Shakedown Lowdown: Day 2
Yamaha and Honda race riders be a part of the fray on Friday in Sepang
Friday, 02 February 2024
The Shakedown is hotting up! A number extra riders joined the fray on Friday nevertheless it was nonetheless Purple Bull KTM Manufacturing unit Racing on high, this time thanks to check rider Pol Espargaro. He ended Day 2 of the Shakedown quickest with a 1:58.241, a lap time slightly below three tenths away from Fabio Quartararo (Monster Vitality Yamaha MotoGP™), participating for the primary time on Friday. Rookie sensation Pedro Acosta (Purple Bull GASGAS Tech3) continued to impress, third quickest and simply thousandths off 2021 Champion Quartararo.
After remaining on the sidelines for the opening day of Shakedown motion, the Yamaha and Honda riders all allowed to participate because of the brand new concessions system – compensate for that HERE – headed out. Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Workforce) was the primary rider on observe, with teammate Joan Mir, Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) and Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) additionally in motion. Likewise, Alex Rins (Monster Vitality Yamaha MotoGP™) received caught in, settling in to his new workforce.
Acosta continues to impress
It was one other eye-catching day for MotoGP™’s sole 2024 rookie Acosta. The #31’s greatest time on Day 2 was a 1:58.531. For context, Brad Binder’s (Purple Bull KTM Manufacturing unit Racing) quickest time on the 2023 Malaysian GP was a 1:58.080 (Q2), Augusto Fernandez’ (Purple Bull GASGAS Tech3) was a 1:58.107 (Q1) and Jack Miller’s (Purple Bull KTM Manufacturing unit Racing) was a 1:58.232 (PR)…
The aero sport continues
A new piece of entrance aero – extra particularly a entrance fender wing – was noticed on Dani Pedrosa’s Purple Bull KTM Manufacturing unit Racing machine on Day 2, whereas Aprilia Racing – with Lorenzo Savadori – continued to lap on the Noale manufacturing facility’s new ‘Batmobile’ rear wing (under). Honda and Stefan Bradl have been busy testing an upgraded stegosaurus-looking rear wing too, as you may see from the images on motogp.com.
Within the palms of Michele Pirro, Ducati’s foremost aero replace that we’ve seen to this point – teased by Gigi Dall’Igna on the 2024 workforce launch – comes on the facet fairing. The addition of an additional “floor impact” panel will be seen subsequent to Ducati’s typical downwash duct, so it is going to be fascinating to listen to the feedback of the riders on what impact this has.
Getting up to the mark
For the full-time riders, many of the day was spent getting themselves again within the groove on a MotoGP™ bike after the winter break. Quartararo and Rins had three bikes – two ’23 spec and one ’24 spec – every, with Mir spending quite a lot of his time on the bike he used on the Valencia Check. The identical will be mentioned for Marini, with the Italian largely specializing in adapting to the RC213V.
A heavy rain bathe meant dry operating was lower quick on Friday forward of the ultimate day of Shakedown testing on Saturday. However there’s nonetheless lots extra to return! Sustain with all motion throughout our social media channels and on motogp.com, earlier than the complete grid heads out for the official Sepang Check subsequent week!
BEST LAPS BY RIDER: DAY 2
1 Pol Espargaro (Purple Bull KTM Manufacturing unit Racing) 1:58.241
2 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Vitality Yamaha MotoGP™) +0.283
3 Pedro Acosta (Purple Bull GASGAS Tech3) +0.290
4 Alex Rins (Monster Vitality Yamaha MotoGP™) +0.409
5 Dani Pedrosa (Purple Bull KTM Manufacturing unit Racing) +0.431
6 Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Workforce) +0.846
7 Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) +0.850
8 Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Workforce) +0.971
9 Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) +1.028
10 Stefan Bradl (Honda Check Workforce) +1.529
11 Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Manufacturing unit Racing) +1.633
12 Michele Pirro (Ducati Lenovo Workforce) +1.915
13 Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing) +2.579
