-
Monster Yamaha rider Maverick Vinalez was the fastest rider on Day 2 of the MotoGP 2019 Sepang Winter Test.
-
His blistering time of 1m 58.897s was just 0.067s behind the fastest Winter Test record.
-
Marc Marquez was relegated to 8thafter being fastest on Day 1.
The MotoGP 2019 Pre-Season test kicked off at the Sepang International Circuit yesterday. The action continues today with Maverick Vinalez of Monster Energy Yamaha factory teaming claiming the fastest time.
Repsol Honda rider and defending world champion Marc Marquez secured the fastest time on the first day, allaying fears of his recovering shoulder. He put in only 29 before stopping to allow his shoulder to rest, leaving his time of 1m 59.621s on the board for the night.
But how things can change in less than 24 hours in MotoGP.
Valentino Rossi (Monster Yamaha) started out the day fastest before being toppled by Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnows Ducati) and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda).
Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) then took over from Dovizioso. Rins had placed his Suzuki as second fastest yesterday. Pramac Ducati rider Jack Miller improved on his times and also went ahead of Dovizioso.
However, a late charge by Vinalez put him right on top for the day. He was the only rider to lap under the 1m59s mark, with 1m 58.897s. That’s still just 0.067 second to Repsol Honda rider Jorge Lorenzo’s unofficial Sepang record of 1m 58.830s he set during the 2018 Winter Test on a Ducati.
Judging by today’s times, a few riders may well dip under 1m 58s tomorrow if the weather holds. That’s because the top 19 riders were covered by just 1 second!
As for Marquez, he could go no faster than 1m 59.790 with the new engine. The time relegated him to 8th. His new teammate Jorge Lorenzo is also missing from the test as he nurses his broken scaphoid.
Apart from Johann Zarco who finished 11thbest, the other KTM riders languished in the lower positions as they try to tame and sort out the RC16 wild beast.
