Riders talk Sepang as official test concludes on Day Three

MotoGP Rider Quotes – Sepang Test Day 3

Fabio Quartararo – P1

“Today was a difficult day for us, it was not easy to get into the pace and make a good lap this morning, but overall I’m really happy. We did a long run of 12 laps in the hottest conditions when there was nobody on track. It was not bad: our pace was high 1min 59sec and low 2mins, it was 55 degrees on track and nobody else was riding so it was probably the worst track conditions we had today. We are working in a really good way to improve the speed and hopefully in Qatar we will take another step forward. My goal now has changed a little bit; we want to have better long run pace, because we now know over one lap we are fast. Overall, I’m really happy with the first test of the year with the 2020 bike.”

Cal Crutchlow – P2

“We had a good and positive third day to get through a long list of items that we needed to test for ourselves and Honda. We had some test items on there throughout the day and also some geometry settings. I felt good today with the pace, although I still didn’t feel fantastic with the bike. We need to improve the pushing on the corner entry and the turning of the bike for me to feel more comfortable. Hopefully we’ll be able to do that at the Qatar test, but thank you to my team for such hard work over the last three days here in Sepang.”

Alex Rins – P3

“Today was the last day of the test, and we’re happy how all three days went. We tested everything we had on the list and now we go to the Qatar Test with a better bike than last year. I improved my rhythm and race pace here, and also my best lap time, so I’m happy with that. We’ll continue working and see how things are in Qatar, when we arrive there we will try the new parts again to compare how they work on a different track layout.”

Pecco Bagnaia – P4

“It was a very positive day, in the time attack we were very fast. What I liked this morning was the consistency with my pace and this afternoon’s simulation helped us to understand a lot of things, how these tyres behave and how to improve my riding style to keep a better pace. In general it was a positive test, we are happy and we start with a good base for Qatar.”

Valentino Rossi – P5

“We are happy with these three days. Today was a good day because I did a very good lap time in the time attack. It‘s the first time for me to be in the 1‘58s, so this is positive, also because we are in P5 and very close to the top. We worked a lot, also on the pace, and we tried different things. Some were good, others weren‘t. We have to work hard because everybody is so fast, but the test was positive.”

Danilo Petrucci – P6

“It has been a busy three-day test. Today we worked on different setup solutions, and even if we still have a few aspects that we still need to improve, I am satisfied because we were able to find a good race pace and make another step forward. I discussed a lot with Andrea, and together we identified a few aspects that for sure will be helpful during the races. We still need to understand how to use well the new tyres, but we still have the Qatar Test to complete our work”.

Pol Espargaro – P7

“We’ve done a lot these six days! Today was successful: we tested the new Michelin tyres and we made our conclusions. We also worked on the swingarm because we felt we were losing grip in hot conditions from the soft tyres so we wanted to understand why. We learned a lot actually. We have more horsepower and the electronics are working smoother which allows you to open the throttle earlier in the corners and is important here in Sepang and what we were missing before. Overall it feels very good. In Qatar we will restart. We might have different problems and we’ll have different tyres so we’ll begin again and hopefully have the same results.”

Jack Miller – P8

“A positive final 3-day test in Malaysia, we made many changes today, we were lucky that it was dry until the last 20 min. We are always happier with how the bike works, there are still a few details to work on but in general we have always been fast over the three days and we have done what we wanted. Today I had the best time with the medium rear tyre and I was very surprised. We have worked well with the team, now a couple of days to relax and then I will start preparing for Qatar.”

Aleix Espargaro – P10

“I am absolutely satisfied and I would truly like to thank everyone at Aprilia Racing who made it possible to take such a new and competitive bike out on the track here. The 2020 RS-GP has improved in every aspect. It is a step forward that, quite frankly, almost surprised me. There are clearly many areas where we need to work, but they are problems due to how young the project is and not real deficiencies. At the end of the three days, I would have liked to have been closer to the leaders with the soft tyre, but with this type of tyre I just wasn’t feeling it. In race configuration, on the other hand, even with used tyres, I was extremely fast. We need to keep pushing, because there are only a few weeks left before the first race, but I am leaving Malaysia with a smile on my face.”

