Honda CBR 600RR Forum banner

MotoGP 2013 Off Season/Testing Discussion

45K views 375 replies 51 participants last post by  stephygee 
#1 ·
With 2012 done and dusted... Tomorrow brings some young blood, new relationships and re acquaintances... eager to see tomorrows times.










 
See less See more
5
#109 ·
Also good to hear that Suzuki is again looking into GP again. What is everyones thoughts on them having to join an existing team rather than jump in with a factory team/outfit from the start.

Should Suzuki wish to return, agreement will have to be reached with another team due to full grid numbers.

Alonso explained: “The situation is that we have a full crowded grid and of course we commit with the teams that are here with us today, and they will keep the right to continue to be there.

“Therefore if everybody wants to continue and Suzuki wants to come back they will have to reach an agreement with one of those teams.”
http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/187848/1/dorna_door_remains_open_for_suzuki_return.html
 
#111 ·
Also good to hear that Suzuki is again looking into GP again. What is everyones thoughts on them having to join an existing team rather than jump in with a factory team/outfit from the start.


http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/187848/1/dorna_door_remains_open_for_suzuki_return.html
I know the CRT teams have a right to be there but get rid of one of them! I guarantee you Suzuki would fair better than Ducati is doing right now. With some luck they could steal a podium in 1 or 2 races. I'd much rather see them and Gresini or Tech 3 battling for top 5 than a CRT battle.
 
#112 ·
although im not 100% about booting a team for one to enter but didnt Dorna want a full grid anyway. That was the whole reason for the CRT thing to begin with. Cmon, Suzuki has a long history with the GP. I think they are a wee bit butt hurt coz they left the championship for a bit.
 
#121 ·
Interesting the gearing on the GP bikes. looks like they play with front gearing more than the rear. Unsprung weight reduction maybe?
 
#139 ·
Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden took to the track on their Desmosedici GP13 bikes for the three-day Sepang test that finished today, ending the sessions with a difficult task ahead.


The Italian, who is making his debut with the Desmosedici this year, had to adapt to a bike and team that are completely new for him and, thanks in part to his recent experience aboard other factory bikes, was able to give his first real feedback to the Ducati engineers regarding the frame, electronics and engine characteristics.

The American, beginning his fifth season aboard the Italian bike, tried to find his rhythm as he used the three days of testing to provide his own valuable input for the future development of the bike.

The team certainly can’t be satisfied with its results, so it heads home aware of the challenging work that must be carried out in order to get back toward the top of the time sheets. They will begin trying new ideas during the next test at Sepang at month’s end and at the Jerez test in late March.

Nicky Hayden

“We obviously can’t be happy when our times are that far off of the top guys, but we knew it was going to be tough. Sepang has never been a particularly good track for Ducati: we raced here in October, and the bike hasn’t changed much since then. We found a couple little things over the course of the test, which allowed us to improve our consistency on day three, but I think we need something big. Anyway, it was nice to be back on the bike and working with the guys. The team has worked extremely hard, and we just have to stay motivated and keep giving them the right information so that we can hopefully start making some real progress soon.”

Andrea Dovizioso

“Yes, it was a difficult test but we didn’t expect it to be any different. We're here to improve the situation and everybody knows the level we are now so we have to improve. We tested as much stuff as we could, because we’re focused on improving the bike. The gap to the others is big, and we pushed a lot to understand the bike. I gave a lot of feedback, maybe too much! We don’t know how the next test in Sepang will be. There’s too short a time between now and then, so it’s difficult to do something big in this time. We still have to decide which parts we can bring to the second test. Unfortunately, we need time to try something big.”
 
#140 · (Edited)
Makes me think, how many more seasons will Nicky be "content" on the Duc? what is his contract again? im sure he loves it there, but come on, guy is an ex world champion it has to take its toll on you. Will we ever see another world champion on a Duc besides CS? not sure about that?
 
#149 ·
His contract expires at the end of the 2013 season. I would love to see him @ Tech3......that would just be great. Maybe uncle Carmelo can fund it somehow.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Motorcycle.com Free App
 
#141 ·
The final day of the opening MotoGP test of the year took place under scorching temperatures of over at the Sepang circuit, with the Go & Fun Honda Gresini team happy with the direction it is headed in.


The Italian, who is making his debut with the Desmosedici this year, had to adapt to a bike and team that are completely new for him and, thanks in part to his recent experience aboard other factory bikes, was able to give his first real feedback to the Ducati engineers regarding the frame, electronics and engine characteristics.

The American, beginning his fifth season aboard the Italian bike, tried to find his rhythm as he used the three days of testing to provide his own valuable input for the future development of the bike.


Despite the intense heat, Álvaro Bautista and his technicians continued to work hard with Showa technicians in order to obtain valuable suspension data. The long process will put Bautista in the best shape to be competitive when the season begins. Bryan Staring continued his learning process in the MotoGP class. On a tough track for a debutant, the Australian made significant improvements and is looking forward to even more at the next Sepang test, at the end of February.

