MotoGP

Star InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar Inactive

Yamaha Tech 3 rider Jonas Folger kept his roll of fastest rookie at the Phillip Island test as action concluded, taking P4 on the timesheets and hugely impressing once again.

A small crash hindered a race simulation on Day 3 before the German got back in the groove and kept improving, setting a 1:29.042 as his best lap and heading home with 190 under his belt after the three days of testing.

"Today was another good day and we can head home feeling positive for the future and happy about what we accomplished at Phillip Island." Said Folger

"This morning, I got straight to work and I was able to cut my lap time further, which was a strong start. After that, the team and I tried a lot of settings on the bike but I was never 100% sure about which direction was the best one to take, despite the rhythm being quite good."

He added: "Then, I started a race simulation but after three or four laps, I crashed at turn six. I returned to the track on my second bike that had a different setting, and after completing eleven laps or so, my confidence came back and I became faster and faster, which was very important. Now we know which direction we have to head towards and we will try again in Qatar."

"However, for the moment, we can be fully satisfied about what we completed here because the rhythm was good, the lap time was strong, we tried many options and we sorted a lot of things out, so we can all be really content." concluded the rookie

MotoGP

Star InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar Inactive

New kid on the Yamaha block Maverick Vinales has done it again at Phillip Island, going even faster on Day 3 to top the timesheets once more.

Fastest on Day 2 and fastest during testing at Sepang and Valencia, the Spaniard has hit the ground running in his new MotoGP home – ending the Australia test ahead of the Repsol Honda Team: Marc Marquez in second and Dani Pedrosa in third.

Vinales put in a 1:28.549 early in his impressive day’s work; a time unthreatened until the final flag. Completing 101 laps and able to put in 1:28 laps in a row, the Spaniard also managed to rake in the laps in the 1:29 bracket in another ominous show of form.

His teammate – nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi – ended Day 3 in P11 and 0.921s in arrears. The “Doctor” did a best of 1:29.470 in the third session, but is bumped down to P12 on combined times.

The closest chasers to the portentous pace of Viñales were Repsol Honda duo Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa. Marquez, who did 107 laps on Day 2 and is the only other rider in the illustrious 1:28 club, did a best of 1:28.843 as he prepares for his title defence – with another impressive 96-lap workload completed. Pedrosa, who was ill on Day 2 and only went out on track for the afternoon, was back on form on Day 3 and put in 65 laps with a quickest effort of 1:29.033, just missing the 1:28s and slotting into P3 on Day 3 and combined timesheets.

The fastest rookie on Days 1 and 2 kept his crown on the third and final day of testing, as Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) shot up into P4. The German, who did an incredible 1:29.042, also suffered a crash but remained just ahead of 2016 Australian GP winner Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda). Folger’s teammate, two-time Moto2 World Champion Johann Zarco, ended the second test pf the season in P15 on combined times with a 1:29.670.

With Crutchlow locking out the top five, another impressive rookie was hot on the Brit’s tail: Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar). Beating new teammate Andrea Iannone on the timesheets on Day 2 and repeating the feat on Day 3, Rins put in a 1:29.103 to end up only 0.002 off the number 35 on the combined timesheets – despite a small crash. “Maniac” Iannone ended up P13 overall and twelfth on Day 3, completing 77 laps in the final session with a best of 1:29.547.

Seventh and eighth was a Ducati Team lockout. Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo were separated by less than a tenth, and both completed over 70 laps. “DesmoDovi” is on test duty for the team, with “Spartan” Lorenzo’s focus more angled at adapting to the Desmosedici. The Italian’s best was a 1:29.248, with the Spaniard just behind on a 1:29.342.

Local hero Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) was the next man up, with the Australian impressing once again after proving a constant force to be reckoned with in the top ten. 2016 Assen GP winner Miller did a best of 1:29.358 to line up just behind five-time World Champion Lorenzo, flying the EG0,0 Marc VDS flag alone at his home track until injured teammate Tito Rabat hopes to get back down to work at the Qatar test.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was another who impressed, taking P6 on Day 2 and locking out the top ten on combined times. The Spaniard, whose best lap was a 1:29.361, put in 65 laps for the Noale factory on Day 3, with rookie teammate Sam Lowes adding another 57. Lowes’ best was a 1:30.200.

Espargaro’s compatriot Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) was one of the few riders to not improve on Day 3, but his time from the second session is enough to keep him P11 on the combined timesheets – just ahead of Valentino Rossi. Former 125 World Champion Bautista’s best was a 1:29.411.

Octo Pramac Racing’s Danilo Petrucci was the final rider in the top fifteen, taking P14 overall – just ahead of Zarco. The Italian, on the GP17 Desmosedici, did a 1:29.615 to end the Australian test just over a second off the best lap by Vinales.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing made a huge leap up in laptime on the third and final day at Phillip Island. Both riders Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith put in laps under the 1:30 barrier, with the Spaniard’s best a 1:29.857 and the Brit’s a 1:29.978. Both within a second and a half of P1, the timesheets bode well for the Austrian factory as the road to Qatar gets shorter.

Next up is Losail International Circuit for another test – the last – before the lights go out at the same venue and 2017 hits the gas.

MotoGP

Star InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar Inactive

Jack Miller did 93 Laps of his home Phillip Island circuit on the third and final day of testing, lowering his laptime once again and confirming a place in the top ten on combined timesheets.

A 1:29.358 saw Miller a force to be reckoned with, and leaves the Queenslander heading back from the Island on a high – P9 and positivity ahead of the best test in Qatar.

"These three days here at Phillip Island have been really positive for us. For the first time in a long time I feel like I'm in charge of the bike and not the other way round." Said Miller.

"We came here to confirm what we learnt in Sepang and we've done that, so we know our base set up works at two very different tracks and I'm confident it will be the same in Qatar at the final test."

"There is still some work to do before we get the season underway next month, but we've done much of the hard work and it's now just a case of refining what we have to find the final few tenths we're missing."

"Overall I'm pleased with our preparations for the new season and looking forward to the final test in Qatar next month."

MotoGP

Star InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar Inactive

After a more difficult first day of track action in Australia, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini rider Aleix Espargaro shot up the timesheets on Day 2 to go sixth overall as lap times began to tumble.

During the morning, Espargaro set his best lap of the day – a 1'29.501 – before concentrating on a longer run later in the day.

The Spaniard also debuted a new aerodynamic fairing design on Day 2 – although only for a number of laps – with initial information gathering the main aim.

"We are improving. Yesterday we had already started in the right direction." Said Espargaro.

"Today we did a lot of chassis tests. I am more than satisfied with both my flying lap and with our pace during the race simulation, which is very important."

"The bike has not changed much compared with Malaysia, but my feeling on it increases constantly," He added "especially with the front tyre and that is very important for my riding style. Now we need to keep improving our package."

 

         

 

 

Search