Marc Marquez began life as MotoGP world champion in style by topping the second day of testing at Valencia. The newly crowned champion kicked off his preparations for the 2014 season just 48 hours after winning the title on Sunday and would actually set a time quick enough for pole position at the same circuit days earlier.
After sitting out day one of the test, Repsol Honda were on track with a 2013-spec motorcycle and a development machine, the latter of which Marquez took to a 1:30.536. Both he and his teammate Dani Pedrosa completed two race distances over the course of the day and Dani’s best time was good enough for third behind Marquez and Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo.
Fourth placed Stefan Bradl was the last rider in the 1:30s with Alvaro Bautista fifth ahead of Bradley Smith who was also on track for the first time since Sunday’s race. The Briton tested a factory-spec chassis for the first time along with a new seat unit and fuel tank package and immediately enjoyed the updates, finishing sixth fastest ahead of factory Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi.
Ducati continued to evaluate updates to their machine with Andrea Dovizioso eighth ahead of the continually impressive Pol Espargaro on the second Tech 3 Yamaha while Andrea Iannone completed the top ten ahead of Cal Crutchlow. Ducati’s new signing suffered his first crash on the Desmosedici when the front end folded at turn eight but despite that, felt positive at the end of his second day with the team.
The production Honda RCV1000R continued to turn heads with Nicky Hayden making his debut on the machine for Power Electronics Aspar. The 2006 world champion was just two seconds off the pace in thirteenth and Forward Racing’s Yamaha-powered FTR also made a bright start, Aleix Espargaro and Colin Edwards less than half a second further back in fifteenth and sixteenth.
Scott Redding’s second day as a MotoGP rider brought more challenges although his physical discomfort limited him to 23 laps and the Moto2 runner-up will now turn his attention to Sepang in the new year.
MOTOGP OFFICIAL TEST – VALENCIA (TUESDAY 12TH NOVEMBER) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
POS | RIDER | MOTORCYCLE | TEAM | TIME | |
1 | ![]() |
HONDA RC213V | REPSOL HONDA TEAM | 1:30.536 | REPORT |
2 | ![]() |
YAMAHA YZR-M1 | YAMAHA FACTORY RACING | 1:30.768 | REPORT |
3 | ![]() |
HONDA RC213V | REPSOL HONDA TEAM | 1:30.948 | REPORT |
4 | ![]() |
HONDA RC213V | LCR HONDA MOTOGP | 1:30.990 | |
5 | ![]() |
HONDA RC213V | GO&FUN HONDA GRESINI | 1:31.208 | |
6 | ![]() |
YAMAHA YZR-M1 | MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3 | 1:31.397 | REPORT |
7 | ![]() |
YAMAHA YZR-M1 | YAMAHA FACTORY RACING | 1:31.414 | REPORT |
8 | ![]() |
DUCATI GP13 | DUCATI TEAM | 1:31.661 | REPORT |
9 | ![]() |
YAMAHA YZR-M1 | MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3 | 1:31.836 | REPORT |
10 | ![]() |
DUCATI GP13 | ENERGY T.I. PRAMAC RACING | 1:31.844 | |
11 | ![]() |
DUCATI GP13 | DUCATI TEAM | 1:32.114 | REPORT |
12 | ![]() |
DUCATI GP13 | DUCATI TEST TEAM | 1:32.473 | |
13 | ![]() |
HONDA RCV1000R | POWER ELECTRONICS ASPAR | 1:32.576 | |
14 | ![]() |
DUCATI GP13 | IGNITE PRAMAC RACING TEAM | 1:32.800 | |
15 | ![]() |
FTR YAMAHA | NGM MOBILE FORWARD RACING | 1:32.847 | |
16 | ![]() |
FTR YAHAMA | NGM MOBILE FORWARD RACING | 1:33.149 | |
17 | ![]() |
ART | PAUL BIRD MOTORSPORT | 1:33.672 | |
18 | ![]() |
ART | PAUL BIRD MOTORSPORT | 1:33.833 | |
19 | ![]() |
HONDA RCV1000R | GO&FUN HONDA GRESINI | 1:34.541 | |
20 | ![]() |
FTR | AVINTIA BLUSENS | 1:34.618 | |
21 | ![]() |
S&B SUTER | REMUS RACING TEAM | NO TIME | |
22 | ![]() |
HONDA RCV1000R | POWER ELECTRONICS ASPAR | NO TIME | |
23 | ![]() |
FTR | AVINTIA BLUSENS | NO TIME |