MotoGP: Sepang Test Day 3, Rossi finishes tied at the top with Pedrosa, Dovizioso excellent third
Jorge Lorenzo was in great difficulty, finishing the test in seventh place, over six tenths behind
Two Italians ahead of everyone in the MotoGP class! It's a dream that came close, but in reality was "ruined" by Dani Pedrosa who, at the end of the third and final day of IRTA testing in Sepang, achieved the exact same time as Valentino Rossi. In fact, the Pesaro rider achieved the best time with a time of 1:59.999 (same time as Pedrosa), followed just 68 thousandths of a second by Andrea Dovizioso, who brings Ducati into the positions that count.
Two good news however for two-wheel enthusiasts. Rossi also lapped at a good pace, even if he had to interrupt the race simulation due to a problem with the front tyre, while "Dovi" achieved the best time with the Factory, but carried out the race simulation with the Desmosedici equipped with the Open control unit software.
The decision at Ducati (whether to choose Factory or Open) will be communicated shortly, but the feeling is that the future of the Borgo Panigale team will be Open, especially considering the possibility of development (12 engines against the 5 standard ones of the Factory) and of test (in addition to the extra 4 liters and an extra-soft tire that the Factory ones will not have).
Andrea Dovizioso in action with Ducati in Sepang
Behind the three we find the confirmation of Aleix Espargarò, very fast with the Yamaha FTR Open (basically a 1 M2013 with Open control unit and with the advantages described above). The Spaniard closed the test just 102 thousandths behind Rossi and Pedrosa, placing himself behind Stefan Bradl's Team LCR Honda and that of his compatriot Alvaro Bautista (the fastest on Day 1).
The real disappointment of these tests is without a doubt the Majorcan Jorge Lorenzo. The Yamaha rider just can't "find himself" with the new Bridgestone tires. He has problems in all phases, entering, navigating and exiting the curve. He was one of the most active on the track (70 laps for him), but at the moment the results are not arriving. Behind him we find Cal Crutchlow's Ducati, which is 791 thousandths off the top.
The British rider has yet to find his feet on the Desmosedici, even though there has been a big improvement since the first day of testing. The two Yamahas of Team Tech 3 of Bradley Smith and Pol Espargarò (2013 Moto2 champion) close out the Top Ten, while Andrea Iannone finished the test in eleventh position, ahead of Randy de Puniet's Suzuki, recovering compared to the first two days.
The Honda Open riders are still in difficulty. The first RCV1000R is that of Nicky Hayden, who achieved the fifteenth time, almost two seconds behind Rossi.
Sepang Test Day 3 – 27/02/2014 – The final times
1. Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha Factory Racing (YZR-M1) 1.59.999 (Lap 13/41)
2. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1.59.999 +0.000 (47/50)
3. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici) 2 .00.067 +0.068 (6/36)
4. Aleix Espargaro ESP NGM Mobile Forward Racing (FTR-M1) 2 .00.101 +0.102 (7/43)
5. Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda MotoGP (RC213V) 2 .00.164 +0.165 (12/48)
6. Alvaro Bautista ESP Go&Fun Honda Gresini (RC213V) 2 .00.506 +0.507 (9/60)
7. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory Racing (YZR-M1) 2 .00.619 +0.620 (20/70)
8. Cal Crutchlow GBR Ducati Team (Desmosedici) 2 .00.790 +0.791 (7/62)
9. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 2 .00.804 +0.805 (69/71)
10. Pol Espargaro ESP Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 2 .01.032 +1.033 (6/54)
11. Andrea Iannone ITA Pramac Racing (Desmosedici) 2 .01.198 +1.199 (26/47)
12. Randy De Puniet FRA Suzuki Test Rider (XRH-1) 2 .01.430 +1.431 (53/55)
13. Yonny Hernandez COL Pramac Racing (Desmosedici Open) 2 .01.497 +1.498 (51/56)
14. Colin Edwards USA NGM Mobile Forward Racing (FTR-M1) 2 .01.748 +1.749 (23/35)
