believed in it for a long time: the Frenchman remained in the lead of the last day of official tests in Thailand until the last moments, thanks to his turn in 1’29.867 buckled with a soft rear tire. But four minutes from the end, Dani Pedrosa pulled out the big attack to dislodge him with a time of 1’29.781, or 0.086 sec better on his Honda in medium tire !

  • MotoGP Thailand Testing – Day 2 : Marquez celebrates its 25th anniversary with the best time
  • MotoGP Thailand Testing – Day 1 : 

"We are leaving Buriram with a more than positive feeling," said the HRC official. "The conditions during these three days were however far from obvious: we did a lot of laps and it was very hot. We still have some tests to do but the most important is elsewhere. We now know the asphalt, the mapping. necessary and the gears to engage in each bend ".

Offseason testing - MotoGP Thailand testing - Day 3: Pedrosa puts everyone in agreement at Buriram -

For the first MotoGP outing on the Buriram circuit, located about 400 km from Bangkok, the gaps are quite tight in the leading group since the Top 5 closed by Alex Rins is held in 4 tenths: "we are all very close ", confirms Marc Marquez, fourth on the last day but third in the combined standings thanks to his performance .

"Riding a motorcycle is the best way to celebrate my birthday, I couldn’t ask for better!", Smiles the Catalan. "Besides, the day went very well because the speed was there again". Besides these reassuring statements, the HRC can smile after these tests: Honda dominated every day at Buriram, first with, then and finally Pedrosa.

Offseason tests - MotoGP Thailand testing - Day 3: Pedrosa puts everyone in agreement at Buriram -

The defending champion finished the last day 0.362 seconds behind his teammate, without being able to join him under 1’30 as he had done the day before. Like several riders, Marquez also fell without gravity in turn 12 of this circuit which has three straights – including one of a kilometer – and on which the motorcycles of have been rolling for three years..

"I am very, very happy because even if it cannot be seen, we have been able to improve certain points", assures Marc Marquez who particularly appreciates the middle of the Asian track and who in particular tested different engine configurations, fairings and a carbon swingarm on its RCV.

Offseason tests - MotoGP Thailand testing - Day 3: Pedrosa puts everyone in agreement at Buriram -

"Of course, my time today was not as good as yesterday, but to be honest I was not attacking," said the No. 93 who clocked 1’29.969 on Saturday against 1’30.143 on Sunday. "I was busy testing some things, I also did a long run and in those 20 consecutive laps my pace was pretty good".

Zarco, best Yamaha rider … by far !

Cal Crutchlow, author of the first reference on Friday, placed his private RC213V in third on the last day, between the two official Honda’s and 0.197 sec behind Zarco’s Yamaha. The latter records the best performance of the Yamaha clan, far ahead of the official riders: Valentino Rossi finished the day in an anonymous 10th place at +0.730 sec, while Maverick Viñales was 12th at +0.809 sec ! 

Offseason tests - MotoGP Thailand testing - Day 3: Pedrosa puts everyone in agreement at Buriram -

The Spaniard is doing better in the combined classification of the three days (8th at +0.493 sec), but not his Italian teammate: Rossi finished 12th at +0.730 sec, without ever having been able to approach the outposts … Doctor was probably hoping for much better !

Even if the discovery of the Thai route can partly explain the differences – some drivers learn a new circuit very quickly, others like Rossi take longer to get their bearings – such differences in the chrono raise questions … and worry . Obviously, the Yamaha officials have still not resolved all the concerns that plagued their previous season..

Offseason testing - MotoGP Thailand testing - Day 3: Pedrosa puts everyone in agreement at Buriram -

"These three days of testing have been fabulous, we have worked well and I am happy to see that this circuit suits our bike rather well", exclaims Johann Zarco, who preferred to return to the 2016 chassis configuration. Yamaha. The French, however, benefits from very recent developments on his M1, such as the new fairings with fins that he appreciates and an engine speed raised by 500 rpm..

