Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/944493
IN THE WIND P28 THE WINTER TEST GRIND D ani Pedrosa highlighted the end of an excellent three days of testing for himself and Honda when he set the third and the fastest sub-1:30 laps of the 2.82-mile Buriram circuit in Thai- land, ousting long-time leader of the day Johann Zarco on his two-year-old Yamaha on the last of the three days. Pedrosa's Repsol Honda teammate Marc Marquez, leader on day two, was the third man under the one- and-a-half minute mark, setting the time on the second day. On day three he was fourth fastest, with independent Honda rider Cal Crutchlow marginally quicker, but on combined times, these positions were reversed. The tests, the first time MotoGP bikes had been seen in Thailand, drew huge crowds and packed the grand- stands on both Saturday and Sunday. The times provided a ringing endorsement for Honda's latest engine, after three years of dif- ficulty, as the factory adapted to control software and was ambushed by engine-design freezes, giving Marquez an uphill struggle to retain his stranglehold on the title. After reversing crankshaft direction and firing intervals, the latest engine won approval from the riders from the first Sepang tests. Zarco had packed up and left when Pedrosa knocked him off the time right at the end of the day but had little to be con- cerned about after being fast throughout. The Frenchman, already a thorn in the side of the official factory Yamaha squad in his debut premier-class season last year, decided on the first day of the tests to revert to the 2016 chassis he used last year. Nor- mally a Tech3 rider would get last year's factory bike, but the 2017 M1 was clearly a flawed develop- ment. Most riders improved their times at the February 18 test, as they gained familiarity with the track, some 250 miles north-east of Bangkok, new on the calendar for October this year. The sessions yielded some surprises, both positive and negative. As expected, two long straights played into the hands of the powerful Ducatis. But it was independent Pramac team riders Danilo Petrucci and marque rook- ie Jack Miller setting the pace, the latter faster on a GP17, ending up sixth overall. Petrucci, riding a GP18, was a close ninth overall. Dani Pedrosa has been in great form in both the Malaysian and Thai tests, and ended day three at Buriram fastest. Marc Marquez is loving his new engine after three years of constant fighting on the Honda RC213V.