2021 Jerez MotoGP Test Results - Friday lap times (5pm)
Following's Sunday's Valencia season finale, MotoGP teams have travelled to Jerez for a two-day test and the last official track action of 2021.
Takaaki Nakagami was fastest for Honda on day one, as he and LCR team-mate Alex Marquez tried out different versions of the 2022 RCV prototype, alongside their existing machines.
Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez is absent as he continues treatment for double-vision problems, but team-mate Pol Espargaro is back on track after withdrawing from Valencia due to a huge Saturday highside. Espargaro rode his 2021 bike on day one but is lso trying the prototype, first seen at the previous Misano test, today.
The end of the Covid technical freeze means Yamaha, Ducati, Suzuki and Honda can upgrade their engine designs for the first time since the the start of 2020.
KTM's engine was frozen at the start of 2021, when it left Concessions, while Aprilia has been free to develop this year.
The test marks the debut of the new VR46 Ducati team, plus the heavily revised RNF Yamaha (formerly SRT) and Gresini Ducati (formerly partnered with Aprilia) squads. VR46 and Gresini have GP21s (but Luca Marini will then get a GP22 next year), with Andrea Dovizioso is using a 2022 Yamaha and rookie RNF team-mate Darryn Binder (jumping straight from Moto3) the 2021 spec.
All five of next year's rookies are in action, reigning Moto2 champion Remy Gardner and Tech3 team-mate Raul Fernandez making their second appearances on the RC16 after some laps at the Misano test, while Binder (RNF), Fabio di Giannantonio (Gresini) and Marco Bezzecchi (VR46) are getting their first taste of MotoGP.
Fernandez was fastest of the rookies on day one, in 19th place.
Testing began at 10am and concludes at 6pm. Nakagami picked up where he left off by leading the first hour, before title runner-up Francesco Bagnaia and Ducati took over at the top by a massive 0.8s.
The Italian has remained fastest ever since but with Maverick Vinales, Yamaha's world champion Fabio Quartararo, Honda's Espargaro, Suzuki's Alex Rins and then Quartararo (again) all swapping second place during the final hours...
| 2021 Jerez MotoGP Test - Friday (5pm) | ||||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time | Lap | |
| 1 | = | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP) | 1m 36.872s | 12/42 |
| 2 | = | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.452s | 67/68 |
| 3 | ^5 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +0.551s | 54/59 |
| 4 | ^3 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.624s | 46/46 |
| 5 | ˅2 | Maverick Vinales | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | +0.750s | 67/72 |
| 6 | = | Joan Mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +0.762s | 59/69 |
| 7 | ˅3 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +0.800s | 4/36 |
| 8 | ^1 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP) | +0.826s | 20/22 |
| 9 | ^7 | Jack Miller | AUS | Ducati Lenovo (GP) | +0.845s | 38/39 |
| 10 | ˅5 | Alex Marquez | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +0.888s | 56/56 |
| 11 | = | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.070s | 45/46 |
| 12 | ˅2 | Luca Marini | ITA | VR46 Ducati (GP) | +1.153s | 11/56 |
| 13 | ^5 | Andrea Dovizioso | ITA | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1) | +1.157s | 54/58 |
| 14 | ˅2 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.213s | 6/52 |
| 15 | ˅2 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +1.228s | 5/30 |
| 16 | ˅2 | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | +1.277s | 47/55 |
| 17 | ˅2 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP) | +1.288s | 20/65 |
| 18 | ˅1 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP) | +1.563s | 11/34 |
| 19 | ^4 | Fabio di Giannantonio | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP)* | +1.656s | 43/45 |
| 20 | = | Raul Fernandez | SPA | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* | +1.819s | 53/55 |
| 21 | ^1 | Lorenzo Savadori | ITA | Aprilia Test Rider (RS-GP) | +1.852s | 45/50 |
| 22 | ˅1 | Remy Gardner | AUS | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* | +1.856s | 62/64 |
| 23 | ^1 | Sylvain Guintoli | FRA | Suzuki Test Rider (GSX-RR) | +2.168s | 54/56 |
| 24 | ˅5 | Dani Pedrosa | SPA | KTM Test Rider (RC16) | +2.313s | 45/58 |
| 25 | = | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | VR46 Ducati (GP)* | +2.440s | 54/62 |
| 26 | = | Darryn Binder | RSA | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)* | +3.364s | 41/51 |
* Rookie
Key:
^X Rider is X positions higher than previous hour.
= Rider is same position as previous hour.
˅X Rider is X positions lower than previous hour.
Fastest Day 1 Time:
Best lap:
Takaaki Nakagami JPN Honda 1m 37.313s
Official Jerez MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Maverick Vinales SPA Yamaha 1m 36.584s (2020)
Fastest race lap:
Fabio Quartararo FRA Yamaha 1m 37.770s (2021)
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.