15. Nicky Hayden USA Drive M7 Aspar (RCV1000R) 2 .01.924 +1.925 (57/59)
16. Michele Pirro ITA Ducati Test Rider (Desmosedici) 2 .02.029 +2.030 (8/48)
17. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Drive M7 Aspar (RCV1000R) 2 .02.070 +2.071 (61/61)
18. Scott Redding GBR Go&Fun Honda Gresini (RCV1000R) 2 .02.228 +2.229 (48/50)
19. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Blusens (FTR-Kawasaki) 2 .02.341 +2.342 (13/54)
20. Katsuyuki Nakasuga JPN Yamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1) 2 .03.115 +3.116 (3/30)
21. Mike Di Meglio FRA Avintia Blusens (FTR-Kawasaki) 2 .03.499 +3.500 (15/52)
22. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing (RCV1000R) 2 .04.304 +4.305 (5/29)
23. Nobuatsu Aoki JPN Suzuki Test Rider (XRH-1) 2 .06.482 +6.483 (3/14)
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…it's too strange to see Dovi so close…I don't trust it, they've been too strange days…we'll see in Jerez.
strange and almost impossible to have 2 equal times 1:59.999, crazy!!
Rossi is the best of the Yamahas but the Hondas are superior in terms of pace, we are waiting for Marquez and he is now the reference on the track..
Anyway, great start for Valentino Rossi, let's hope for a championship with more title contenders..
Hello everyone !
Ducati has chosen Open, for ALL its bikes!
FINALLY things have changed in Ducati, and in addition to Dovi's tempo, the words of the Forlì native confirm it... :"I am impressed by the engineer's work methodology. Gigi Dall'Igna”.
Vale is in great shape... he passed 2 official tests ahead of Lorenzo, and almost always at the top of the standings.
How nice though to see a bit of Italy back there...!!!! :D
Aeneas
The Ducati is only less than 6 tenths away from the track record! this is an excellent start, let's hope that the Open choice is the right one. Vale seems definitely at ease on the M1 (i.e. better than Jorge)
@Ligera
I'll continue the discussion here.
We agree that the FTR is a good bike, but it wouldn't be where it is without Aleix…
I'm also perplexed about Colin...
He has won two SBK world championships, he is an above average rider, and last year he performed well compared to Corti, I can't explain this constant gap with Aleix...
We will see…
Aeneas
The Yamaha Open is a 1 M2013 (as the article also mentions), that is, a motorcycle with undoubted qualities.
Aleix already showed last year that he is a driver with excellent qualities, the only CRT capable of annoying (even if for a few laps) many GPs.
The 2014 combination sees Aleix still in great shape, with the addition of a much better performing bike than last year.
Result: still up there at the top, close to the best of the Factory Yamahas and ahead of all the other Yamahas in GP configuration.
Aleix, with a factory, would be, in my opinion, a rider capable of fighting, at times, for the podium (to tell the truth, there is still no evidence of an Aleix capable of maintaining "record" paces from first on the last lap, as required by the current MotoGP).
Colin was great, but personally, I had already seen him "struggling" to be able to stay with the young people for some time.
In my opinion, the comparison won with Corti does not make much sense, on the contrary, today's gap for example (1.6 sec. from Aleix) and the difficulties in maintaining an appreciable pace, give a more precise indication of the real potential of the American.
enea
I'm just here to point out something to you.
Thank the c… that FTR is a good bike… It's an official Yamaha M1 without the seamles gearbox!
In all and for all…
Except for the Open specifications (24 liters and Magneti Marelli electronics).
Of FTR on that bike there are only the fairings, footrests and little else.!
For example, the air box is made ftr, but having a motorbike that is actually complete in every way (excluding the fairings), the choice of air box is also limited to very few solutions.
