The 2023 MotoGP preseason ended this Sunday with Ducati dominating all the work sessions, on November 8 with Marini in Cheste, from February 10 to 12 in Sepang with Bezzecchi, Martín and again Marini and the two days in Portimao with world champion Pecco Bagnaia polishing. his number 1 with remarkable ease. In the review of the five brands they got all the praise because they were ready to destroy some aces with permission from Aprilia. But watch out for Fabio Quartararo and Marc Márquez because they haven’t said the last word yet.
1
ducati
It’s not just Pecco Bagnaia
Pecco Bagnaia will arrive in Portimao in two weeks with the favorite band to win the first two Grand Prix races, but Ducati’s hegemony in this preseason is the same as the GP22 champion with Pecco and now in the hands of Mooney VR 46 and by Gresini like the new GP23 worn by official Ducati and Pramac. Bagnaia is the favourite, but look out for Martín, Bezzecchi and Marini without forgetting Bastianini, already Ducati veterans. And watch out for Alex Márquez who has flipped the Ducati chicken coop and is looking to do a Bastianini with Gresini
2
Aprilia
Four clear tricks to combat
Noale is lucky because in just two seasons he has gone from being the Cinderella of the championship to a direct rival of Ducati who always has his feet on the ground. Aleix Espargaró continues to be his ‘Captain’, but now he has a problem with his right arm that he must solve. This 2023 should be the confirmation of Maverick Viñales, who seeks to win with a third motorcycle. And in the new client group there are two real ‘torpedoes’ Miguel Oliveira and the young Raúl Fernández.
3
yamaha
Quartararo woke up on the last day
Yamaha promised them that they were very happy with the extra 5 km/h of top speed they achieved with the new engine, but it lost its effectiveness in dry cornering when wearing the new soft and handling and it became just another motorcycle . physical. The 2021 champion Quartararo has been struggling throughout the preseason, but on the last day of testing he came back to life, or finally showed his cards. It’s not too bad either in rhythm or in dry turns.
3
sling bag
Marc Márquez, the secret weapon
Honda has three tricks to fight for, don’t know which positions yet, and it gives the impression that they prefer to use a low profile, Rins and Mir because they are new to HRC and have to adapt to a new configuration, and Marc Márquez because he is more comfortable without being forced to face anyone in a preseason. They came from very low, from being the fifth record in the championship, but there are other features that are probably better revealed in their crossing of the Atlantic after Portimao. And they all give the same indications because they agree their technical comments are a plus.
5
KTM
They did not step forward
Brad Binder entered the top-10 of the Portimao test, but the one caught in the rhythm analysis sheet is not his position, moreover, even the South African is the perfect example of being a ‘racing animal’ ‘. In principle, this new engine, with a different firing sequence, should help them in dry cornering, in overtaking more easily and in managing the front wheel, but they did not improve it in aerodynamics. Lots of work ahead.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
