Fabio Quartararo made an instant impact on the Moto3 world championship by topping the timesheets on the first day of pre-season testing at Valencia. The Frenchman, who will make his Grand Prix debut this year at the age of 15, went quicker than the existing circuit record to edge out Danny Kent with Honda locking out the top four places.
Quartararo is no stranger to the Ricardo Tormo circuit having taken a double victory here at the end of his title-winning CEV Repsol Moto3 campaign. The Estrella Galicia rider grew in stature as the day unfolded and in the closing stages of the final session, Quartararo clocked a 1:39.392, eight thousandths under the lap record set in last season’s title showdown.
Danny Kent was competitive throughout the day, breaking into the top six in all three sessions, with his time early in the afternoon good enough for second overall, just two hundredths shy of the star rookie. Enea Bastianini took that honour himself last year and the Italian showed signs of kicking on this term, finishing third as the Gresini team adapted to their switch from KTM to Honda machinery.
Niccolo Antonelli shone throughout pre-season testing last year and appears to have hit the ground running in 2015 too, ending the opening day in fourth, while Miguel Oliveira gave the Red Bull Ajo team hope that there will be life after Jack Miller, finishing fifth as the leading KTM rider.
Isaac Vinales rounded out the top six ahead of Karel Hanika and Romano Fenati with Mapfre Mahindra duo Juanfran Guevara and Jorge Martin ninth and tenth respectively. John McPhee was eighteenth quickest while his former teammate Efren Vazquez had a disastrous day, injuring his right foot with a crash in the second session.
2015 Moto3 Testing: Valencia – February 10
1 | Fabio Quartararo | Honda | Estrella Galicia 0,0 | 1:39.392 |
2 | Danny Kent | Honda | Leopard Racing | 1:39.415 |
3 | Enea Bastianini | Honda | Junior Team Gresini Moto3 | 1:39.669 |
4 | Niccolo Antonelli | Honda | Ongetta-Rivacold | 1:39.784 |
5 | Miguel Oliveira | KTM | Red Bull KTM Ajo | 1:39.805 |
6 | Isaac Vinales | Husqvarna | Husqvarna Factory Laglisse | 1:39.841 |
7 | Karel Hanika | KTM | Red Bull KTM Ajo | 1:39.982 |
8 | Romano Fenati | KTM | Sky Racing Team VR46 | 1:40.017 |
9 | Juanfran Guevara | Mahindra | Mapfre Mahindra Team | 1:40.119 |
10 | Jorge Martin | Mahindra | Mapfre Mahindra Team | 1:40.154 |
11 | Brad Binder | KTM | Red Bull KTM Ajo | 1:40.221 |
12 | Alexis Masbou | Honda | Saxoprint-RTG | 1:40.286 |
13 | Livio Loi | Honda | RW Racing GP | 1:40.317 |
14 | Jorge Navarro | Honda | Estrella Galicia 0,0 | 1:40.388 |
15 | Andrea Migno | KTM | Sky Racing Team VR46 | 1:40.427 |
16 | Andrea Locatelli | Honda | Junior Team Gresini Moto3 | 1:40.447 |
17 | Hiroki Ono | Honda | Leopard Racing | 1:40.570 |
18 | John McPhee | Honda | Saxoprint-RTG | 1:40.592 |
19 | Matteo Ferrari | Mahindra | San Carlo Team Italia | 1:40.693 |
20 | Tatsuki Suzuki | Mahindra | CIP | 1:40.698 |
21 | Niklas Ajo | KTM | RBA Racing Team | 1:40.806 |
22 | Jules Danilo | Honda | Ongetta-Rivacold | 1:40.877 |
23 | Philipp Oettl | KTM | Schedl GP Racing | 1:40.985 |
24 | Gabriel Rodrigo | KTM | RBA Racing Team | 1:41.018 |
25 | Efren Vazquez | Honda | Leopard Racing | 1:41.035 |
26 | Ana Carrasco | KTM | RBA Racing Team | 1:41.430 |
27 | Maria Herrera | Husqvarna | Husqvarna Factory Laglisse | 1:41.454 |
28 | Francesco Bagnaia | Mahindra | Mapfre Mahindra Team | 1:41.788 |
29 | Stefano Manzi | Mahindra | San Carlo Team Italia | 1:41.815 |
30 | Remy Gardner | Mahindra | CIP | 1:41.869 |
31 | Alessandro Tonucci | Mahindra | Outox Reset Drink Team | 1:42.197 |
32 | Daryn Binder | Mahindra | Outox Reset Drink Team | 1:42.487 |