FTR will soon make a chassis study on this bike... Coming soon though.
Read this interview with the team owner:
MotoGP, Cuzari: my Open is not an M1 in disguise
@ligera-bcs
Guys, it's useless that we continue to argue that the FTR is a 1 M2013....
Let me explain, on Lorenzo's bike it was enough to change tires to make it go overboard, the FTR doesn't use seamless, which according to the riders is a good advantage, especially in terms of pace, and has much less advanced electronics along with other small details.
It wasn't obvious that he was so far ahead.
Imagine that tomorrow they take away the seamless from Lorenzo and give him the MM electronics, I think he would panic... Hehehe ;)
I gave the example of Lorenzo to reiterate that it is enough to intervene on a single aspect of the bike to significantly change the performance.
Do you really think that the 2 seconds that Colin gets are all his fault... ? ;)
Ftr good bike, but Aleix is spacey... Put him on a factory and he'll compete with anyone... :)
Aeneas
I repeat: that bike is not FTR. It's a Yamaha M1 with FTR fairings.
The credit for the quality of the bike goes to Yamaha (and whoever rode it to get to those times), not to FTR.
Bcs
I never said the opposite, I was just pointing out that the bike isn't as good as Aleix's times might lead you to believe, but that the Spaniard really makes the difference.
or Colin is a scary bastard.
In my opinion, this Yamaha open is halfway between the Honda open and the factory Yamaha in terms of performance.
perhaps a little closer to the M1 factory.
Aeneas
Great, then start calling her by her name. That is, an M1 Open, and not ftr (there is very little, almost nothing on that ftr bike...).
The most important thing that Ftr does is the air box, but with everything Yamaha gives to the team, you have very little space for the air box (frankly I think the only thing different between that bike and the one Cal had that year both in the “mouth” that you see in the fairing).
If an M1 isn't a good bike for you, well... What bikes are good then?
Colin isn't a bastard, he's simply an old man.
bcs are you there?
Where would I have said it's not a good bike???
I simply said that it's not as good as Aleix's times would suggest.
It is certainly an excellent open, but without Espargaro it would be 8-9 tenths from the top.
Colin is an old man, but he doesn't get two seconds "aggratis" from one year to the next.
Then if the whole world calls it Ftr or ftr-m1, can you explain to me why I can't do the same, even knowing that it is an open Yamaha??
Aeneas
You wrote:
“I simply said that it's not as good as Aleix's times would suggest.”
If a rider runs on certain times it is because the MOTORCYCLE has the potential to do so...
Give him a HELLO under the butt and see if he can do those times there (it's to convey the idea).
Without Espargaro there would only be Colin, and you certainly couldn't expect from a driver who has made his own history, is advanced in age... In short, a driver at the end of his career, without that desire that an Espargaro has to emerge.
Colin wasn't on a Yamaha M1 last year…
Truly the whole world calls it Yamaha Open (or M1 Open), but certainly no one calls it FTR... Maybe those who inform themselves before labeling something.
If the M1 taken straight and transformed into an Open is not a good bike…. Which bikes are “good”?
If you lap those times it is also because the bike (more or less adapted to your style) ALLOWS you as a rider to set those times.
Of course, then you have to find yourself to do those times, but that's another matter.
Give him a Honda Open, then let's see if he can run those times.
ahahahaha :D
Bcs come back to you..!!!
Or maybe someone hacked your account!?! :D
The nice thing is that you quote me, read it and you still don't understand what I wrote... ;)
Wait, I'll give you an example...;)
If absurdly I said:
“Rossi is not as strong as his 9 titles would suggest”
It's obvious that I'm not saying that Rossi isn't strong, but that he is strong but not as strong as the 9 titles might suggest.
Is it clearer to you?
Also because in the previous post I wrote:
“We agree that the FTR is a good bike”
and I reiterated it several times… ;)
The FTR-M1 is last year's cal bike, with much less advanced electronics.
