Martin at Aprilia. Marquez alongside Bagnaia. Acosta at KTM. And that’s just the start of it…
Welcome back to the most exciting sport on earth. Did you miss us? As the dust settles from the season finale, the MotoGP™ field headed back out on track on Tuesday for the Barcelona Test. Fastest: Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP). Second: Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). Third? Francesco Bagnaia pipped new Ducati Lenovo teammate Marc Marquez by just 0.056. The margins already promise much as we start a new era – and that’s without touching on the new reigning Champion’s move to another factory as Jorge Martin made his Aprilia debut. Here’s a rundown of the action.
WILL HE, WON’T HE? APRILIA & TRACKHOUSE
After test rider Lorenzo Savadori teed them up and did a few shakedown laps, the stage was set for one of the most anticipated moments of the day: Martin’s first opportunity to try the new 2025 Aprilia RS-GP. He kept the #89 on the timing screens and the side of the bike on Tuesday, but the space on the front? Just stars. We’ll have to stay tuned to see what rolls out in pre-season, the #1 or the #89…
Martin tested both the 2024 and a 2025 bike, suffering an early crash at the tricky Turn 5 but also getting his shoulder down early doors. New teammate Marco Bezzecchi had a similar range of items to try, ending the day in P13. A solid start, even aside from the touch of animal print – fluff included – on his leathers.
Over at Trackhouse MotoGP™ Team, Raul Fernandez had plenty of items to compare and evaluate throughout the day. Fernandez tried a range of aero and had an impressive final run in the final 30 minutes, ultimately placing fifth as top Aprilia and entering winter with a confidence boost. Meanwhile, rookie Ai Ogura completed his first step into the premier class. Despite a first crash at Turn 2 during the morning, he spun a sizeable 86 laps throughout the day and finished up just behind fellow rookie Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Racing MotoGP).
SO IT BEGINS: DUCATI LENOVO, GRESINI & PERTAMINA ENDURO VR46
‘Todo al rojo’ was the phrase used by Marc Marquez as the eight-time World Champion made his much-anticipated factory Ducati debut. It means ‘everything on red’. And he more than fulfilled the bet. Sporting a special red test design from head-to-toe, the #93 got his leg over both the all-conquering GP24 and the new GP25, ending the day fourth fastest thanks to a final hour 1:39.454 effort. Marquez also explained after the test that he and Pecco gave similar feedback about the new bike, so that’s a partnership that has started well for the Bologna bullets.
On the other side of the box, Bagnaia went bianco. The 2022 and 2023 World Champion had a beautiful, Casey Stoner Phillip Island 2009-esque white machine to have a play on. The #63 was also back on the front of Bagnaia’s bikes as he gears up to try and take back the right to run the #1. Bagnaia also had a GP24 and GP25, and his P3 kept the upper hand on Day 1. Now we look forward to seeing the full potential of the GP25 in the hands of the two multiple World Champions when we return to full testing duties in February…
It’s safe to say Gresini’s Alex Marquez enjoyed his first slice of Ducati GP24 action in Barcelona. The double World Champion sat comfortably at the summit for most of the day and stayed there come the close of play with a 1:38.803, a lap that was quicker than both his Practice and Q2 best efforts in the curtain closer. We can’t draw too many conclusions from that, but the #73 and the GP24 gelled well heading into the winter break – especially in straight-line braking. That was a weaker point previously, so gaining confidence in that area going into the new season is a good boost for the Spaniard.
It was an impressive debut for his new teammate too, as Aldeguer got acquainted with Gresini and the reality of a MotoGP™ thoroughbred. He was the quickest rookie, the#54 in P20 but just 1.7s off of P1. A more than solid job.
Franco Morbidelli ended his first day as a Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team rider in P7, with the Italian sticking with the GP24 he’d raced throughout 2024. Getting familiarized with his new surroundings was the main order of the day, with Morbidelli getting 52 more laps under his belt ahead of the winter.With Fabio Di Giannantonio sidelined following shoulder surgery, Ducati Test rider Michele Pirro spun some laps on the other side of the box to Morbidelli. We expect we’ll be seeing more of Pirro when we head to Sepang in January for the Shakedown.
A NEW TRIO IN ORANGE: RED BULL KTM & TECH3
Pedro Acosta was another big headline maker, not changing machinery but moving up to the full Red Bull KTM Factory Racing lifestyle – and back with the number 37. He was also out in white to outdate our headline immediately. The now-sophomore did 72 laps and ended the day P9, just over half a tenth off new teammate Brad Binder. Binder was lead orange machine in P6.
KTM had a new set of exhausts on show and each rider had one bike with them fitted. Acosta also tested a thin front fairing, and an updated seat unit was spotted.
What was also spotted was Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini getting to grips with the RC16, and in the newly-named Red Bull KTM Tech3 outfit. Viñales did 74 laps for P12, right on the tail of the new reigning Champion, and Bastianini was a couple of tenths further back in P16 after 55 laps. He also had a big crash, for the bike at least, but rider ok.
STATEMENT LAPTIME: MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA & PRIMA PRAMAC
Quartararo went second to sign off in style. He and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP teammate Alex Rins, who ended the day in P8, had three bikes each, one of which had a new chassis. Quartararo put in 75 laps and Rins 61 as their work to get back on top continued.
As well as the statement laptime, there was plenty to pull focus at Prima Pramac Yamaha, with new arrivals Miguel Oliveira and Jack Miller debuting on new machinery and the team itself making the much-anticipated switch. They both had the 2024 bike, and Oliveira was P17 after 60 laps, with Miller P22 after 71.
FRESH FACES: REPSOL HONDA & CASTROL/IDEMITSU HONDA LCR
A lot of attention surrounded HRC and the Repsol Honda Team as Luca Marini and Joan Mir were faced with a busy day of testing and comparing components. Mir racked up 67 laps and used a new all-back helmet throughout the day, placing P15, while Marini was P18 with a solid starting point for 2025. Both riders had the opportunity to test and try a new chassis as well as a chance to test and compare previous parts, providing the Japanese factory with information to keep pouring over in winter.
Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) claimed the bragging rights after finishing as the top Honda, however. The #5 chipped away during the day, ultimately ending proceedings in P10 after another impressive outing. On the other side of the box, Thai rookie Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) had his first opportunity on a MotoGP machine, getting acquainted despite an earlier crash at Turn 10 – rider OK. It was a valuable learning curve for the Moto2™ star, who worked hard to put 61 laps under his belt.
Meanwhile, it was a packed box as Aleix Espargaro completed his first test with the Honda HRC Test Team, and Takaaki Nakagami also shared his insights in the pit box as he prepares for his new role as a Development Rider in 2025.
There’s no turning back now, and Tuesday was just the primer. See you at Sepang? The countdown is on to the Shakedown!
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