Alex Marquez fastest in Malaysian MotoGP warm-up, “most difficult tyre choice of season”
Gresini Ducati one-two in Malaysian MotoGP warm-up, riders face "most difficult tyre choice of season”.
Gresini Ducati riders Alex Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer celebrated their new title runner-up and rookie of the year achievement with a one-two in warm-up for the Malaysian MotoGP.
Riding in a special dark blue livery, Marquez finished the ten-minute session 0.097s ahead of Aldeguer, with Sprint winner Francesco Bagnaia third for Ducati Lenovo.
The main priority for warm-up was to decide if it’s worth moving to the medium rear tyre in the grand prix, or better to try and make the soft do the 20-lap distance, after soft-soft rubber in the Sprint.
“The soft front has a drop, but the medium front also works,” Michelin’s Piero Taramasso told Dorna pit lane reporter Jack Appleyard.
“For the rear, the medium is raceable. It’s a few tenths [a lap] lower than the soft, but more consistent. We’ll see after warm-up.
“It’s maybe the most difficult choice of the season.”
Alex Marquez used soft tyres front and rear for warm-up. Aldeguer and Bagnaia also had the soft rear, but medium front.
“This morning was quite good, we just tried another front tyre to get a better idea of the choice,” said Bagnaia. “Let’s see this afternoon because today is already hotter than yesterday. And it will be important to make a good choice with the rear tyre.”
VR46’s Franco Morbidelli in fourth was the fastest on medium tyres front and rear, with the KTMs of Enea Bastianini and Pol Espargaro just behind him on softs.
However, Pedro Acosta, promoted to third in the Sprint by Aldeguer’s penalty, was only 14th on softs. Given the recent tyre wear woes for the RC16, it’d be a major challenge to make the soft go the distance.
Luca Marini, who suffered his first crash of the season, was second best to Morbidelli for those on the medium/medium rubber.
“We tried different tyres for the long race. The feeling is ok,” said the HRC rider. “Let’s see the choice for everybody. I think the medium can be a little better for the front. But on the rear everybody is struggling with both tyres.“
Team-mate Joan Mir, who crashed out of the podium battle on Saturday, was 16th on a soft front and medium rear combination: “I feel good, we have the pace.”
The decision for Yamaha looks clear; even in the hotter conditions they couldn’t make the medium rear work in warm-up.
Fabio Quartararo was the fastest M1 in just 13th, followed by Miguel Oliveira 15th, Jack Miller 18th and Alex Rins 19th.
“I tried the medium this morning - it ain’t the way to go [for us],” said Miller. “So back to the drawing board for the race. The soft’s going to be the one, we’re just going to have to manage it.”
“We tried the medium in warm-up and it was impossible, so we will need to manage,” confirmed Rins.
LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco, in tenth place, was among those to put the most laps on soft rubber, setting his best time on a front that had done 16 laps and a rear with 13 laps. Race distance is 20 laps.
“Warm-up was interesting with used [soft] tyres,” said Zarco. “We know the race will be long and tough, we have a massive drop on the rear tyre. I hope to have a great race.”
Trackhouse rookie Ai Ogura, in eleventh this morning, could be another to watch after putting 15 laps on a soft rear.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