"We knew with my team that the lap times were going to gradually go down", explains the n ° 5: "Sunday I had quite a few new tires at my disposal and I was able to reach this lap in 1’29.8. Compared to yesterday, so we won 5 tenths with the same tire. It may not be the tire that we will use in October, but it is rather encouraging. We now have our benchmarks, the bike is well balanced. That will serve us for the race even if the conditions are different ".

Asked about his obvious superiority over official motorcycles, the two-time Moto2 world champion politely – and diplomatically – kicked in touch: "I don’t look too much at other people’s times, in fact I have enough to do on my side "Zarco comments, being careful not to offend anyone in a team where he is running for a place: when the Doctor retires !

  • MNC of June 21, 2017 :

Viñales tries to "follow his feeling"

The collapse of the Yamaha officials is all the more complex to manage as Viñales had an illusion on the second day, securing the 4th fastest time three tenths behind leader Marc Marquez. The Spaniard said he was satisfied with the progress made, even if he admitted to having gone a little wrong at first….

Offseason testing - MotoGP Thailand testing - Day 3: Pedrosa puts everyone in agreement at Buriram -

"It took me a while to figure out where to go with this bike, maybe a little too much," he said on Saturday night. "I didn’t feel comfortable on the bike, I didn’t necessarily have a good pace, but at the very end of the afternoon we made some small changes which seem to have paid off".

For Viñales, the important thing was to have managed to find a good basis for adjustments on his M1, which he would have determined on his own to adapt the bike to his riding style. In other words: the Spaniard seeks to follow his own path, without worrying about those cleared by his illustrious Italian teammate..

Offseason testing - MotoGP Thailand testing - Day 3: Pedrosa puts everyone in agreement at Buriram -

"I just followed my feeling, my own setup, and I feel good: I can finally ride the way I want," he assured on the evening of the second day. Alas, this beautiful emancipation took a cold shower on the last day, which he finished 12th 7 tenths behind Zarco … Either Viñales got lost in his settings again, or the factory Yamaha is still just as versatile. despite its mix of 2016, 2017 and 2018 pieces !

Lorenzo is also looking for himself…

Another driver in difficulty at Buriram: Jorge Lorenzo, who finished 22nd on Sunday and 16th in the combined classification … The contrast is total with the previous practice session in Malaysia, which the Mallorcan had totally crushed with the at stake !

Offseason testing - MotoGP Thailand testing - Day 3: Pedrosa puts everyone in agreement at Buriram -

"In Sepang, I felt much better than during these three days of driving in Thailand", indicates the n ° 99 who prefers "to ignore my position in the standings, because I did not make a fast lap: I was doing a racing simulation ".

  • MNC of January 31, 2018 :

Race simulation or not, its pace is far from up to par and certain signs betray a form of incomprehension and excitement: Lorenzo even abandoned the 2018 Ducati in favor of a GP17 recovered in the Pramac team! Like his successor at Yamaha, Lorenzo is groping and hesitating … as the season starts in just a month (the) !

Offseason tests - MotoGP Thailand testing - Day 3: Pedrosa puts everyone in agreement at Buriram -

"The goal this Sunday was also to reconfirm the strengths of our new bike in Sepang, and as always there are advantages and disadvantages," concedes Jorge Lorenzo. "Right now I would place GP17 at about the same level as GP18, this being the latter has more potential. So I think we will start the season with the new one.".

"We will see what the engineers can do between now and the next test at Losail (planned for, Editor’s note), if they can bring me solutions by recovering some elements of the old one. I also think that we still have to work on the settings, in order to have more feeling with the front ".

  • MNC special file : 
  • MNC special file : 

His team-mate Andrea Dovizioso – above ready to take to the track on a 2017/2018 Desmosedici "hybrid" – completed his tests with a 7th time in the combined, as in the Sunday standings. The Italian claims to have mainly focused on the development of his motorcycle and wants to be more reassuring than his teammate: as usual, the n ° 4 works step by step without trying for the moment to panic the clock..