It is certainly the best open of the lot, a good bike, but not as good as a factory one, that is, not as good as Aleix's times might suggest.
I am totally convinced that the same bike, in the hands of Pirro for example, would get a second...
Regarding Colin, the NGM Mobile Forward Racing team has worked with Edwards for years, if they thought he would go 2 seconds under the real value of the bike, I doubt they would have contracted him... and they know its real value a little better than you and me... and they are not sadomasochists…. ;)
The real value of the bike, in my opinion, is somewhere between Aleix and Colin.... 8-9 tenths from the top…
Just as the real value of the ducati was not the times of stoner, who was the only one to squeeze it in that way.
Oh God, this is what I think about Spanish, but time may prove me wrong.
We will see. ;)
“Perhaps those who inform themselves before labeling something.”
I didn't understand... explain.
“Truly the whole world calls it Yamaha Open (or M1 Open), but certainly no one calls it FTR”
Look, right in the time table of this site, where they are listed
Name, nationality. team name and bike name, they write:
4. Aleix Espargaro ESP NGM Mobile Forward Racing (FTR-M1) 2 .00.101 +0.102 (7/43)
Send a complaint email to motograndprix…. hehehe :D
Aeneas
What I think is written above.
I wrote what I wanted to write to you.
If you don't understand, it's not my problem.
Give him a Honda Open and let's see if he runs with those times.
He runs at those times because the bike allows him to run at those times.
Go ahead and call it FTR, but then don't complain if they point out that there is nothing FTR on that bike...
I repeat: If you don't understand, it's not my problem.
BCS
“My opinion is written above.
I wrote what I wanted to write to you.
If you don't understand, it's not my problem."
Don't you even consider the possibility that it might be you who didn't understand...? ;)
BCS
“Give him a Honda Open and let's see if he runs with those times.”
He would certainly lap half a second better than the good Hayden, but he wouldn't set the times he did.
Captain obvious.
BCS
“Go ahead and call it FTR, but then don't complain if they point out that there's nothing FTR on that bike....”
Now I'll explain it to you in other terms.
All the bikes in the 2014 premier class will be divided into OPEN and GP.
Pedrosa's Honda is called RC213V, Hayden's RCV1000R.
Lorenzo's Yamaha is called YZR-M1, Espargaro's FTR-M1.
FTR is a manufacturer, not a satellite team, so the bike also takes its name, even if the bike is 80% Yamaha.
Get over it and sleep peacefully.
While you're at it, google a little and tell me if I'm the only one (along with those stupid people at motograndprix) who calls it FTR-M1.
BCS
“I repeat: If you don't understand, it's not my problem”
Are you always so humble or is this just a bad day?
Aeneas
In addition to the "worsening" parts, the Open has 4 liters more, soft tires (but which I don't think would reach the end in the race and which Dovi did not use today) and the possibility of having engines that perhaps can run with some a hundred more laps, given that they have more than 1 available every 2 GPs.
Aleix is strong, but if it weren't for the bike he has now, he wouldn't set certain times.
The gearbox (it was said) gave 1 to 2 tenths per lap and logically the pace is easier to maintain.
As per bcs ;)
Aeneas
I understand what you mean, but I don't think like you.
I don't think that Aleix's riding alone can give the 8/9 tenths that the bike lacks.
This is the usual speech of the pilot who has half a second in his right wrist (8/9 tenths in our case).
Aleix is strong, there's no doubt, with a Factory he wouldn't look out of place at all, but for once I feel forced to agree with my "colleague", those times also happen (not "only") because the bike allows it.
The M1 (because it is an M1) is an excellent bike that has its strengths in perfect harmony with Aleix's riding skills, but even more important are (as I wrote above) the regulatory benefits.
Less sophisticated electronics (now improved thanks to Ducati software) are compensated (it is still not clear to what extent) by the extra liters and the number of engines available for the season.