Joan Mir – P11

“I feel really good on the bike, it’s better every day. In the morning I tried the new soft tyre, but in the end I improved my lap time without the soft tyre so that was something positive. We’ve found good things in this test and we have strong potential, I think in Qatar we will take another step forward, and then we’ll be closer to the front. It will be interesting to try the bike on a different circuit.”

Miguel Oliveira – P12

“This morning, we mainly focused on a time attack and doing this with the best setup, we found of parts together. We had a very good lap with our normal tyre allocation, which was surprising. When I put a softer tyre on the rear, I couldn’t improve, but overall, I’m very happy with our pace and all the work we have done during the three days of official test here. In the upcoming two weeks I still have some work to do, physically, building some more muscles and trying to remove as much pain as possible on the shoulder in order to have a good first race weekend in Qatar.”

Marc Marquez – P13

“I finished the day with a good feeling as this morning we had a good rhythm and I put in the most effort today. I had a small crash at Turn 15, but this was down to physical condition. It’s good to know where the limit is, of course it would have been better to not crash but I am OK after it. Today I did 47 laps again, but it was with a different rhythm. I tried a few things but there is still work to do. The runs today were a little longer today but our speed was still good.”

Franco Morbidelli – P14

“I feel quite happy about this test as we’ve been working a lot and we understand many things on the new bike. I also already feel that I have good confidence with the new bike. We didn’t use the super soft tyre today to make the time attack, we used it yesterday just for normal running. So I think that is why we are not higher up the timings today. But even with the normal tyre on the time attack our pace is not so far off the top. I understand a lot from these three days and we know what we need to work on in Qatar. It has been overall a good test and I look forward to Qatar now and we try to do a good job there also.”

Andrea Dovizioso – P15

“I am quite satisfied with the work we have done today. This morning we were able to put in several laps, improving the bike setup and also my feeling with the new tyres. It had not been easy because I had to adapt my riding style, and I was struggling a lot with this in the beginning. Danilo and I did a few laps together: the pace was good, but the tyre performance dropped quite a lot. We still need to understand how they will work on a race distance and here in Sepang, where the conditions are peculiar due to the high temperatures, is really difficult to make a complete evaluation. Now we still have a test before the opening round of the season in Qatar. I am sure that the final classification of these three days doesn’t completely reflect what will happen in the Championship this year”.

Maverick Vinales – P16

“I‘m feeling very positive, because today we improved the bike quite a lot, especially the race set-up. I didn‘t have enough time left to make one hot lap but, doing things like this, I kept a bit calmer. We were really concentrated on working on the feeling and it seems to be good. On race tyres with a race set-up we had a good pace, I felt quite competitive. But we also noticed points that we are going to try to improve in Qatar. I didn‘t set up for one lap just yet. For me, at this test it was really important to concentrate on the feeling and understand what I need to improve on. We are now going to work very hard to accomplish those improvements and we will see if the bike works the same way in Qatar as it did here.”

Johann Zarco – P17

“It’s been a good test. The first day was a little bit difficult. I think I can be faster, I still have to learn new things, but at the end of the third day I am happy because I see that the method I am following works well and with time I will be able to learn more. The bike has a lot of acceleration and I need to take advantage of it. I can’t wait to arrive to Qatar because we have three more days to improve and prepare for the start of the season. It is difficult to learn new things, but I feel prepared and I am very motivated.”

Alex Marquez – P18

“The general feeling everyday was better, we were faster and felt better. This is the most important thing. There are only three more days of the pre-season left to be ready for the Qatar GP but we are closer every day. Still we need to learn more but every time we ride my knowledge is growing and I’m pleased with everything we’ve achieved. For Qatar our aim is to continue to understand the setup of the bike for myself and in various conditions. We’ve tried a lot this test so I leave happy.”

Brad Binder – P19

“In the first two tests I was 2.1 off and now I am 0.7. It’s a big step forwards for us. The feeling and the comfort on the bike is way-better but we have a long, long way to go. I need to keep working and it will pay-off soon. If you look at the position then it is dissatisfying but the main thing is the gap. A couple of tenths have made a good difference in the standings. I have seen that it’s not too difficult to make a fast lap but I need to do twenty of them! It’s been a positive six days. We’ve progressed every day. We can reset and start again in Qatar.”

