Mandalika MotoGP Test Results, Indonesia - Friday, Day 1 (FINAL)
The first motorcycle grand prix laps in Indonesia since 1997 took place at the new Mandalika circuit on Friday, with the start of MotoGP's final 2022 pre-season test.
The day got off to a wet and muddy start, with Johann Zarco fastest by the end of the first hour. The rain had now stopped but a lengthy red-flag period followed to try and clean the dirty surface, with the track re-opening shortly before midday.
Improving track conditions meant lap times tumbled thereafter; Francesco Bagnaia (on slick tyres) leading an all-Ducati top three at 1pm, Marc Marquez a Honda one-two at 2pm, Yamaha's world champion Fabio Quartararo fastest at 3pm, then Aprilia's Maverick Vinales - the final rider on track - jumping to the top at 4pm.
Brad Binder briefly put KTM ahead just before 5pm, the scheduled finishing time, but day one was extended until 5:45pm due to the earlier clean-up.
Pol Espargaro and then brother Aleix (Aprilia) moved ahead of Binder early in 'extra time', with Pol's pace-setting 1m 32.466s on the all-new Honda proving to be the first (and so far only) lap under Toprak Razgatlioglu's WorldSBK pole time from last November.
The final top six contained one bike from each manufacturer; Honda, Aprilia, KTM, Suzuki, Yamaha and Ducati respectively.
The three-day Mandalika outing, which follows hot on the heels of a two-day Sepang test, marks the final chance for official MotoGP track time before next month's Qatar season-opener.
Gresini Ducati's Enea Bastianini was a surprise fastest from the Aprilia of Aleix Espargaro in the rain-interrupted final day at Sepang, which saw the fastest ever two-wheel laps of the Malaysian track and the top ten riders (from five manufacturers) covered by 0.299s
As well as the ever present threat of more rain, MotoGP teams and riders have the added challenge of learning a new circuit and working through an expanded range of Michelin tyres in preparation for the March 18-20 race weekend, the first Indonesian motorcycle grand prix since 1997.
Testing continues on Saturday and Sunday...
| 2022 Official Mandalika MotoGP Test - Friday (FINAL) | ||||||
| Rider | Nat | Team | Time | Lap | ||
| 1 | ^9 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | 1m 32.466s | 68/69 |
| 2 | ^7 | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | +0.471s | 59/60 |
| 3 | ˅2 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.477s | 61/64 |
| 4 | = | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +0.592s | 69/72 |
| 5 | ^1 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.642s | 85/86 |
| 6 | ˅4 | Jack Miller | AUS | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | +0.648s | 70/72 |
| 7 | ˅4 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | +0.681s | 37/56 |
| 8 | ^4 | Joan Mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +0.778s | 57/58 |
| 9 | ˅4 | Andrea Dovizioso | ITA | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1) | +0.779s | 48/57 |
| 10 | ˅3 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | +0.892s | 38/51 |
| 11 | ˅3 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +0.928s | 51/54 |
| 12 | ˅1 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +1.052s | 67/75 |
| 13 | = | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | +1.126s | 83/96 |
| 14 | = | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21)* | +1.217s | 53/54 |
| 15 | ^6 | Alex Marquez | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +1.234s | 59/62 |
| 16 | ˅1 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.282s | 66/77 |
| 17 | ˅1 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +1.393s | 63/64 |
| 18 | ˅1 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21) | +1.488s | 44/45 |
| 19 | ˅1 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* | +1.500s | 53/57 |
| 20 | ˅1 | Luca Marini | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) | +1.699s | 33/53 |
| 21 | ˅1 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)* | +1.707s | 61/63 |
| 22 | = | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | +1.852s | 57/75 |
| 23 | ^1 | Darryn Binder | RSA | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)* | +2.029s | 56/58 |
| 24 | ˅1 | Remy Gardner | AUS | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* | +2.137s | 48/64 |
*Rookie
Key:
^X Rider is X positions higher than 5pm.
= Rider is same position as 5pm.
˅X Rider is X positions lower than 5pm.
2021 Mandalika WorldSBK lap records:
Best lap:
Toprak Razgatlioglu TUR Yamaha 1m 32.877s
Fastest race lap:
Toprak Razgatlioglu TUR Yamaha 1m 34.288s
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.
