Lorenzo beats lap record to top Sepang test
Ducati MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo ended the three-day pre-season test in Sepang quickest, setting a new unofficial lap record in the process.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Lorenzo surpassed the previous best MotoGP time at Sepang, set by Honda's Marc Marquez during winter testing in 2015, by 0.037s.
The Maverick Vinales laptime that stood as the best effort from the opening two days did not remain the benchmark for long on Tuesday, bettered by a 1m59.186s from Lorenzo just half an hour into the session.
The Ducati rider was himself overhauled by Honda's Dani Pedrosa a couple of minutes later, but returned to the top spot after another hour.
Lorenzo's record-breaking 1m58.830s kept him top for the remaining six hours, as premier class riders wrapped up their test programmes by focusing on long runs.
Pedrosa ended the day second, with LCR Honda's Cal Crutchlow making up the top three.
Lorenzo's teammate Andrea Dovizioso was fourth, his day disrupted by a crash at Turn 1 early in the session.
Pramac privateer Jack Miller wrapped up his Tuesday running early, but still ended the day as the third Ducati in the top five, while Alex Rins wound up the top Suzuki, 0.002s behind the Aussie.
Reigning champion Marquez took seventh ahead of Yamaha's Valentino Rossi, who was among the few riders to improve in the closing minutes of the test. Rossi's teammate Vinales ended the day in 18th place.
Tech 3 Yamaha's Johann Zarco finished ninth despite an early tumble, while Pramac's Danilo Petrucci put Avintia Ducati newcomer Tito Rabat – who crashed twice during the day – out of the top 10 at the chequered flag.
With Pol Espargaro sitting out the day after his big crash on Monday, test rider Mika Kallio led the way for KTM instead, placing 16th.
Session results
Pos. | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap | Laps |
1 | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | 1:58.830 | 48 | |
2 | Dani Pedrosa | Honda | 1:59.009 | 0.179 | 58 |
3 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda | 1:59.052 | 0.222 | 65 |
4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | 1:59.169 | 0.339 | 51 |
5 | Jack Miller | Ducati | 1:59.346 | 0.516 | 36 |
6 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | 1:59.348 | 0.518 | 52 |
7 | Marc Marquez | Honda | 1:59.382 | 0.552 | 75 |
8 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | 1:59.449 | 0.619 | 54 |
9 | Johann Zarco | Yamaha | 1:59.511 | 0.681 | 55 |
10 | Danilo Petrucci | Ducati | 1:59.528 | 0.698 | 49 |
11 | Tito Rabat | Ducati | 1:59.547 | 0.717 | 35 |
12 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | 1:59.615 | 0.785 | 62 |
13 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | 1:59.962 | 1.132 | 52 |
14 | Takaaki Nakagami | Honda | 2:00.071 | 1.241 | 54 |
15 | Alvaro Bautista | Ducati | 2:00.205 | 1.375 | 57 |
16 | Mika Kallio | KTM | 2:00.464 | 1.634 | 64 |
17 | Franco Morbidelli | Honda | 2:00.526 | 1.696 | 55 |
18 | Maverick Vinales | Yamaha | 2:00.547 | 1.717 | 71 |
19 | Karel Abraham | Ducati | 2:00.574 | 1.744 | 48 |
20 | Xavier Simeon | Ducati | 2:00.784 | 1.954 | 30 |
21 | Scott Redding | Aprilia | 2:00.812 | 1.982 | 56 |
22 | Bradley Smith | KTM | 2:00.969 | 2.139 | 77 |
23 | Sylvain Guintoli | Suzuki | 2:01.120 | 2.29 | 58 |
24 | Tom Luthi | Honda | 2:01.126 | 2.296 | 52 |
25 | Yonny Hernandez | Yamaha | 2:01.223 | 2.393 | 31 |
26 | Test bike | Yamaha | 2:01.385 | 2.555 | 17 |
27 | Test bike | Yamaha | 2:01.679 | 2.849 | 30 |
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