More liters and engines should allow for higher maximum speeds (someone spoke of 10-15 km/h but it seems like too much to me) and engines with higher rotation speeds.
The new control unit allows each track to be divided into 25 sectors (maximum) and, if you think about it carefully, if they exploited all 25, they would obtain almost curve-by-curve control, as you have in GPs.
Without considering the softer tires which, over a single lap (or a few laps), give the Opens a notable advantage
We need to understand how much the M1 has lost due to the electronics and how much it has improved thanks to the benefits.
I certainly don't know how to give values, but Ducati seems to have seen that the benefits outweigh the limitations, especially in future consideration, when they will have time to also act on the engine, unlike the GPs.
Ligera, I know well what the open loses and what it gains compared to the factory, and I know well that it will be difficult to quantify how much and what of the changes then influence the actual performance, the fact is that the hypothesis that the ftr-m1 is at the level of pol and Smith's tech-3, and that Aleix does his best to keep her at the top, rather than Colin getting two seconds all for his own demerit. Even taking age into consideration.
But as I was saying, time will prove me wrong or not... ;)
Aeneas
As a fan of Aleix, since he raced in 250cc, so I think before many, I have to say that I'm on the side of bcs and Ligera, obviously I don't doubt the qualities of the rider, but the bike is a 2013 Yamaha, I don't know if many know, but Aleix also has a contract with Yamaha, as well as with the ngm team, I don't know if you have ever noticed, that in Aleix's garage there are also Yamaha technicians, obviously wearing ngm t-shirts, and then we would have to consider the manager of the Yamaha racing department (sorry but I never remember the name :) ), who collects Aleix's data and declarations. With these opportunities you certainly don't go easy. In my opinion the biggest problem encountered by the Open is the pace thing, ok, everyone will say that on the third day Aleix set the times of Pedrosa last year, but I don't know if many have understood that he set them in the morning, with fresh track!!! This accounted for a very good 0.5s if not even 1 second! Then the lap time obviously leaves the time he finds, in a test it is absolutely not valid. Then I would like to bring up the tire issue, in an interview Aoyama was worried, for the reason that the hardest tires available to them arrive at the end of the race with a huge drop in performance, we're talking about 1s! Is it possible to think that the soft tire (with which Aleix spent his time) will perform so well in the end?
Aleix is certainly an excellent rider, I would say even more than an excellent rider... at the level of Dovi, Cal, Alvaro and his bike it seems to be really competitive, obviously the credit for the results goes to the package, the rider tends to be a bit better I think. .
Stone me
I don't want to exaggerate, but in my opinion, in terms of pure speed, Aleix is second to none, not even Marquez. I'm talking about how to squeeze the bike especially in the single lap.
I agree that a driver should not be judged only by this aspect.
Aeneas
...let's wait to praise Aleix...during the races the open cars will always come behind...it wouldn't make sense otherwise...a bit like in 2002 with the 500 and the motogp...I expect a lot from Bradl, also for Cecchinello who deserves it.
Come on fat guy, stop writing about things you don't understand, get a whore and go take the burden of virginity off your shoulders.. It's a burden you've been carrying for too long now..
…you're right, I tried to follow your advice but your close relatives were busy…and then they're expensive, it's not worth it ahahahahahah!!!
I almost wanted to put a PS to avoid obvious and predictable answers, then I thought they would be too obvious for you too and I didn't put it but apparently I had too much faith in you, you're extremely predictable. Anyway, I only have one close relative: my mother, but she's now retired and isn't right for you, but I have a brother who perhaps you would appreciate more.. You're a virgin at the front but you have to be experienced at the rear.. I think you give us a lot of a pestle eh... you little devil of a fat guy...
…and of course I expect Durim to return to Burma ahahahahahah…
BCS
“My opinion is written above.
I wrote what I wanted to write to you.
If you don't understand, it's not my problem."
