Ducati dominate record-breaking MotoGP testing
After being the bike to have in 2023, Ducati has started 2024 in ominous fashion by dominating pre-season testing as MotoGP riders went faster around Sepang then ever before.
The Italian manufacturer topped all three days of testing with Jorge Martin kicking things off before factory riders Enea Bastianini and reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia both went under the lap records.
Under cloudy skies and cool conditions Bagnaia ended the test in the headlines having set the fastest time of a 1:56.682.
He was a tenth clear of Pramac’s Jorge Martin with six of the top seven bikes all Ducatis.
The impressive benchmark time smashed the lap record of a 1:57.273 by more than half a second.
Martin got the ball rolling by emerging from the opening day on top with a 1:57.951.
Despite last year’s championship challenger getting off to a fast start, many more were impressed by hyped rookie Pedro Acosta.
Marc Marquez on the #93 Gresini Racing Ducati. Photo by Gold and Goose / LAT Images
Acosta finished second, just 0.269s away on his Tech3 KTM edging ahead of the likes of Fabio Quartararo, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Bastianini, while Australia’s Jack Miller was 18th.
Martin looked set to go back to back and be the fastest on day two as well only to be demoted by a late flyer from Bastianini.
The #23 factory Ducati rider’s 1:57.134 lit up the timing sheets and knocked off Martin by 0.139s.
Brad Binder was third for KTM with his teammate enjoying 17 more laps in 15th.
For the first time ever MotoGP bikes flew around Sepang producing sub 1m57s lap times on the third and final day.
Remarkably four riders joined Bagnaia in achieving the feat and they were all on Ducatis.
Bagnaia beat Martin by 0.172s, followed by Bastianini and Alex Marquez who were just over two tenths off.
Having shown so much speed at Sepang, the impressed Bagnaia said the new GP24 has “good potential”.
“I feel good with more or less everything,” the two-time world champion said.
“The thing we improved a lot was the power delivery today and it makes me very happy.
“The new fairing has a really good potential, but still I think we have to change a bit on the set-up to improve the feeling a bit.”
Jack Miller riding the covered 2024 factory KTM. Photo by Gold and Goose / LAT Images
Ending up sixth on the final day was Gresini Ducati recruit Marc Marquez who admits he still feels a distance away from the top riders on the Italian bike.
“I was really on the limit,” Marquez said.
“We adjusted a few things on the bike and I also adjusted a few things on my riding style.
“The team also started to understand me better and then the time attack was better.
“There is still half a second to the top guys, but they are super fast on the time attack.”
Despite not being near the top, Australian Miller was still pleased with the progress in Sepang.
“It was a good test for us, lots of different items to put through,” he said.
“The boys and girls have done a fantastic job throughout the winter as the bike is working really well and everyone seems refreshed.
“There are a couple of areas in which I would like to improve myself in terms of setup and what have you but honestly feeling good, good but knackered after this innings in Sepang.”
MotoGP testing returns at Qatar on February 19-20.
Photo by Gold and Goose / LAT Images
2024 MotoGP Sepang test day 3 results
| Rider | Nat | Team | Time | Lap | ||
| 1 | = | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP24) | 1m 56.682s | 8/47 |
| 2 | = | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP24) | +0.172s | 9/47 |
| 3 | = | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP24) | +0.233s | 11/35 |
| 4 | = | Alex Marquez | SPA | Gresini Ducati (GP23) | +0.256s | 13/49 |
| 5 | = | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP24) | +0.409s | 16/48 |
| 6 | = | Marc Marquez | SPA | Gresini Ducati (GP23) | +0.588s | 13/54 |
| 7 | ^3 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.625s | 55/57 |
| 8 | ˅1 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | VR46 Ducati (GP23) | +0.661s | 18/55 |
| 9 | ˅1 | Pedro Acosta | SPA | Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 (RC16)* | +0.683s | 12/41 |
| 10 | ˅1 | Joan Mir | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.692s | 8/30 |
| 11 | = | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.843s | 12/56 |
| 12 | = | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP24) | +0.846s | 16/57 |
| 13 | = | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +1.083s | 15/32 |
| 14 | = | Jack Miller | AUS | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.169s | 8/60 |
| 15 | = | Alex Rins | SPA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +1.197s | 13/52 |
| 16 | = | Johann Zarco | FRA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +1.260s | 13/41 |
| 17 | ^2 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | VR46 Ducati (GP23) | +1.313s | 56/56 |
| 18 | ˅1 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP24) | +1.318s | 19/55 |
| 19 | ˅1 | Luca Marini | ITA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +1.326s | 42/43 |
| 20 | = | Cal Crutchlow | GBR | Yamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1) | +1.991s | 18/45 |
| 21 | = | Augusto Fernandez | SPA | Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 (RC16) | +2.058s | 26/60 |
| 22 | = | Lorenzo Savadori | ITA | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP) | +2.132s | 12/64 |
| 23 | = | Michele Pirro | ITA | Pramac Ducati (GP24) | +2.183s | 21/43 |
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