Takaaki Nakagami stays on track

As for the beginners, it is again Takaaki Nakagami who shines on his Honda-LCR as he had done at: 8th fastest on the last day and 10th in the combined standings. The Japanese finished 0.675 sec from the benchmark, when Morbidelli (13th overall), Luthi (21st) and Simeon (24th) are still looking for their marks in MotoGP. 

However, be careful not to delay too long: Malaysian Hafizh Syahrin (22nd overall) seems very comfortable on the M1 Tech3, while he was racing for the first time in MotoGP to replace Jonas Folger ! 

  • MNC of February 1, 2018: Takaaki Nakagami, best rookie of the first tests 2018 at Sepang

Finally, the first Aprilia RS-GP, that of Aleix Espargaro, and the first KTM RC16, that of Bradley Smith, placed 14th at 0.920 sec and 18th at 1.140 sec respectively in the combined standings. Average performance, even if Pol Espargaro was missing to slam a good lap at KTM: the Spaniard is injured in the back at Sepang and had surgery the week before testing.

Offseason tests - MotoGP Thailand testing - Day 3: Pedrosa puts everyone in agreement at Buriram -

As for the conditions of these tests, they were particularly trying: great heat and high humidity in the air were there, even if the pilots agree that the previous tests in Malaysia were even more demanding in this field. To this dampness is also sometimes added surprise guests: the appearance of a cobra on the track caused a brief interruption of the session on Sunday. !

Watch out for the cobra !

A good surprise to conclude: the public largely responded to the three days of testing, moving in droves to watch the MotoGP take their marks on the Thai site. Some circuits – like Losail in Qatar – attract fewer people on Grand Prix days! Auspicious for the first GP of Thailand, scheduled for October 7 to start the overseas tour !

Results and standings of the third day of MotoGP testing in Thailand

  1. PEDROSA, Dani Repsol Honda Team 1: 29.781  
  2. ZARCO, Johann Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1: 29.867 0.086  
  3. CRUTCHLOW, Cal LCR Honda CASTROL 1: 30.064 0.283
  4. MARQUEZ, Marc Repsol Honda Team 1: 30.143 0.362
  5. RINS, Alex Team SUZUKI ECSTAR 1: 30.178 0.397  
  6. MILLER, Jack Alma Pramac Racing 1: 30.190 0.409
  7. DOVIZIOSO, Andrea Ducati Team 1: 30.192 0.411
  8. NAKAGAMI, Takaaki LCR Honda IDEMITSU 1: 30.456 0.675  
  9. RABAT, Tito Reale Avintia Racing 1: 30.476 0.695  
  10. ROSSI, Valentino Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1: 30.511 0.730 
  11. PETRUCCI, Danilo Alma Pramac Racing 1: 30.573 0.792
  12. VIÑALES, Maverick Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1: 30.590 0.809  
  13. MORBIDELLI, Franco EG 0,0 Marc VDS 1: 30.648 0.867
  14. ESPARGARO, Aleix Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1: 30.701 0.920
  15. IANNONE, Andrea Team SUZUKI ECSTAR 1: 30.718 0.937  
  16. SMITH, Bradley Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1: 30.921 1.140
  17. KALLIO, Mika Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1: 31.169 1.388
  18. REDDING, Scott Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1: 31.311 1.530
  19. LUTHI, Thomas EG 0.0 Marc VDS 1: 31.354 1.573
  20. BAUTISTA, Alvaro Ángel Nieto Team 1: 31.486 1.705 
  21. SYAHRIN, Hafizh Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1: 31.537 1.756 
  22. LORENZO, Jorge Ducati Team 1: 31.627 1.846 
  23. SIMEON, Xavier Reale Avintia Racing 1: 32.019 2.238
  24. ABRAHAM, Karel Ángel Nieto Team 1: 32.024 2.243

Results and combined ranking of the three days of testing

Offseason tests - MotoGP Thailand testing - Day 3: Pedrosa puts everyone in agreement at Buriram -

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