A worry for Ducati’s rivals - Jorge Martin confirms 2023 engine ‘much better’
Martin was one of the most impressive riders on day-one of the Sepang MotoGP Test as he led the way until the closing stages when Enea Bastianini was first to overhaul the Spaniard.
Time attacks from Marco Bezzecchi and Maverick VInales then relegated the Spaniard down to fourth, but nonetheless, Martin looked very strong.
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That level of performance has so far continued on day-two as he currently leads the way once again, this time from RNF Aprilia rider Miguel Oliveira.
One of the reasons for his impressive performance has been the new engine, which Martin has confirmed is ‘much better’ then the previous model.
"I just reconfirmed that the 2023 engine is much better than the 22," said Martin following day-one. "This was a great step in all the areas. I felt much better. We just need to work from zero on the maps and electronics because it’s different.
"Then the fairing but I’m not sure it’s better. We have two different options and one I don’t like. The other one is the same.
"There’s still a lot of things to try and a lot of pieces. Today I was the rider who did the most laps, almost."
When asked what part of the bike is the new engine helping him with the most, Martin stated that tyre reliability has become a strength, which could be key to his success in the longer races as Martin is already expected to be a strong candidate during the Sprint races.
"I feel better in terms of reliability of the tyre and managing the tyre," added Martin. "I feel we are better and improving a lot. This is the main point."
Although a damp track affected on-track action early on during day-two, Martin has managed to set a lap time quicker than what he managed on Friday.
