Trois jours d'essais officiels attendent la catégorie reine qui arrive à Lombok pour découvrir le circuit Pertamina Mandalika.
La pré-saison poursuit son cours, avec un ultime Test de trois jours cette fois, sur le tout nouveau tracé de Mandalika, en Indonésie. Cette piste, située dans le prolongement de Bali, au Sud de l’Île de Lombok, comporte 17 virages : 11 à droite et six à gauche pour une distance totale de 4.3 kms.
Avant même de poursuivre l’étude des différentes pièces qui composeront leur package définitif, la priorité sera donc s’acclimater à ce circuit… Et en ce sens, les rookies – plus autant désavantagés qu’en Malaisie - auraient un coup à jouer. Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), qui a déjà une année d’expérience certes dans la cour des grands mais qui n’avait jamais roulé au guidon d’une MotoGP™ à Sepang, en a fait la démonstration il y a une semaine. Il faut dire que le natif de Rimini dispose d’un modèle antérieur, déjà bien abouti, au guidon duquel Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) avait terminé vice-Champion du Monde. Autrement dit, nul besoin de se préoccuper du développement à la différence des pilotes Ducati Lenovo Team et Pramac Racing.
Justement ces derniers redressaient la barre assez joliment à l’occasion de la deuxième journée, avec le troisième temps de Jorge Martín (Pramac Racing) et le sixième de Francesco Bagnaia : preuve que cette GP22 bénéficie d’une bien meilleure base, même si bien évidemment elle est encore loin d’être au point.
Chez Aprilia, les résultats obtenus par cette RS-GP refaite de A à Z, s’avéraient tout aussi encourageants. En effet, après avoir dominé le Shakedown auquel ils participaient grâce aux concessions, Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) se classait cinquième, trois positions derrière son coéquipier Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia Racing).
De même chez Honda, qui hissait ses deux pilotes officiels dans le Top 10, alors que sa RC213V a fait l’objet d’une totale refonte.
Côté Suzuki, les différences auront été peut-être moins flagrantes. Il n’empêche que le package semble beaucoup plus compétitif et équilibré qu’auparavant. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), quatrième, peut en témoigner.
On pourrait en revanche voir plus de réserve concernant Yamaha, qui ne hissait qu’un seul représentant parmi les sept premiers, son Champion du Monde Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). Le Niçois n’avait d’ailleurs pas caché sa déception en voyant le peu d’améliorations apportées en soi au moteur : un domaine qui leur faisait jusqu’à présent.
KTM essaiera enfin de sortir la tête de l’eau après des essais pour le moins discrets à Sepang ; Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), premier pilote KTM n’ayant pas fait mieux que 15e.
Programme (heure locale)
Vendredi 11 février
09:00 - 17:00
Samedi 12 février
09:00 - 17:00
Dimanche 13 février
09:00 - 17:00
DORNA
The road to Mandalika: a recap of what we've seen so far
DUCATI
Ducati left the Sepang Test on the front foot on the timesheets thanks to Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), with the sophomore putting in the fastest ever lap of Sepang on his GP21. The new GP22 also acquitted itself well, with the new engine showing gains in top speed and the new aero and updated air intake remaining a fixture. However, the feedback from riders at Sepang suggests there remains a margin for improvement and the Borgo Panigale factory will be keen to iron everything out ahead of Qatar.
Ducati’s updated ride-height device – which appears to now lower the front and rear of the machine – will likely steal more headlines at Mandalika too.
APRILIA
The Noale factory were one of the headline-stealers of the Sepang Test. After a 1-2 on Day 1, they ended the test second and fifth respectively – with both Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales sounding very positive about the new, narrower 2022 machine. Espargaro praised the turning and corner speed improvements, although the Spaniard does remain undecided on which chassis is best.
Aprilia have said since the Jerez Test that Mandalika would be where they would finalise the machine. Will they have the same speed as we head for Indonesia? And are there are more innovations in the locker?
SUZUKI
Suzuki also made their improvements a headline act. The Hamamatsu factory confirmed they’ve improved their engine in the search for more top speed without compromising the established assets of the GSX-RR, and there were ripples of interest up and down pitlane at the steps forward on show in Sepang.
There were reportedly some more varied comments from the riders regarding aero and chassis updates, but plenty worked a treat. How will the Suzuki fare around the 17 apexes of Mandalika?
Catch up on Day 1 of the Sepang Test
YAMAHA
The Iwata marque wanted more top speed heading into 2022 and there has reportedly been a small step forward, but not enough. Monster Energy Yamaha Team Manager Maio Meregalli admitted they expected a bigger improvement and in lieu of that, work has been focusing on finding more gains via aero.
Meregalli also said that the "real test" will be in Mandalika, so it’s almost time for Yamaha to choose their direction after another three days to try and maximise the 2022 YZR-M1.
HONDA
The new RC213V is one of the most compelling attractions of pre-season so far, as is the return of eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). The number 93 is recovered and raring to go, despite feeling pretty tired after his return to the fray, and was the quickest Honda at Sepang. He says he needs to find its limits, but was positive about the all-new package.
Honda will continue refining the new machine at Mandalika, with all riders – Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda’s Pol Espargaro, Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) – working on the 2022 bike.
KTM
Many would give more than a pfennig for KTM’s thoughts as the Austrian factory continue to prove coy. New Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager Francesco Guidotti did confirm the overall plan at Sepang, however, with KTM looking to find a solid base from which to begin the season and then use that as a springboard after a tougher 2021.
Evaluating new parts and re-examining plenty from last year, it’s been all hands on deck for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder, alongside test riders Mika Kallio and MotoGP™ Legend Dani Pedrosa – with Tech 3 rookies Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez, of course, more focused on their own machines and adaptation.
The rookies: pre-season half term report
How the five premier class newbies are settling in so far
By the end of the Shakedown and the two-day Sepang Test, it was Mooney VR46 Racing Team's Marco Bezzecchi who took the top rookie honours – and the Italian was the only debutant to get into the 1:58s. It's early doors yet, but that bodes well for the multiple Grand Prix winner after a more muted season in Moto2™, including some lingering injury issues. Can he get on terms with Mandalika and keep the roll going?
At Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing, Raul Fernandez kept the upper hand on teammate and 2021 Moto2™ Champion Remy Gardner. The Spaniard was just under two tenths off a 1:58 by the end of the test and continued to impress. Gardner, however, is suffering with a broken wrist sustained in training before testing began – not stopping him from taking part, but surely a limitation and, hopefully, one that will have improved slightly for the final test on Lombok.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), meanwhile, got within 0.017 of Fernandez' best – and despite missing two whole days of track time at the Shakedown due to illness. That's an impressive job and the Italian will want to maximise his time on the circuit in Indonesia too. So will Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team) as he makes the leap from Moto3™ straight to MotoGP™. The South African shaved another second off his best from Day 1 to Day 2, and got down to a 1:59.857 as his adaptation continues.
Who will be the fastest rookie ahead of the Qatar GP? We'll find out at Mandalika!
DORNA