MOTOGP
JEREZ POST SEASON TEST
NOVEMBER 27-28, 2018
JEREZ / JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA, SPAIN
P38
est time. "I get quicker every time
I go out," he enthused.
But Ducati's towering power
was as it's been all year. "We
didn't try anything on the engine,"
said Dovizioso. "It's not the is-
sue."
Rookie Pecco Bagnaia
(Pramac Ducati) was impres-
sive again, placing ninth overall.
Fellow rookie Fabio Quartararo
(Petronas Yamaha) 12th and Joan
Mir (ECSTAR Suzuki) 15th, all
within a second of the top.
Yamaha had mixed results. The
troubled team was concentrating
on selecting one of two engine
options, and this was reportedly
successful, but the results for the
riders were very different.
Maverick Vinales was a close
fourth overall and third on day
second overall on combined
times, and fast throughout.
Teammate Andrea Dovizioso was
seventh overall, also on a day-
one time, a day he finished with a
heavy crash.
Both riders, as well as tempo-
rary factory tester Alvaro Bautista
(Michele Pirro was absent for sur-
gery) were testing a very visible
floating rear brake caliper, an-
chored to a trailing arm beneath
the swing-arm, as well as an
aerodynamic seat, with vestigial
down-force wings each side.
Chassis modifications aimed at
improving turning were welcomed
also by Pramac Ducati rider Jack
Miller, who was highly impressed
with the GP19 after racing a GP17
all year. Miller was eighth overall,
less than three tenths off the fast-
Marquez stuck with what is likely
to be the final version at Jerez.
All eyes were on his new
Repsol Honda teammate Jorge
Lorenzo, who was only 0.135 of
a second slower than Marquez.
Lorenzo seemed to be adapting
rapidly from Ducati to Honda,
despite being less than fully fit,
with late-season arm injuries. He
was very active on the bike, look-
ing more aggressive and forceful
than on the Ducati or the Yamaha
before it.
Lorenzo's RC213V had body-
work modifications including a
wider seat and enlarged dummy
tank cover, as used on the
Ducati.
Most of the best times came
on day two, but new factory
Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci was
Sophomore Morbidelli
(21) has taken to the
Yamaha swimmingly. He
leads the on-form Alex
Rins and Johann Zarco,
who is still having trouble
adapting to the KTM.
