Rabat setting Moto2 pace at Valencia

Tito Rabat, a Moto2™ title favourite for the upcoming season, set the pace for the first time as a Marc VDS Racing Team rider when testing continued in Valencia on Wednesday

This marked the second of three days of track action this week, with significantly improved weather conditions as a clear blue sky was accompanied by a light breeze.

Rabat topped the timesheets in his final session of the day, with a best lap time of 1’35.155 – over a full second quicker than the leading time of Tuesday. In the process, he aimed to feel more comfortable with the bike, having suffered frustration in the form of a lack of rear grip amid the cool and dull conditions of the opening day.

Interwetten Paddock Moto2’s Tom Luthi was second, experimenting with a new frame, chassis and suspension. Although his 2014 chassis is not radically different to the 2013 version, the team have already hailed it a ‘very good evolution’.

Tuesday pace-setter Mika Kallio was now third for Marc VDS Racing Team, with the top five being completed by Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 riders Jordi Torres and Nico Terol. Seventh was Julian Simon, now representing Italtrans Racing Team and using his 2014 chassis for the first time. The Spaniard was highly pleased to be able to report a substantial improvement in terms of aerodynamics, having been able to compare the chassis with last season’s version which had ridden on Tuesday. In the meantime, Pons HP 40’s Maverick Viñales (sixth place) looked into combining his new chassis, suspension and fairing.

It was a more productive day for Caterham Moto Racing, with Johann Zarco and Josh Herrin stating their intent for a busy day by becoming the first two riders to exit the pit lane. Both the Frenchman and American conducted back-to-back comparisons, mainly with suspension and chassis, and also looked into tyre conservation. The latter could also be said for Alex de Angelis, as 24 hours earlier the Tasca Racing Moto2 rider had suffered a completely shredded tyre after just six laps.

There were significant changes for Dominique Aegerter, as he and Technomag carXpert switched from Ohlins to WP suspension. In fact, there were also plenty of other new parts as the Swiss sampled his 2014 chassis and swingarm as well; at the same time, he hoped to dial out the mid-corner struggles he suffered on Day 1.

Moto3 – Italy’s Niccolo Antonelli continued to top the timesheets as Moto3™ pre-season testing resumed in Valencia on Wednesday.

It was the second of three days at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit, with much warmer conditions allowing the riders to concentrate more on their programmes. Once again, it was Junior Team GO&FUN Moto3’s Antonelli atop the pile – now reducing the best lap time of the test to 1’39.454 as he focused mostly on suspension work.

KTM-entered riders locked out all positions in the top seven bar one. Jack Miller was second for Red Bull KTM Ajo, attempting to improve his front feeling in a bid to enjoy more corner speed. In third, however, was the Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo entry of Danny Kent as the Moto3™ returnee searched for a more effective base setup from which he could aim to improve his corner stability, on both entry and exit.

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Although it is still too early to read into true pace, Sky Racing Team by VR46 continued to impress as Romano Fenati and Francesco Bagnaia occupied positions four and six. This time, both Italians looked into engine-related electronics as well as suspension configurations. It appeared to be an equally positive day for Antonelli’s team-mate Enea Bastianini, as the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup graduate ended proceedings in seventh position.

It was a tougher time, however, for the reigning Rookies Cup Champion as Karel Hanika took a trip to the Clinica Mobile as well as to a doctor in Valencia. This followed a crash on his final lap of Tuesday in which he injured his right hand; as a result, he Czech managed no more than three laps today and was relegated to the role of spectator. He hopes to be able to resume running on the third and final day.

The leading Honda was that of Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Alex Rins, in ninth place, as he and team-mate Alex Marquez switch from KTM to the new Honda Moto3™ machine for 2014. In the meantime the quickest Mahindra was eighth, with Mahindra Racing’s Miguel Oliveira at the helm; the Portuguese rider concentrated on both suspension settings and engine mapping, with the new Mahindra being a generally lighter machine with more distinctive aerodynamics. Its new exhaust is also visually striking.

Moto3™ action continues from 10am local time (GMT +1) on Thursday.