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MotoGP, Barcelona test: Redemption for Marquez, Rossi 14th

The Spaniard is ahead of Iannone and Rabat, Petrucci 4th ahead of Zarco and Crutchlow, Viñales 9th, Miller 10th, Aleix Espargarò 11th, Morbidelli 12th

MotoGP: Barcelona test: Redemption for Marquez, Rossi 14th

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The day after the Catalonia Grand Prix, teams and riders were back in action for the traditional Monday test on the Montmelò track. Not participating were Lorenzo and Dovizioso with their Ducatis, but all the top teams were there.

Marc Marquez therefore had plenty of open track and in the session finale he set the bar, thanks to a time of 1’38”916. The number 93 Honda rider was the only one able to drop below the 1’39 mark, besting the competition. For the occasion, the Spaniard surprised everyone, taking to the track astride a carbon black Honda to test the latest upgrades in anticipation of the upcoming rounds.

The six-time world champion’s performance was a tenth better than Andrea Iannone’s (+0.104), done in the morning with lower temperatures. The Maniac used the new and reinforced Suzuki frame, finding good sensations, and by midday, his work had basically been completed.

There was news in the Yamaha camp as well, with Valentino Rossi busy testing a type of fuel tank reminiscent of Jorge Lorenzo’s on his Ducati, farther forward in the rear part. The Doctor was the last one on the track on this Monday, filing the session away with the 14th place time behind Syahrin, with more than a one-second gap behind the leader (+1.208). It would seem that trying for the fastest time at all costs was not exactly a priority for number 46.

Remaining in the Yamaha camp, Maverick Viñales (+0.881) worked with the fuel tank full almost the entire time to try and improve his pace in the early race stages. This is an aspect that has put him to a hard test up to now. His Monday therefore ended with the ninth best time behind Alex Rins’ Suzuki. Going back to the top end of the rankings, the third place time jumps out, done by Tito Rabat (+0.446), the best on Ducati ahead of Danilo Petrucci (+0.126). It was a Monday that put quite a scare into the Italian rider, victim of a frightening crash at over 250 Km/h. In the coming days, the Pramac rider will undergo a CT scan to assess any damage stemming from the crash.

There was also space in the top five for Johann Zarco (+0.618), the fastest astride an M1, so much that he was ahead of Cal Crutchlow and Dani Pedrosa on their Hondas, all within just 11 thousandths of one another. Rounding out the top ten was Jack Miller (+0.883), ahead of Aleix Espargaró’s Aprilia and Franco Morbidelli.   

Translated by Jonathan Blosser

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