2019 Sepang MotoGP Test Results, Day 1: Marquez Fastest

By
Ron Lieback
-
2019 Sepang MotoGP Test, Day 1
Honda's Marc Marquez

2019 Sepang MotoGP Test Results, Day 1

Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez may still be recovering from winter surgery to his left shoulder, but that didn’t slow him down on the first day of official 2019 MotoGP testing at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

2019 Sepang MotoGP Test, Day 1
Honda’s Marc Marquez

The five-time MotoGP Champion posted a 1:59.621 at the 3.4-mile circuit. To put this time into perspective, the lap record at Sepang is a 1:59.063, which was posted by Marquez’s former teammate Dani Pedrosa.

As for Marquez’s current teammate, Jorge Lorenzo is sidelined as he recovers from wrist surgery.

Marqeuz, who won 2018 Sepang MotoGP, also only rode 29 laps – about half of what the others did. He left early to undergo further physiotherapy on his left shoulder and rest before day two of three in Sepang Testing.

2019 Sepang MotoGP Test, Day 1 Suzuki Alex Rins
Suzuki’s Alex Rins

When Wednesday’s test session was over Marquez finished 0.259 of a second ahead of Team Suzuki Excstar’s Alex Rins, and 0.316 ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Vinales.

“I’m very happy to ride again after a long winter, but I was expecting to be better than I was,” says Marc Marquez. “I still don’t have full power, for one or two laps it’s ok but I had to change my riding style to compensate.

“We stopped early to save myself for the rest of the test, there are still two days and we will see what the feeling is. Honda have been working really hard this winter and we tried a few things, but the list is really big. We’re trying the most important things first. The bike is already at a good point, but there’s always more to try before Qatar.”

Reale Avintia Racing’s Tito Rabat was the top Ducati finisher. He was 0.362 of a second off the pace, and finished ahead of Mission Winnow Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi.

2019 Sepang MotoGP Test, Day 1 Andrea Dovizioso
Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso

Rounding out the top 10 were LCR Honda Idemitsu’s Takaaki Nakagami; Mission Winnow Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso; Honda Test Team’s Stefan Bradl; Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pol Espargaro.

The riders will return to Sepang Thursday for the second day of MotoGP testing.

2019 Sepang MotoGP Test Results, Day 1

Pos Rider Team Fastest lap Lead. Gap Prev. Gap Laps Last lap
1 MARQUEZ, Marc Repsol Honda Team 1:59.621 26 / 29
2 RINS, Alex Team SUZUKI ECSTAR 1:59.880 0.259 0.259 25 / 61
3 VIÑALES, Maverick Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 1:59.937 0.316 0.057 28 / 63
4 RABAT, Tito Reale Avintia Racing 1:59.983 0.362 0.046 58 / 59
5 PETRUCCI, Danilo Mission Winnow Ducati 2:00.051 0.430 0.068 8 / 54
6 ROSSI, Valentino Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 2:00.054 0.433 0.003 22 / 56
7 NAKAGAMI, Takaaki LCR Honda IDEMITSU 2:00.158 0.537 0.104 54 / 55
8 DOVIZIOSO, Andrea Mission Winnow Ducati 2:00.197 0.576 0.039 17 / 49
9 BRADL, Stefan Honda Test Team 2:00.214 0.593 0.017 41 / 61
10 ESPARGARO, Pol Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 2:00.313 0.692 0.099 3 / 44
11 MILLER, Jack Alma Pramac Racing 2:00.383 0.762 0.070 26 / 51
12 MORBIDELLI, Franco Petronas Yamaha SRT 2:00.460 0.839 0.077 58 / 60
13 ESPARGARO, Aleix Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 2:00.602 0.981 0.142 51 / 55
14 CRUTCHLOW, Cal LCR Honda CASTROL 2:00.681 1.060 0.079 24 / 51
15 BAGNAIA, Francesco Alma Pramac Racing 2:00.694 1.073 0.013 25 / 49
16 OLIVEIRA, Miguel KTM Tech 3 Racing 2:00.902 1.281 0.208 58 / 59
17 TEST 1, Yamaha Yamaha Test Team 2:00.965 1.344 0.063 54 / 55
18 QUARTARARO, Fabio Petronas Yamaha SRT 2:00.985 1.364 0.020 45 / 65
19 KALLIO, Mika Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Test Team 2:01.054 1.433 0.069 4 / 20
20 ZARCO, Johann Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 2:01.121 1.500 0.067 53 / 61
21 IANNONE, Andrea Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 2:01.249 1.628 0.128 35 / 36
22 GUINTOLI, Sylvain Suzuki Test Team 2:01.286 1.665 0.037 14 / 58
23 MIR, Joan Team SUZUKI ECSTAR 2:01.432 1.811 0.146 24 / 55
24 ABRAHAM, Karel Reale Avintia Racing 2:01.627 2.006 0.195 25 / 45
25 TEST 2, Yamaha Yamaha Test Team 2:01.736 2.115 0.109 11 / 45
26 SYAHRIN, Hafizh KTM Tech 3 Racing 2:01.853 2.232 0.117 48 / 49
NC SMITH, Bradley Aprilia Racing Factory Team
NC TSUDA, Takuya Suzuki Test Team

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