Day 2 of the MotoGP™ Shakedown Test at the Sepang International Circuit has ended and fastest on Tuesday was Aprilia Racing’s Maverick Viñales, who set a 1:59.883 on his first day on track in 2022.
Aprilia are the only factory that has concessions, which means both Viñales and Aleix Espargaro can join the test riders and rookies on track during the Shakedown. Viñales was riding alongside Aprilia Test Rider Lorenzo Savadori.
Ducati Lenovo Team Test Rider Michele Pirro was back on track for the Bologna brand, and the Italian was playing with some aero. Pirro went back to using the 2021 spec wings and side fairing, which likely suggests that he and Ducati are reconfirming whether or not the 2022 aero package is a step forward.
Shakedown, day 2!!#RF25 ????????#SepangShakedown #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/xrAEJoFHn0
— Raúl Fernández (@25RaulFernandez) February 1, 2022
HRC Test Rider Stefan Bradl, after missing Day 1 of the Shakedown, was giving the new RC123V a runout. The German was working on the second 2022 chassis that Honda have in their arsenal, previously seen in Jerez at the end of last year. In addition, the exhausts and the tail unit have been updated from the Jerez Test.
Been a while since we heard this! ????♂️@stefanbradl full steam down the main straight ✊???? pic.twitter.com/JRyWKmM3dt
— Repsol Honda Team (@HRC_MotoGP) February 1, 2022
The quickest rookie on Day 2 was Mooney VR46 Racing Team’s Marco Bezzecchi. The Italian’s best time was a 2:00.734, marginally faster than Raul Fernandez’s (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) 2:00.819. Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team) continued his adaption to MotoGP™, the South African was just over a tenth off Remy Gardner’s (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) 2:01.177 as the latter nurses his wrist injury. Elsewhere on rookie watch, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) had to sit out Day 2 due to stomach problems. Hopefully the Italian will be well enough to ride on the third and final day of the Shakedown.
Yamaha debuted some new aero during the Shakedown. It’s largely the same but now the aero runs all the way across the front of the air intake, similar to the set up on the Aprilia RS-GP. New wings were a talking point with Team Suzuki Ecstar too, with Test Rider Sylvain Guintoli back on track for the Hamamatsu factory.
Head across to the MotoGP™ Tech Facebook group to take a closer look at what the factories have been working on during the opening two Shakedown Test days.