MotoGP | Sepang Test Day 3: Bagnaia sweeps the record, Ducati poker

Sepang MotoGP test 2024 – The third and final day of IRTA MotoGP testing at the Sepang International Circuit was characterized by monstrous performances.

For the first time in Malaysia the 57:1 barrier was broken and four riders lapped in 56:2023, something unthinkable until recently. Suffice it to remember that the 1 pole set by Bagnaia and which until yesterday was the record was 57.491:XNUMX.

As happened on the first and second day, the riders looked for a time-attack at the beginning of the session, then everyone worked on the race pace and great progress was seen on the simulations.

Malaysia was the fastest on Day 3 Pecco Bagnaia, who in the morning during his eighth lap "printed" the new Malaysian track record, 1'56.682.

Now it's time for @PeccoBagnaia (I.e.#SepangTest #ForzaDucati #DucatiLenovoTeam pic.twitter.com/15i7rw0SyT

- Ducati Corse (@ducaticorse) February 8, 2024

The two-time MotoGP world champion on track with the Desmosedici GP 24 with new fairing and exhaust, preceded his bitterest rival in the fight for the title until the Valencia race, Jorge Martin, who was 0.172s behind.

The Pramac Ducati rider used the new fairing which he didn't like yesterday and which he instead promoted today. The #89 is ahead by just 61 thousandths of a reborn Enea Bastianini, the fastest on Day 2 and one of the fastest on the pace, which we will analyze later.

Fourth time for Alex Marquez, the last of the riders to lap under one minute and 57 minutes, exactly 1'56.938, 0.256s behind Bagnaia.

Poker Ducati therefore, with Aleix Espargarò's Aprilia RS-GP in fifth position and ahead of Marc Marquez who made a big step forward in the time attack compared to yesterday. The eight-time world champion in fact lapped in 1'57.270 against the 1'58.118 of Day 2.

having fun here @marcmarquez93?!😈 pic.twitter.com/LSamsgcN89

- Gresini Racing (@GresiniRacing) February 7, 2024

Yesterday the former Honda rider said he rode the Ducati as if it were his "old" RC213V, today he seems to have better understood how to exploit the potential of Gresini Racing's Desmosedici GP 23.

Marquez precedes the KTM of Brad Binder, the Ducati of the VR46 Racing Team of Fabio di Giannantonio (he crashed without consequences, ed.), the rookie of the Top Class Pedro Acosta (KTM Team GASGAS Tech3), one of the fastest on the race pace and who has made two small errors in the time attack, at T5 and T12 and the best of the Hondas, that of the Spaniard Joan Mir, was ninth and 0.692s behind and closed the Top Ten.

Aaaaand that's the end for our rookie @37_pedroacosta ✅

Well done team 👏🏼#SepangTest pic.twitter.com/GfPTUSr8NU

- Tech3 Racing (@ Tech3Racing) February 8, 2024

The new RC213V is much better performing than the old one, but at the moment only the #36 is able to exploit its potential, at least on the flying lap, a judgment therefore postponed to the Qatar tests.

It never stops. pic.twitter.com/EA6YprenSV

- Repsol Honda Team (@HRC_MotoGP) February 8, 2024

The other Honda riders are further back, Takaaki Nakagami (Team LCR) is 13th, his team-mate Johann Zarco 16th and our Luca Marini 19th, the latter 1.326s behind.

Yamaha was also postponed, placing Fabio Quartararo in 11th position and the newly arrived Alex Rins in 15th, separated by 0.843s and 1.197s respectively. The Iwata manufacturer pays for the lack of rear grip on the flying lap, while the top speed has improved.

Behind his team-mate Marco Bezzecchi, who finished 17th, 1.313s behind Bagnaia and who, like yesterday and the day before, crashed without consequences at the end of the session.

The #72 of the VR46 Racing Team is behind the KTM RC16 of Jack Miller (14th), Rins, Zarco and ahead of Oliveira, Marini, the Yamaha tester Cal Crutchlow, Augusto Fernandez and the Aprilia and Ducati testers, Lorenzo Savadori and Michele Pyrrhus.

Sepang MotoGP 2024 Test Race Simulations

Today was the day of race simulations, or rather Sprint Races. The fastest was Fabio di Giannantonio, who preceded Enea Bastianini, Jorge Martin, Aleix Espargarò, Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez, Pedro Acosta, Pecco Bagnaia and Joan Mir.

FD49: 17:43.984
EB23: 17:44.591
JM89: 17:45.002
AE41: 17:46.495
MM93: 17:46.681
AM73: 17:47.221
PA31: 17:47.529
FB01: 17:47.774
JM36: 17:50.125

Sepang MotoGP Test Day 3 – The final times

Official Sepang MotoGP record

The track record until yesterday belonged to Francesco Bagnaia who in 2023 had stopped the clock at 1'57.491 (beaten today by the top ten drivers, ed.). The fastest lap in the race goes to Alex Marquez, 1'58.979 recorded in 2022

Best lap: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo) 1'57.491 (2023)

MotoGP winter test dates 2024

SEPANG
Official pre-season test: Tuesday 6 – Thursday 8 February

QATAR
Official pre-season test: Monday 19th – Tuesday 20th February

JEREZ
Official test: Monday 29 April

MUGELLO
Official test: Monday 3 June

MISANO
Official test: Monday 9 September

Moto3 and Moto2 test dates 2024

JEREZ
Moto2 and Moto3 official tests: Thursday 28 February – Friday 1 March

PORTIMAO
Moto3 private test: Thursday 22nd – Friday 23rd February
Moto2 private test: Saturday 24 – Sunday 25 February