Tito Rabat – P20

“We have been improving progressively during these three days, it has been a good test. We have to improve on the braking, but anyway I’m happy with the team and now the most important thing is to analyse the data collected and rest in order to reach 100% for the test at Losail.”

Bradley Smith – P22

“These were six important days of testing for us. We took a completely revamped RS-GP out onto the track and I am pleased with the way things went. Aleix’s times demonstrate the quality of the project. Now we have a lot of refinements to do which is inevitable for a new bike. During these tests, we focused on getting to know the 2020 RS-GP, rather than experimenting with the setup, but already in the base configuration, the results were decisively encouraging.”

Takaaki Nakagami – P23

“It’s been quite a tough three days for me. Of course, the physical condition of the right shoulder is not the best, but it’s getting a little better day by day. The first day there was a lot of pain, but the second day and third day were better and today we were able to get close to 50 laps. Still the lap time is not the best and we have to improve that, but we were able to test many items and it’s quite a positive result for the feeling of the bike. Now I’m going back to Japan for close to two weeks, so I’ll try to get some rest and hopefully be a little bit better for the Qatar test. We still have a lot of work to do and things to improve on the bike for my riding style, but let’s see what we do in Qatar.”

Iker Lecuona – P24

“My goal was to have a small gap to the front, but today I didn’t improve as much as I wished, although I managed reach the 1:59’s. I tried some new tyres today and I know, that I still need to be faster, plus after all these days on track here, I’m physically exhausted, to be honest. Overall, I have to admit, that I’m not totally happy about today. I will continue to learn in Qatar. For now, we have a good base with the bike, which I like, my general feeling is great. I just need to learn and understand more and more things about this machine.”

Sylvain Guintoli – P25

“It’s been a busy few days! I was riding at the ‘shakedown test’ for three days before this, so I’ve now done six days of riding and completed around three hundred laps! So, we’ve got loads of work done and it’s been really interesting. We tried different aerodynamic packages and chassis settings, and we’ve completed our planned program, so we’re really pleased. The bike is feeling good and Suzuki is doing a great job with all the work, and the atmosphere in the team is incredible.”

Lorenzo Savadori – P30

“When Aprilia called, I came running, considering the opportunities and my bond with the brand. It was a fantastic experience – four days in which I had the chance to make contact with a new category for me and which make my mouth water for more… I wish to thank Aprilia Racing for the honour, after three days with the 2019 version, to test on the 2020 bike as well. The new RS-GP seemed easy and intuitive straight away, even for someone like me in his first experience. As for my performance, I am pleased to have been able to improve on every outing. It isn’t easy to understand these prototypes, partly because they are very sensitive to every command. I also did well in terms of physical fitness, despite a few months of inactivity and demanding environmental conditions.”

Team Managers talk Sepang

Wilco Zeelenberg – Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team

“The first test for season 2020 is done. It was a very positive test with no crazy things happening! We had good weather across the test. For Fabio to have three days on top of the time sheets is very promising. I’m also very happy to see Franco riding like he is at the moment. I think he understands the bike better than he did last year and he also made some good steps forward. We did what we had to do and tested what we had to be doing, there were no big crashes and now we’re ready for the Qatar test.

Ken Kawauchi – Suzuki ECSTAR

“For this first test of the year, we brought many parts; chassis, swingarm, electronics cowlings and some engine updates. Before the start of this test I was worried that we wouldn’t have time to go through everything, but we managed to do it and we found a good direction. This test was about trying these new parts, and then at the next test we’ll work to confirm the package more precisely and finalise everything. We’re pleased with how everything went here and the work we’ve done, and I’m confident about the Qatar Test.”

Massimo Meregalli – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team

“We were able to get what we were after: we definitely got the confirmation that the 2020 bike is a step forward and from now on we will be focusing on this model. We noticed an improvement in top speed, grip, and tyre life. Maverick completed a race simulation today in very hot and critical conditions, and he showed great consistency from beginning to end. Vale didn‘t do the race simulation but focused on testing all the items that we needed to try here, and he also did a good hot lap. It‘s his first 1‘58s lap, so that‘s another positive sign that we are moving forward as a team. For Maverick, when the time came to do his time attack, it started raining, so this compromised his position in the Day-3 and overall standings. But we can certainly say that this has been a good three-day test, and we hope that all the information we have been able to collect will be helpful to make another improvement at the next Qatar test.”

Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM

“After six days we can be positive about our test programme and that is different compared to last year and the rainy conditions because we had ideas on the table that we could not try. It meant we had quite a big operation to bring over here to Sepang and some late decisions. So, the test has been really important and necessary and the feedback from the riders has been good. There are people in the company working so hard on this bike – including the whole test team – and they have done a great job this winter. We have confirmed ideas and changes and it was nice to see that in the long runs we are quite strong and the fast laps are acceptable. We can see that we have made another step. The riders had a lot to do and we have two rookies in the group in Brad and Iker and they did very well with a lot of laps and building up their knowledge of MotoGP with the riding style and small changes. Pol, Miguel and Dani had to do many laps, many runs and go through a big list and they stayed focussed and did it in a great style. It is also positive to leave here with everybody healthy. Small details make the difference and eighteen riders are split by one second so we know the season will be tough and very competitive. Let’s go to Qatar now and see how we look.”

Hervé Poncharal – Red Bull KTM Tech3

“Finally, after a long stay in Malaysia, the first 2020 test is over. For Red Bull KTM Tech3 it was a tough mission, because we didn’t only test three days with the whole grid, but also had the great possibility to do the shakedown, which was another three days prior to the official test. After a long winter break without any MotoGP riding, if was clear, that the bodies of both riders are suffering, especially during the last two days. Anyway, it was a very, very productive test. Honestly, I have to state, that I’m amazed by what KTM did during the winter, about what the entire racing department brought to Malaysia and everything we were testing from chassis over aerodynamics to electronic was a big step forward. Compared to last year at the Sepang test, especially when we take a look to the gap of Miguel to the fastest, KTM was clearly much, much closer to the front, not only on a single fast lap, but also in terms of race pace. This is, what I would like to emphasize more than anything, that KTM has become a real strength for a top 5 finish or hopefully even more within only 12 months. Miguel is very positive about the outcome of this test, also about his own physical condition. Together with Pol (Espargaro) and Dani (Pedrosa) they are really the top guys, KTM can truly rely on to further develop the bike. On the other side, Iker did a great job, was improving every day and because he is a fighter, he was not satisfied with this, but either way, we can be proud of him. He is the youngest rider on the grid and was already under two minutes, which is a good lap time in Sepang. His physical condition was suffering towards the end, but all of this is what you need to become a good MotoGP rider. I’m sure he will go back to Spain with a lot of data in his head, ready for Qatar. I want to thank Miguel for his great work and also our rookie did a good job, overall, we are positive. I think we have a decent line-up. We don’t make headlines at the moment, but if people look closer inside the data, they will see, that the orange division is coming. Now everybody should go back home and get some rest until Qatar is going to be the final shakedown for the first round.”

MotoGP Sepang Test Weekend Combined Times

2020 MotoGP Calendar
Date	Grand Prix	Circuit
08 March	Qatar*	Losail International Circuit
22 March	Thailand	Chang International Circuit
05 April	Americas	Circuit of the Americas
19 April	Republica Argentina	Termas de Rio Hondo
03 May	Spain	Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto
17 May	France	Le Mans
31 May	Italy	Autodromo del Mugello
07 June	Catalunya	Barcelona – Catalunya
21 June	Germany	Sachsenring
28 June	Netherlands	TT Circuit Assen
12 July	Finland**	KymiRing
09 August	Czech Republic	Automotodrom Brno
16 August	Austria	Red Bull Ring-Spielberg
30 August	Great Britain	Silverstone
13 September	San Marino	Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
04 October	Aragón	MotorLand Aragón
18 October	Japan	Twin Ring Motegi
25 October	Australia	Phillip Island
01 November	Malaysia	Sepang International Circuit
15 November	Comunitat Valenciana	Comunitat Valenciana-Ricardo Tormo
*Evening ** Subject to FIM Homologation