Álvaro Bautista

“The intense heat that we’ve had over the past few days ended up making it considerably harder work out on track. That didn’t affect our schedule, however, and we continued with the job of setting up the Showa suspension. We are making progress, but we still have a lot of work to do and our aim remains to have everything ready for the season start in Qatar. We have gathered a lot of data that we will use at the next test here in Sepang at the end of the month.”

Bryan Staring

“There is still a lot to learn, but I think that we are on the right track with the help of the guys on the team. They never put me in any difficulty and always have me trying out technical solutions, without distracting me too much from just adapting to this new style of riding. Sepang is definitely not the best circuit at which to make your debut, as it is so long and it is hard to learn all the lines. In any case, I am motivated. Today I improved my time from yesterday and I am convinced that very soon I can be competitive.”
 
#142 ·
British duo Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith set the fifth and eighth fastest times at the Sepang International Circuit today to conclude a successful start to the MotoGP winter testing schedule for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team.


A best time of 2.00.734 ensured Crutchlow finished inside the top six on each day and after improving his pace by over a second throughout the test he finished in fifth position on the final timesheets.

Having made improvements with corner entry rear grip yesterday, Crutchlow turned his focus to working on his pace and consistency on worn tyres today, and he was satisfied with the progress to finish 0.634s away from Dani Pedrosa's best time.

Rookie teammate Smith produced another fantastic performance and included in his 48-lap stint was an impressively fast and consistent full race simulation, which he completed in searing heat and humidity on the hottest day of the test.

The 22-year-old has made a seamless transition from Moto2 to the heavier and more powerful YZR-M1 machine and his race simulation gave him priceless information on where he can improve when the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team returns to Sepang for a further three-day test later this month.

Smith ended with a best time of 2.02.093 today, which was within two seconds of the quickest pace set by Pedrosa and he was only a second away from the top six. His fastest time at the test was yesterday's 2.01.931 that secured him the eighth quickest time overall.

Cal Crutchlow

“It has been a very positive week and I am where I expected to be and that's right behind the top four factory bikes. I can't really ask for more than that and I'm pleased with my lap times because my bike is almost identical to the bike I rode last year. Today I was doing a lot of laps on old tyres and trying to stay consistent and I've improved. I also feel like I've made good progress in improving on the brakes, so it has been a productive test and good to be back on track after the winter break. I've built up my confidence each day but it is obvious that 2013 is going to be incredibly tough. There is some amazing talent on really good machinery but I am really looking forward to it. I'll be ready to give it 100% as always and come the first race in Qatar I'll be ready to challenge. Credit to Bradley as well because he has done a fantastic job this week. This was his first proper test in MotoGP and he has got faster and more confident each day. I have been very impressed with him and it is going to be good being his teammate this season.”

Bradley Smith

“I am really happy with the way this test has gone and my lap times and final position have already given me a lot of confidence. I didn't come here with any expectations but to be eighth is where this bike needs to be. I am still not getting all of the potential out of the YZR-M1 but I am gaining in confidence with every lap I complete and it has been mission accomplished in terms of coming here and understanding how the bike needs to be ridden. I still need to be a lot smoother but I am happy to be within two seconds of the fastest time. I knew that was possible but the hard work starts now to close that gap even more. The race simulation was amazing to build up my experience but it was seriously hard work. It was the hottest day and it is very physically and mentally demanding to ride a MotoGP bike at that pace over a long distance. It is hard to concentrate but the best thing was on the last lap I did a 2.02.9 and my best lap was a 2.02.5. So I was consistent and while I need to be faster, I'm really happy to be leaving this test having learned so much. I need a good sleep now to digest all the information I've taken on but already I can't wait to be back on the bike here later this month.”
 
#144 ·
Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi today completed the third and final day of the first official MotoGP test of 2013 at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.


Despite the threat of bad weather both riders were able to enjoy a good amount of dry track time to work through a number of potential engine and chassis specifications for the 2013 YZR-M1. Reigning World Champion Lorenzo delivered his trademark consistency from day one, leading the time sheet at times and never straying far from the front. The Mallorcan was under the official race lap record of the Sepang circuit this morning and just a tenth of a second from the official pole record. He went on to complete a long run this afternoon to wrap up the test.

Teammate Rossi continued to go from strength to strength having been reunited with the YZR-M1, the Italian again improving on his time from the day before by nearly half a second to finally dip under the 2’01 mark and finish in third place just over a tenth of a second from teammate Lorenzo in second.

The Japanese Yamaha engineers will now take the valuable data gained back to Japan to work towards the second Sepang test in a few weeks time

Jorge Lorenzo

“I think these three days have been positive for us. We tried many things and some of them were good. We need to reconfirm again in another track but here we were able to improve a little bit. I was able to make a simulation this afternoon, the first one I’ve done in Sepang in my GP career. I felt strong physically, mentally and riding so it was good. The other riders are also really strong so it promises to be an interesting season.”

