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sport
MotoGPMotoGP 2018 is go!
Opening day of Sepang test signals we’re in fora scorcher season
MONSTER TECH3 Yamaha
star Johann Zarco was the fi rst
man on track at MotoGP’s
offi cial three-day test in
Malaysia, the Frenchman
braving the tropical downpour
which sidelined the majority of
the fi eld for the fi rst few hours.
As AMCN went to print,
2018’s confi rmed 23 riders had
completed the opening day of
the event with Repsol Honda’s
Dani Pedrosa the quickest man
at day’s end.
It wasn’t all the Spaniard’s
way, however, Movistar
Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi
ended his day at the top of
the timesheets, though was
quickly relegated down to sixth
fastest in following minutes
as a last-lap time attack saw
Pedrosa snatch the lead, ahead
of both Ducati Team’s AndreaDovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo,
as well as the Alma Pramac
Racing duo of Danilo Petrucci
and Aussie Jack Miller.
“This is MotoGP, you
stop and lose three or four
positions!” the Italian joked
who went on to say both
he and teammate Maverick
Viñales were using a new
chassis and engine for the test.
The chassis is based around
the two-year-old 2016 design,
while the engine is a 2018 affair.
“In the wet I was in fi fth, but
with a good feeling,” he said.
“In the dry I was strong and I
am happy because we fi nished
our programme and tested
everything, and I was still able
to make a good lap time.”
Reigning world champ Marc
Marquez (Repsol Honda) had
three different machines at hisdisposal and ended his fi rst
day seventh fastest.
“I’m quite happy,” the
Spaniard said, who revealed
his team is trying to improve
both torque and power of the
RC213V. “I was working on
three different bikes and three
different engines – I mean, last
year’s bike and two different
engines – I wasn’t able to work
on the set-up but still, we have
two more days.”
The factory Ducati team
revealed its 2018-spec engine
has a boost of two horsepower
over the GP17 which fi nished
runner up in the title last year.
Aussie fast man Casey Stoner
completed a private two-
day test ahead of the offi cial
one, offering feedback and
information around the GP18’s
updates.“It’s quite a different chassis,”
he revealed. “It gave us a little
bit more feedback through the
ground and gave us what we’ve
been looking for for the last
couple of years, so hopefully
this can be a step in the right
direction to giving us a little
bit more competitive package
around the turns.”
Dovizioso agreed after the
opening day: “Maybe we’ve
found some better parts,
especially in the last part of
corner entry. the front is better
and I am able to enter faster.”
Suzuki, who has relinquished
any dispensations it was
granted under the rules for
new manufacturers, said it has
improved the engine’s power
among other things.
“We’ve made our choices
for what we believe is the right①②③④- Dani Pedrosa topped the time sheets in the closing stages of the opening day 2. Dovi, as usual, was
diplomatic and devastingly quick 3 & 8. Miller was instantly comfortable on the Ducati GP17 and was
less than seven tenths off Pedrosa’s best at the end of day one. 4. Luthi eased in to his first day on
the RC213V 5. Rossi was fast and, more importantly, comfortable on his 2018 package 6. Marc was
working on some engine options 7. Lorenzo appears to have gelled with the GP18 early