Marquez Fastest On Day 1 of Valencia 2016 Test
- Nov 10, 2015
- 4 min read
The 2016 season began today in Valencia, as the first test of winter got underway. This test saw a number of riders switch machinery, as well as the first true glimpse at the performance of the Michelin tyres and the unified electronics package mandated for the 2016 season.
Marc Marquez ended the day fastest as on a 1:31.551, set on his tenth lap of 47. The Spaniard suffered a crash early in the session when the front washed away going through turn three. He and his bike were unscathed after the crash, and he was able to get back out and compare his 2015 RC213V with the 2016 version.
“We went out on track and on the opening lap I lost the front. I realised that the Michelin tyres may have worked well for us in testing at Aragon, but they react differently on every type of asphalt”, the Spaniard stated. “From that moment we started again, doing a run with the same bike we used during the weekend. Then we changed to the new software and we saw that there is definitely some work ahead for us. It's only the first day and we have to adjust many things. At the end of the day we tried the new engine together with the Magneti Marelli software, but in order to draw any conclusions we first have to finish setting up the electronics and when we have a good base, then we will be able to evaluate the engine properly.”
Honda will be keen to put as many miles on their new engine as possible tomorrow to try and get on top of any issues that may lead to another situation like 2015. Marquez' team-mate Dani Pedrosa ended the day third fastest on a 1:31.681, and he too was rather critical of the new software.
“We tried the Magneti Marelli electronics and the first feeling we have is that they are very much in the preliminary stage and certainly a step backwards”, Pedrosa complained. “Right now the electronics are still giving us a lot of problems and are difficult to use.”
Honda's performance on the electronics will be one to keep an eye on throughout the rest of this test and in pre-season next year, as HRC have been the King of electronics in recent years. This unified software will be a big culture shock for Honda.
Yamaha launched their triple crown defence in fifth and twelfth on the time sheets. New World Champion Jorge Lorenzo ended the day as top YZR-M1 rider with a best lap of 1:31.767. He ran both the 2015 and 2016 Yamaha, heaping praise at Michelin's rear tyre but also criticising, like most, the front tyre.
“At the entry of a corner we lose a bit of stability and also when reaching the maximum lean with the throttle the front can close suddenly if you push so much”, Lorenzo said.
Rossi commented that the electronics were “like going a little bit into the past”, and that more work needs to be done on weight distribution to get the front to turn into corners.
There were a number of front end crashes throughout the day. Aleix Espargaro, Eugene Laverty, Pol Espargaro and Stefan Bradl all had spills, all of their crashes coming very suddenly mid-corner. Most of the crashes that occurred in previous Michelin tests were on the front, so it is clear that this is an area the French manufacturer needs to work on but also the riders too.
Scott Redding got his first run out on the Ducati GP15 that he'll pilot next season, and already looked abundantly happier than at any point in 2015 on the Honda. He even said afterwards that it felt like he'd been with the team for a year. He ended the day eleventh fastest on a 1:32.214, which is two tenths quicker than his best from qualifying at the weekend. Eugene Laverty and Loris Baz also got their first taste of Bologna machinery as they took to the track on the GP14.2 for Aspar and Avintia respectively.
Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro took delivery of the 2015 YZR-M1 that Jorge Lorenzo took to Championship glory on Sunday, with the Briton noting that the bike felt very well-rounded. Both ended the day seventh and eighth respectively.
Tito Rabat got his second outing on the RC213V and ended the day down in 16th having completed 84 laps of the Ricardo Tormo Circuit, or nearly three race distances! The Spaniard has much to learn for his MotoGP début next March, but the unified software and switch of tyres should allow him to find a par with his Satellite competitors at much the same time as them. Team-mate Jack Miller's first Factory Honda outing saw the Australian fifteenth.
Because the new electronics are more akin to that run over the past couple of years, the riders who have ridden with it will be able to find a balance with it maybe a little quicker than some of the Factory riders.
Testing resumes tomorrow morning at 10:00 local time.
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