The preparatory tests for the 2023 MotoGP season came to an end with the second day of testing on the Portimao track in Portugal. Ducati and Aprilia made the strongest impressions, with a few competitors able to crack the top 10 with at least one flying lap.
The weather in the Algarve was wonderful on Sunday too, with an air temperature of just over 20 degrees Celsius. The teams tried to finalize their technical package for the season opener in two weeks. Some also tackled a simulation of the new sprint race.
There were also some qualifying attempts to see. World champion Francesco Bagnaia set the best time of 1:37.968 minutes with the soft rear tire. This left the Ducati rider around eight tenths of a second below the course record.
Yamaha mounts large rear wing
Yamaha wanted to set the aerodynamics package for the season opener on these two days. However, it was only noticed on site that the bike did not fit in the box used to check the dimensions by the FIM.
The fairing with the new winglets is too wide. On Saturday, Franco Morbidelli tested a fairing with a new air deflector each on the left and right behind the main winglets. Today these elements were duplicated, showing two elements.
This version was only available on Morbidelli’s M1. Fabio Quartararo started the day with last year’s fairing – faster than the new fairing parts. The new engine has more power, but Yamaha has been going in circles to find the optimal package.
Three hours before the end of the test time, Quartararo suddenly conjured up a strong lap time with the soft rear tire. It finally meant third place. Then there was also a new part at the French Aero-Tests.
In the afternoon, Yamaha fitted a bulky rear wing behind the seat of Quartararo’s machine. This area on the motorcycle is not part of the aerobody defined in the regulations. So the teams can be creative. According to Quartararo, the wing was not noticeable.
But overall, with last year’s disguise and set-up, he spoke of a massive move and was pleased. In principle, his package consisted of the new engine as well as the chassis, fairing and set-up from the previous year.
In the end, the ex-world champion finished this test three tenths of a second behind. After the frustration of the day before, Quartararo was now more optimistic about the first race. At the end of the day, Morbidelli also switched to the old bodywork.
Honda outside the top 10
The factory Honda team continued to evaluate two chassis with Marc Marquez and Joan Mir. The various fairing parts were also tested. A sprint simulation was initially not scheduled. On one occasion, Marc Marquez coasted out at Turn 5 with a technical issue.
The LCR team received the chassis that the factory team drove in Sepang. Marc Marquez and Mir have another evolution available here. Also today Alex Rins rolled out the side panel with the distinctive “Aprilia” step.
According to LCR team boss Lucio Cecchinello, there are still doubts about the aerodynamics. Takaaki Nakagami and Rins also tested a new front fork. According to Rins, the Honda grip is missing in maximum lean angle.
Honda finished the test outside the top 10. Mir, Marc Marquez and Rins finished 13th, 14th and 15th respectively, around eight tenths of a second behind. Test driver Stefan Bradl was not on the track on Sunday.
KTM: Only Brad Binder in the top 10
According to Brad Binder, the biggest KTM problem is a lack of rear wheel grip. Two different chassis were tried to find more traction. Binder also tested two different side panels again.
In the morning, the South African crashed in turn 3 and shortly before the end of the test also in turn 7. KTM and GasGas were the only brands to run a few stints with the hard front tyre. Jack Miller continued to focus on a set-up that suited him.
Rookie Augusto Fernandez stalled once at Turn 5 with a technical issue in the afternoon. Binder showed the best KTM lap. Half a second down, he moved up to ninth place. Miller and Pol Espargaro were a second off the lead.
Aprilia: Aleix Espargaro considers arm surgery
Aleix Espargaro was already struggling with fatigue and arm pump in his right arm the day before. He suspected that this could also be due to the increased downforce of the new aerodynamics package in the corners.
That’s why the Aprilia driver did without a sprint simulation and didn’t do as many laps. On Monday, Aleix Espargaro will be examined at the hospital in Barcelona. Forearm surgery seems likely.
The Aprilia’s top speed continued to impress, with Maverick Vinales and Miguel Oliveira clocking in at 343.9 km/h. This made them three km/h faster than the fastest Ducati bikes. The two Italian bikes were the reference for top speed.
In the afternoon, both RNF drivers fell almost at the same time. Raul Fernandez caught it at Turn 1 and local hero Oliveira at Turn 3. Overall, Aprilia was not completely satisfied with these two days of testing as the program had to be cut short due to Espargaro’s arm problem.
Ducati confirms role as favourite
Bagnaia has already noted that Ducati has lost some top speed but has made progress in handling. This was also reflected in the stopwatch. At the beginning of a simulation of the sprint race, he set a new lap record.
But they weren’t entirely satisfied as Bagnaia slowed down in this stint. Ducati wasn’t sure which tire is optimal for the sprint race. With a qualifying attempt, he then set the absolute best time with a new lap record.
Enea Bastianini was a bit slower than his teammate. The Italian made the jump from GP21 to GP23 in the winter and wasn’t quite up to par with Bagnaia in both tests in Malaysia and Portugal.
While the factory team relies on a side panel from the previous year, Jorge Martin in the Pramac team opted for the variant with the step. Teammate Johann Zarco switched back to the works team’s version today.
The differences between the two variants should be minimal. The drivers decide according to their feeling which supports them better. Martin’s version is said to offer better stability under braking, while the other is said to have a slight advantage in cornering.
Luca Marini provided a spectacular scene. In the afternoon, the VR46 driver had an engine failure on the home stretch. There was also work in the Gresini team, because Alex Marquez had two falls today.
As a result, there were seven Ducati riders in the top 10. Twelve riders stayed below the official course record. With 89 laps, Morbidelli again covered the most kilometers of all drivers, just like the day before.
One driver was no longer allowed to drive on Sunday. Fabio di Giannantonio (Gresini-Ducati) crashed the day before. According to him, it was a harmless slip, but the stones in the gravel bed are extremely large. “Diggia” suffered a slight concussion when he fell. So far he was okay and stayed at the track again on Sunday.
This concludes the winter test drives. In two weeks time, on March 26th, the season opener will take place at the same place.
The test times from Portimao (Sunday):
01 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) – 1:37.968 minutes (61 laps) 02 Johann Zarco (Pramac-Ducati) +0.296 seconds (69) 03 Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) +0.334 (88) 04 Luca Marini (VR46- Ducati) +0.342 (64) 05 Marco Bezzecchi (VR46-Ducati) +0.383 (86) 06. Enea Bastianini (Ducati) +0.405 (66) 07. Alex Marquez (Gresini-Ducati) +0.434 (72) 08. Jorge Martin (Pramac-Ducati) +0.466 (77) 09 Brad Binder (KTM) +0.512 (62) 10 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) +0.601 (52) 11 Miguel Oliveira (RNF-Aprilia) +0.616 (72) 12 .Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) +0.710 (82) 13. Joan Mir (Honda) +0.794 (61) 14. Marc Marquez (Honda) +0.810 (76) 15. Alex Rins (LCR-Honda) +0.814 (85) 16 .Raul Fernandez (RNF-Aprilia) +0.886 (63) 17. Jack Miller (KTM) +0.941 (80) 18. Pol Espargaro (GasGas) +1.006 (79) 19. Franco Morbidelli (Yamaha) +1.098 (89) 20 .Takaaki Nakagami (LCR-Honda) +1,341 (72) 21st Augusto Fernandez (GasGas) +1,699 (64) 22nd Michele Pirro (Ducati) +2,131 (62)