After a long year of pressure, control and some stunning wins, Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez now begins the search to defend his title. With the first testing for 2017 just having taken place at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana following the Valencia GP, Marquez is confident for the year ahead: registering the fourth fastest lap on day one and the second fastest on day two, completing a total of 78 laps on day two with a best of 1:30.171.
The 2013, 2014 and 2016 MotoGP™ World Champion tested the 2017 bike, as well as different evolutions and combinations of a new engine and 2016 race-run equipment, concentrating on the new on day two – with the bike used by the eventual podium finisher in Sunday’s GP tucked away at the back of the garage.
Marc Marquez (P2, day two): "It was a good day. We started the pre-season better than last year, and we hope to continue to constantly progress from now on. At this track we found a good base setup and a good rhythm, and we’ll see how it goes from now. We hope to continue like this. We didn’t do a ‘time attack,’ and we also didn’t test the new Michelin front, as we eventually used all the track time available to make long exits and also a couple of 10-lap mini-long runs."