Francesco Bagnaia shattered the MotoGP lap record at the Lusail International Circuit, leading a factory Ducati 1-2 on the final day of pre-season testing before the Qatar Grand Prix season opener.
Ducati once again displayed its superiority as five of its motorcycles finished in the top ten at the two-day Qatar test. Bagnaia, who had already established the pace on the initial day, maintained control throughout.
The new GP24, equipped with its upgraded engine and aero package for this season, continued to showcase advancements as the reigning world champion set an astonishing time of 1:50.952s. This lap, the first ever sub-1:51 at the Qatari venue, was also eight-tenths-of-a-second quicker than the previous lap record held by Luca Marini.
The factory Ducati team had a triumphant final day, with Bagnaia and teammate Enea Bastianini completing over 100 laps between them. Bastianini finished just 0.120s behind Bagnaia, securing a remarkable 1-2 finish for the team.
Aprilia enjoyed a positive outing, with Aleix Espargaro securing third place, just over three-tenths behind the leading Ducatis. Raul Fernandez and Maverick Vinales also delivered impressive performances, finishing fifth and sixth respectively on their RS-GP motorcycles.
Marc Marquez, representing Gresini on a year-old Ducati, claimed the fourth fastest time. The six-time premier class world champion is gradually growing more comfortable with his new bike, although he did encounter his first crash as a Ducati rider towards the end of the day.
Jorge Martin, the 2023 vice-champion, secured seventh place for Pramac, while last year’s Qatar Grand Prix winner Fabio Di Gianantonio showcased strength with an eighth-place finish for VR46. Brad Binder claimed the title of the fastest KTM rider in ninth place, although he was over six-tenths off the pace. Marco Bezzecchi completed the top ten on the sister VR46-run Ducati.
Yamaha demonstrated signs of improvement in terms of race performance, but their one-lap speed still has room for enhancement. Fabio Quartararo finished 14th, over a second behind Bagnaia’s fastest time, while new teammate Alex Rins settled for 16th place, just a couple of tenths further back.
The GasGas Tech 3 pair of Pedro Acosta and Augusto Fernandez were the most productive teammates, completing a total of 155 laps of the Lusail circuit. Acosta finished 15th in the times, while Fernandez claimed 21st place.
Honda remained active throughout the two-day test as they experimented with their updated RC213V. LCR’s Johann Zarco and Takaaki Nakagami led the way for the Honda team, with Zarco lapping 1.2 seconds off the pace set by the leading Ducatis. Factory riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini were just behind their satellite teammates, focusing on long runs in preparation for next month’s opening event.
According to the Source motorsportweek.com