Valentino Rossi

“I’m very happy, all three days were very good. We worked hard on the bike and improved day by day. The third day was the best, we were able to stay less than half a second from pole position and the lap time is higher which is interesting. Today we finished third in the standings which is theoretically the front row so I’m very happy with this first test.”
 
#145 ·
Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa heads into the two-week break as the man to beat after ending the final day of the Sepang test on top, as riders across the field dropped their laps times once more.

Pedrosa’s teammate Marc Márquez gave everyone a scare in the morning as he crashed in the final turn at speed, although he walked away unscathed and could continue his work on his second bike. A record lap set by Pedrosa of 2:00’100 was not beaten all day, as Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo ended just over three tenths off, himself focussing on a race simulation later in the day.

His teammate Valentino Rossi also showed that he could get below the 2:01 mark, leaving it until just before lunch to post his fastest time that saw him end the day in third behind his teammate. Márquez, despite going quicker again today, was this time unable to finish in the top three as he put in a lengthy run at the end, yet stayed a close fourth, challenged by the impressive Cal Crutchlow, the last rider below the 2:01 mark, on his 2012 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine.

LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl just missed out on that feat with a time of 2.01’003, although the German looked on good form as he went quicker once more on his RC213V. Go & Fun Honda Gresini’s Álvaro Bautista improved over yesterday’s time, getting more dialled in to the bike’s geometry and Showa suspension, with Tech 3 rookie Bradley Smith continuing his steep, but progressive, learning curve in eighth. Smith also undertook a race simulation early in the day before setting his best time.

The Ducati Team will be buoyed by progress, with Nicky Hayden gaining over a second over the three days, as he ended the day in ninth, with teammate Andrea Dovizioso less than a hundredth behind. Yamaha test rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga was the first outside of the top ten, in front of Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaró, who put in a tremendous effort to place his CRT 12th, and just over 2.5s off the top. He ousted Pramac Team’s Italian rookie Andrea Iannone into 13th, who was without teammate Ben Spies today, as the Texan decided to sit it out and let his shoulder recuperate before the second Sepang test. He finished the overall standings in 15th.

HRC test rider Kosuke Akiyoshi headed Paul Bird Motorsport’s Michael Laverty, who has improved by nearly 3s over the three days on his MotoGP™ debut. He beat established Aspar rider Randy de Puniet, who finished ahead of Yamaha test rider Wataru Yoshikawa, Avintia Blusens’ Héctor Barberá and HRC test rider Takumi Takahashi. Came IodaRacing Project’s Danilo Petrucci ended the day in 20th, in front of Cardion AB Motoracing’s Karel Abraham, Avintia’s Hiroshi Aoyama, NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Claudio Corti and Ioda’s Lukas Pesek. Rounding out the back of the grid are PBM’s Yonny Hernandez, trying to fix chatter issues, as well as NGM’s Colin Edwards and Gresini’s Bryan Staring.
 
#146 ·

The first test of 2013 concluded today with Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa maintaining his place at the top of the timing sheet with a time of 2.00’100.


Teammate Marc Márquez finished his first test of 2013 in 4th position with a top time of 2.00’636 after experiencing his maiden crash in the premier class.

Pedrosa finished at lunchtime after completing his scheduled testing programme. He spent the morning working on engine braking, the balance and distribution of the additional weight of the bike, and he also had the chance to test the new compound Bridgestone tyre. He completed a total of 44 laps, recording his fastest on lap 4 in the morning when track conditions were perfect.

Márquez enjoyed another strong start to the day but had a small crash in the final corner after losing the front of the bike under braking. After the crash, he recorded his fastest time on lap 32 of 33. In the afternoon, he completed a race simulation run of 20 laps to complete his first test of the season and ended the day with a total of 54 laps.

The team will return back on track in Sepang later this month on the 26, 27 and 28 of February.

Dani Pedrosa

"We can leave Sepang with a good feeling, because we had good lap times on all three days. We were able to put in a lot of laps and, above all, try out some important things with the engine and the bike weight to adjust to the three kilos more for this season - dictated by the new rules. Today we focused on rear tyres, in particular the new Bridgestone hard compound. It is similar to the old one with a little more grip in some areas, but it also creates more chatter. We finished the test well and hope to continue like this in the following ones."

Marc Márquez

“I am very happy with the results that we have had from these three days, above all because I gradually got more consistent with my times. This was what we were looking for from this test. Day by day we improved our times, but this is secondary really. The important thing is that we made our first race simulation, which has helped me to understand the class and the bike better and his given us a lot of information for the next test. We also had a first crash, which luckily was fairly light. I lost the front on the brakes, but I was unhurt and the overall verdict on the test is still very positive."
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top