2020 MotoGP season is set to begin 8 March and the first three official tests are done with. Sepang Test in fact has always been an interesting one and this time as well, there is loads to talk about. The three grueling days in Malaysia will help decide who will come on top in 2020. As we now head towards Qatar Test on 22 February, what all have we learned from Sepang and where do the teams and riders stand currently – motogp.com provides a walkthrough.
Marc Marquez and his shoulder injury
The reigning World Champion’s condition has been in the talks for long. Marquez wasn’t able to complete a full testing program because of his shoulder and the Spaniard admitted he “felt worse than what I expected on the bike.” The number 93 completed 131 laps over the three days at “60-70%” fitness, so it’ll be interesting to see how the eight-time World Champion gets on at the Qatar Test.
Lorenzo back at Yamaha
Jorge Lorenzo was back on board a YZR-M1 at the Sepang International Circuit and having initially had a day on the 2019 machine during the shakedown test, the number 99 took part in the final day of the Official Test on Sunday. The five-time World Champion finished just 1.348 off Fabio Quartararo’s (Petronas Yamaha SRT) fastest time, and that was without going for a one-lap time attack.
Rookie of the Year’s transition
The 2019 Rookie of the Year’s transition to 2020 YZR-M1 machinery was seamless. A 1:58.349 from Quartararo on the final day was just shy of Danilo Petrucci’s outright lap record set at the test last year, and it was 0.192 faster than the next-best Yamaha – Valentino Rossi. However, it’s not an instant perfect fit according to the man himself.
Zarco at Ducati
Johann Zarco began life as a Ducati rider in Sepang and made impressive progress from Day 1 to Day 3. On the opening day, Zarco was 1.5 off the pace – certainly not a disgrace.
Rookies
Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) all enjoyed at least five days of hard graft at the Sepang International Circuit, with the new rules allowing premier class rookies to take part in the shakedown test. Reigning Moto2 World Champion Marquez finished as the fastest rookie in Sepang.
New holeshot device
We’ve seen it on the Ducati, we’ve seen it on the Aprilia. And now, we’ve seen it on the Yamaha. Sepang saw YZR-M1 test rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga debut the Iwata factory’s version, before Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Rossi and Maverick Viñales got to give it a go.
Aprilia and KTM
Aprilia’s brand-new RS-GP looks like the real deal, both over a qualifying lap and in race-spec. Aleix Espargaro’s 13-lap race simulation on the final day was about as good as anyone’s, while the Spaniard’s 1:58.694 meant all six factories finished just 0.345 apart at the end of play in Sepang.
Ducati
Ducati Corse General Manager Gigi Dall’Igna explained how he was “quite happy” with how the Sepang Test went, with the Italian confirming the 2020 bike “for sure improved in comparison to last year’s bike.” However, it seems where Ducati are struggling most is with the new Michelin tyres, despite Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) saying the feeling with them has improved.
Suzuki and Yamaha’s top speed deficits
Both factories tested new engine specs at the Valencia and Jerez Test and have continued using their new engine at Sepang, but have they managed to cut their top speed deficits to the likes of Ducati and Honda? If we take a look at the top speeds attainted by each manufacturer across the three days at the Sepang Test, then it makes for positive reading for the Hamamatsu and Iwata outfits.
How close is the competition in 2020?
The top speed argument brings us nicely to our final talking point. With KTM and Aprilia’s improvements, the aforementioned gap between all six factories was a slender 0.345 seconds. This time last year, it was 1.401. This year, the top 24 riders – the entire grid plus test riders Bradley Smith and Jorge Lorenzo – were split by 1.549. With the rookies shining and improvements still to be made, the class of 2020 look set to put on a mouth-watering show, and we’ll learn even more across the three days at the Losail International Circuit on the 22-24 February.
