MotoGP surprise: sprint races are slower than GP races
Anyone would expect riders to be quicker in MotoGP’s brand-new quick-fire sprint races, but in fact they’re slower. Here’s why…
Combined times from the MotoGP test on November 28-29 at Jerez
Japanese rider Takaaki Nakagami set the fastest overall time in MotoGP testing at Jerez on November 29. The LCR Honda Idemitsu rider did so on Cal Crutchlow’s 2018 motorcycle, finishing 0.025sec faster than Marc Márquez.
Jorge Lorenzo was 0.135sec slower than his team-mate but still “mightily fast” according to Mat Oxley.
Read more: The FUBAR Ducati and other Jerez stories
Franco Morbidelli was marginally slower than fellow Yamaha rider Maverick Viñales, while Valentino Rossi was 11th-fastest overall. Rossi split with rider coach Luca Cadalora after the test. Cadalora and Rossi have worked together since 2016.
Álvaro Bautista replaced full-time test rider Michele Pirro (recovering from surgery) to finish 13th over the two days on his Ducati.
KTM pair Pol Espargaró and Johann Zarco finished 17th and 19th, respectively.
Position | Rider | Day 1 time | Day 2 time | Bike |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Takaaki Nakagami | 1min38.348sec | 1min37.945sec | Honda |
2 | Danilo Petrucci | 1min37.968sec | 1min38.109sec | Ducati |
3 | Marc Márquez | 1min38.517sec | 1min37.970sec | Honda |
4 | Maverick Viñales | 1min38.376sec | 1min38.066sec | Yamaha |
5 | Jorge Lorenzo | 1min38.749sec | 1min38.105sec | Honda |
6 | Franco Morbidelli | 1min38.659sec | 1min38.118sec | Yamaha |
7 | Andrea Dovizioso | 1min38.185sec | 1min38.292sec | Ducati |
8 | Jack Miller | 1min38.816sec | 1min38.207sec | Ducati |
9 | Francesco Bagnaia | 1min39.157sec | 1min38.333sec | Ducati |
10 | Alex Rins | 1min39.150sec | 1min38.522sec | Suzuki |
11 | Valentino Rossi | 1min39.564sec | 1min38.596sec | Yamaha |
12 | Fabio Quartararo | 1min39.414sec | 1min38.761sec | Yamaha |
13 | Álvaro Bautista | 1min38.830sec | 1min39.338sec | Ducati |
14 | Tito Rabat | 1min39.097sec | 1min38.876sec | Ducati |
15 | Joan Mir | 1min38.956sec | 1min38.931sec | Suzuki |
16 | Andrea Iannone | 1min39.008sec | 1min39.826sec | Aprilia |
17 | Pol Espargaró | 1min39.241sec | 1min39.144sec | KTM |
18 | Karel Abraham | 1min40.438sec | 1min39.744sec | Ducati |
19 | Johann Zarco | 1min40.192sec | 1min39.864sec | KTM |
20 | Aleix Espargaró | – | 1min40.156sec | Aprilia |
21 | Bradley Smith | 1min40.174sec | 1min40.325sec | Aprilia |
22 | Sylvain Guintoli | 1min40.743sec | 1min40.498sec | Suzuki |
23 | Hafizh Syahrin | 1min40.630sec | 1min40.520sec | KTM |
24 | Miguel Oliveira | 1min41.699sec | 1min40.577sec | KTM |
25 | Matteo Baiocco | 1min42.766sec | 1min41.907sec | Aprilia |
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