Excitement is guaranteed at the two-day MotoGP IRTA test in Misano. Some plants are showing the first versions of the 2023 bikes, and Marc Márquez has been climbing his MotoGP Honda for the first time since May 29.
At the MotoGP test after the San Marino GP, all teams and riders are obliged to start on Tuesday and Wednesday (September 6th and 7th). It is the last opportunity before the World Cup final to test new parts in peace – also with a view to 2023.
On the 4.226 km long track (16 right-hand bends, 6 left-hand bends) Ducati Lenovo factory driver Jack Miller took pole position on Saturday with a time of 1:31.899 minutes. After the strenuous Misano GP, testing will take place on both days from 9 a. This is followed by a quarter-hour “practice start” session from 6 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.
With the exception of the injured Joan Mir (Suzuki), all regular drivers have registered, because at Repsol-Honda Marc Márquez will be sitting on the Honda RC213V for the first time since the Italian GP in Mugello. The team from the Honda HRC Test Team traveled from Barcelona to replace Stefan Bradl.
“I think Marc will focus primarily on checking his physical fitness and not mainly on testing new parts with a view to 2023,” suspects Stefan Bradl, who finished Sunday’s race in 14th place – like in 2021.
From the usual test riders, Red Bull-KTM has signed up Spaniard Dani Pedrosa. Aprilia lets test driver Lorenzo Savadori drive. Yamaha forgoes the services of test rider Cal Crutchlow because he has already tested all the new parts.
The Brit will replace 36-year-old Andrea Dovizioso at WithU-RNF-Yamaha from Aragón, but he will be back on his M1 Yamaha here on Tuesday. According to reports, “Dovi” is to present the newly developed Alpinestars helmet and subject it to a test,
Suzuki Ecstar has no test driver available, that’s why MotoE World Cup winner Domi Aegerter was invitedto get on Joan Mir’s GSX-RR. In addition, the Misano GP seventh will test Alex Rins for the next races.
Some riders, like Pol Espargaró, who leave their team at the end of the season don’t get new parts, but they can work out set-up changes.
At Honda, the eyes of photographers and reporters will be on the rear swingarm – because Kalex is supplying aluminum swingarms for HRC for the first time.
The private teams will no longer let renegade drivers into the development programs. But with Hervé Poncharal’s KTM Tech3 team, Raúl Fernández and Remy Gardner will still have two days of testing.
By the way: The first MotoGP winter test after the Valencia final lasts only one day this year and takes place on Tuesday, November 8th.
The participants of the Misano test (6./7.9.)
Red Bull KTM (Binder, Oliveira)
Ducati Lenovo (Bagnaia, Miller)
Ducati Aruba.it (Pirro)
Monster Yamaha (Quartararo, Morbidelli)
Suzuki Ecstar (Rins, Aegerter)
Aprilia Racing (Aleix Espargaró, Viñales)
Aprilia MotoGP Test Team (Savadori)
Repsol Honda (Marc Marquez, Pol Espargaro)
Honda HRC Test Team: Stefan Bradl
Tech3-KTM (Gardner, Raúl Fernández)
First Pramac Ducati (Zarco, Martin)
WithU-Yamaha (Dovizioso, Darryn Binder)
Mooney VR46 Ducati (Marini, Bezzecchi)
Gresini Racing Ducati (Bastianini, Di Giannantonio)
LCR Honda (Nakagami, Alex Marquez)