Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Global
Practice report

Dominant Marquez ends Sepang pre-season test with lap record pace

Spaniard routs first test of year topping the timesheets on all three days

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Repsol Media

Marc Marquez completed the first pre-season MotoGP test of 2014 on top of the timing sheets on all three days and the reigning champion topped it off in perfect fashion with a new lap record at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia beating Casey Stoner’s 2012 time. The Repsol Honda rider finished day three ahead of Yamaha Factory Racing teammates Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.

The reigning MotoGP Champion wasted no time this morning and was immediately circulating at a rapid pace before he eventually set his fastest lap of 1m 59.533s. Marquez then focused on race simulation for the remainder of the day while Rossi also set his personal best lap today with the seven-time MotoGP World Champion registering a 1m 59.727s lap time. Lorenzo wasn’t far behind his teammate setting a best lap of 1m 59.866s.

Valentino Rossi, Yamaha Factory Racing
Valentino Rossi, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Yamaha MotoGP

The limelight was clearly on Aleix Espargaro this week with the Spaniard stunning the paddock with his pace on the Open class NGM Mobile Forward Racing Yamaha and he was once again hassling the factory machines today setting the fourth fastest time of 1m 59.998s. Stefan Bradl rounded out the top five places and the LCR Honda rider’s the first outside the sub-two minute mark setting a best lap of 2m 00.112s.

Dani Pedrosa was off the pace somewhat today and it took the Repsol Honda rider until the afternoon before getting up to speed, but track conditions weren’t as good as in the morning session and a sixth fastest time of 2m 00.223s was the best the Spaniard could do on the final day. Andrea Dovizioso made an improvement today on board the Ducati Team machine and the Italian set a 2m 00.370s lap ahead of Pol Espargaro on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine with the eight fastest time of 2m 00.655s. Andrea Iannone was once again in the top ten with the Pramac Racing man registering a best time of 2m 00.725s and GO&Fun Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista rounding out the top ten with a 2m 00.788s lap.

Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Yamaha MotoGP

The majority of the MotoGP riders will travel back to Europe until they return to the Sepang International Circuit with the next test taking place between 26th and 28th February.

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Another step forward for Scott in Malaysia
Next article Motocross accident forces Marquez out of second Sepang test

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Global