Don't you even consider the possibility that it might be you who didn't understand...? ;)
BCS
“Give him a Honda Open and let's see if he runs with those times.”
He would certainly lap half a second better than the good Hayden, but he wouldn't set the times he did.
Captain obvious.
BCS
“Go ahead and call it FTR, but then don't complain if they point out that there's nothing FTR on that bike....”
Now I'll explain it to you in other terms.
All the bikes in the 2014 premier class will be divided into OPEN and GP.
Pedrosa's Honda is called RC213V, Hayden's RCV1000R.
Lorenzo's Yamaha is called YZR-M1, Espargaro's FTR-M1.
FTR is a manufacturer, not a satellite team, so the bike also takes its name, even if the bike is 80% Yamaha.
Get over it and sleep peacefully.
While you're at it, google a little and tell me if I'm the only one (along with those stupid people at motograndprix) who calls it FTR-M1.
BCS
“I repeat: If you don't understand, it's not my problem”
Are you always so humble or is this just a bad day?
Aeneas
You're afraid he won't read your comment enea.
I repeat, if the bike isn't as good as it seems, give Hayden the Honda Open and give Hayden an M1 OPEN...
The bike he has is top notch.
I repeat, go ahead and call it FTR if someone points out to you that there is nothing FTR on that bike... Don't get angry.
You simply need to find out a little.
No dear Enea, perhaps it seemed that way to you because we are not seeing each other face to face.
I repeat: If you don't understand, it's not my problem, because I wrote what I wanted to write to you.
You too can easily check how much FTR there is on that bike (thanks to the interview with the team boss)….
I don't consider Espargaro a phenomenon, maybe this is the problem... A good driver for sure but you certainly can't consider him a PHENOMENON because he gives his pay in tests (easily even during the season) to his 40-year-old teammate, with a long career behind him and who no longer has much incentive…
I consider him a great driver, but nothing more.
“You're afraid I won't read your comment Aeneas.”
Ipse dixit.
“I repeat, if the bike is not as good as it seems, give Hayden the Honda Open and give Hayden an M1 OPEN…”
I'm telling you for the thousandth time that in my opinion he would go a second faster than Hayden, but it's just my opinion, and as I've already said a thousand times, time could prove me wrong.
I continue to give an opinion, you dictate laws that others must understand.
“I repeat, go ahead and call it FTR if someone then points out to you that there is nothing FTR on that bike... Don't get angry.
You just need to find out a little bit."
Insist…. I don't have to find out anything, I don't care if on that FTR bike there are only fairings, footrests and air boxes (for now).
Ftr is a manufacturer, who even if he contributes 10% can give himself the luxury of giving his name to the bike. Ftr-M1.
Not to mention that they are already working on the new chassis which could debut later.
Having said this, it is not incorrect to call it a yamaha open, and stop telling me that I have to inform myself, you are not the only custodian of knowledge.
I've read the interview you quote a while ago and it doesn't change my mind, on the contrary.
If you think that I consider Aleix a phenomenon just by looking at the tests, you really have little regard for my intelligence.
I think that Aleix is doing almost what Stoner did on the Ducati on the FTR-M1, i.e. times that are not feasible for most of the other riders, with the same vehicle.
But again, it's my humble opinion, we'll see. ;)
Aeneas
Yes, but with a Honda Open would you be able to do the same time?
No.
If you manage to achieve that time it is because the MOTORCYCLE is able to run at those times in relation to the rider.
You misunderstood again, I don't know why you're so angry...
You write: “Not to mention that I'm already working on the new chassis which could debut later.”
Do we bet that the frame that will debut later will be an exact copy of that frame and then develop it?
I think so.+
Once you have everything that Yamaha provides you, even the airbox cannot actually be considered Ftr...
Hi Aeneas
Ps: A chamomile wouldn't hurt :)
PS:
In the sentence:
“You're afraid I won't read your comment Aeneas.”
I forgot the "?", it was meant to be a question, but I missed a point.