With almost five weeks without racing between the German and Czech GPs, most of the MotoGP paddock might be tempted to make a clean break from the track. To regroup and replenish their energy ahead of the second half of the season.
However, a handful of manufacturers are keen to make the most of this period to chase an elusive few tenths of performance which could end up making a huge difference – even more so for the title candidates.
KTM had a large roster of riders on track last week in MotorLand Aragon, with regulars Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro joined by test rider Mika Kallio and Moto2 rising-star Miguel Oliveira. Meanwhile, Honda and Ducati have picked Brno and Misano respectively to carry out their private testing programmes.
While rivals can keep an eye on each other during official tests – where they share the same track and come under scrutiny from the media – private tests, as the name implies, are more discreet affairs.
Riders can use the time to test new parts that are potentially introduced into their racing package at any point during the season, and all without revealing their true potential, with lap times not usually made available.
Repsol Honda completed a two-day test in Brno, Czech Republic, finishing up on Tuesday – where Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa both reportedly tested a new chassis. Before heading to Brno, Marquez was insistent on how crucial it is to prepare for the latter stages of the season.
"We need to be more consistent - it will be the key of the second part of the Championship, because it's very tight - we are 4 riders in 10 points, 5 riders in 26 points," Said Marquez
On Tuesday, Octo Pramac Racing's Danilo Petrucci and Scott Redding took to the track in Misano, with the Italian team testing solutions for their Ducati Corse.