All against Ducati from the Cheste test this Tuesday

From 10 am to 2 pm and from 3 pm to 6 pm the MotoGP riders again have an appointment at the Comunitat Valenciana circuit track Ricardo Torno de Cheste to start the 2023 preseason. celebration parties on Sunday night in Valencia and those who have to digest a bad result have already had time to calm their moods, If in the Ducati ranks all congratulations after the overwhelming dominance carried out this year, continuation of the second half of the 2021 financial year, for the four surviving brands in the championship, Honda , Yamaha, KTM and Aprilia, each test is worth its weight in gold.

Cheste’s post-race test has been reduced to one training day following Dorna’s new sporting policy of more races, they will double in 2023 with the introduction of sprint races on Saturdays, and fewer tests, in addition to winning a GP for a total of 21.

DUCATI

Michele Pirro tested the first GP23 prototypes twice and they expect small improvements compared to a prototype that has been a winner for a season and a half. “We don’t want to make a revolution but a small evolution” is their motto for 2023. As always at Borgo Panigale they await the last test of the year, which will be held in Portimao on March 11 and 12, two weeks before the start of the World Cup, to present the most important novelties after other brands copied their latest revolutions -the front wings, the holeshot front and rear, and the ‘pokemon’ wings on the tail-. They keep their four teams and the drivers of 2022 -with a change to Bastianini in the official team-, except for Alex Márquez who joins Borgo Panigale in the ranks of Gresini and Jack Miller leaves the official box.

YAMAHA

This Sunday, its head Fabio Quartararo explained what he was asking of Iwata: “We have three problems and one is being fine-tuned, the engine – they have gone through four versions of the prototypes under the advice of the former Ferrari and Aprilia Luca Marmorini who tested Crutchlow, his tester-, and the other two, I have to work Monday and Tuesday to change the chip and test something important to have it for the test in Malaysia (February 10-12 ).The problem is recently. year they made half a step and Ducati two and there they were crushed despite Quartararo’s good work for the title. In Iwata now they only have to focus on the two official bikes after lose their satellite team.

SLING

This is the most needed brand to make a revolution because the previous one made for 2022 was a resounding failure. His tester Stefan Bradl redoubled his efforts because in addition to his role as a tester in the private tests, he also had to play that role in the Grand Prix, covering the casualties of Marc Márquez. When the champion arrived in Cheste, he said it very clearly: “during the Grand Prix we will try to understand some things on Tuesday and have a little work in advance”. He was put back in charge of the development when the arm was no longer a hindrance. It will be interesting to know the impressions of the two ex-Suzuki Joan Mir and Alex Rins on their first contact with Honda.

APRILIA

What happened in the last five Grand Prix of the year completely changed the mood inside Noale who went from wanting to be the crown in MotoGP to chaining tactical errors and technical breakdowns like those that pushed Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales to retire from racing in Cheste and good old Aleix left the final MotoGP podium where he was promoted from Argentina to Malaysia. They have a new chassis and a new swingarm to find better grip and improve the stability of the bike under braking. New things in the propeller to improve the initial response to the gas press and also in the electronics, in the traction control again to improve the grip that has become the ultimate workhorse. The great news is that Aprilia, which maintains its development, is launching the RNF satellite team and the expert Miguel Oliveira and the promising Raúl Fernández are on board.

KTM

Dani Pedrosa, his tester, is very optimistic after finishing the first 2023 prototype of the Mattighofen firm that this Tuesday they will put in the hands of their official drivers Brad Binder and the recovered Pol Espargaró with the new Jack Millers, again the Austrians from the Ducati ranks, and the rookie Augusto Fernández. Change the engine, they have balanced the chassis more to use the medium and soft front tires as well and not be a slave to being competitive only on hard rubber.

THE 2023 MOTOGP GRID

REPSOL HONDA TEAM
Marc Marquez (Spain)
Joan Mir (Spain)
DUCATI LENOVO TEAM
Pecco Bagnaia (Italy)
Enea Bastianini (Italy)
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA
Fabio Quartararo (France)
Franco Morbidelli (Italy)
RED BULL KTM FACTORY
Brad Binder (South Africa)
Jack Miller (Australian)
APRILIA RACING TEAM
Aleix Espargaro (Spain)
Maverick Vinales (Spain)
CSF HONDA
Alex Rins (Spain)
Takaaki Nakagami (Japan)
GASGAS FACTORY RACING TEAM
Pol Espargaro (Spain)
Augusto Fernandez (Spain)
PRIMA PRAMAC RACING DUCATI
Johann Zarco (France)
Jorge Martin (Spain)
MOONEY VR46 DUCATI
Luca Marini (Italy)
Marco Bezzecchi (Italy)
GRESINI RACING DUCATI
Fabio di Gianantonio (Italy)
Alex Marquez (Spain)
RNF APRILIA
Miguel Oliveira (Portugal)
Raul Fernandez (Spain)