Factory Ducati rider Marc Marquez offered a glimpse of Ducati’s potential after setting the two fastest times during Monday’s official MotoGP test at Jerez. The Spaniard clocked his best lap, a 1m35.876s, in the afternoon session over three-tenths quicker than the day’s next-best effort by KTM’s Maverick Viñales. Marquez’s performance came as a strong rebound after his crash in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix and suggested Ducati’s new upgrades may have had an impact. Due to strict testing regulations, this was Ducati’s first opportunity since the season started to trial fresh developments.
While track temperatures were similar to Sunday’s race, strong winds and improved grip levels complicated direct comparisons of lap times. Still, Marquez’s best time was slightly slower than Fabio Quartararo’s 1m35.610s qualifying lap and a couple of tenths off his own Saturday pace. His teammate, Francesco Bagnaia, appeared less at ease with Ducati’s new components, recording the 15th-fastest time in the morning and slipping to 17th in the afternoon, despite completing 64 laps compared to Marquez’s 79.
Spanish GP winner Alex Marquez had a quieter day, as there were no significant updates for his GP24 machine. He completed his program early, placing seventh in the morning and 10th in the afternoon. Meanwhile, Ducati satellite team VR46 had more to evaluate, especially with Fabio di Giannantonio piloting one of the rare GP25s outside the factory squad. Di Giannantonio completed 48 laps and was fifth-fastest in the morning session. VR46’s Franco Morbidelli, however, sat out the test after suffering a concussion from heavy crashes over the race weekend. He must pass medical checks before returning at Le Mans.
Yamaha showed encouraging signs of progress, building on Quartararo’s strong Spanish GP weekend. The team tested an updated in-line four engine, and Quartararo was enthusiastic about its improved power, noting, “The new engine is an improvement over the old one. I’m very happy.” He called the past four days Yamaha’s best stretch in three years. Yamaha concluded its testing early in the afternoon, with Quartararo and teammate Alex Rins finishing up with two and a half hours to spare. Despite being third overall after late runs by Marquez and Viñales, Quartararo had led the timesheets mid-afternoon.
At KTM, development rider Dani Pedrosa joined the regular lineup, but factory rider Pedro Acosta’s testing was hampered by an early crash at the Peluqui corner.
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