MotoGP | Jerez test: Zarco the fastest among many crashes

The afternoon did not change the face of the classification of the MotoGP collective test day that was staged in Jerez de la Frontera. Just like at lunchtime, the Ducati with the Pramac Racing colors entrusted to Johann Zarco remained at the top of the list of times.

The Frenchman, who also crashed at turn 1, was unable to retouch the time of 1’37 “136 set in the morning, but his pursuers also failed to get close, also because the track was in good condition today. worse than those of the weekend, because the temperature was lower and there was also a rather annoying wind.

Behind him, behind him, 158 thousandths of a second, we find Brad Binder’s KTM, also in the list of the many riders who ended up on the ground, as well as his brother Darryn twice, Remy Gardner, Maverick Vinales and Takaaki Nakagami.

It was the Japanese rider who got the worst of it, slipping at turn 1 in the morning, also causing the red flag, necessary to restore the airfences. The Honda LCR rider was later transferred to Barcelona to undergo checks on his left knee, which came out in pain from the accident.

However, Nakagami’s was not the only red flag of the day, because in the afternoon there was a second interruption caused by Lorenzo Savadori. His Aprilia lost fluids and this forced the marshals to work on the track for around 40 minutes before the activity could resume regularly.

Returning to scroll the rankings, in third position we find Fabio Quartararo. The leader of the World Championship has worked hard, completing 78 laps and testing a new swingarm that seems to have given positive feedback in terms of grip at the rear. Many kilometers also for his partner Franco Morbidelli, who however continues to have more difficulties and finished only 17th.

Fourth time for Jack Miller’s factory Ducati. The Australian didn’t have many things to try, so he focused on the geometry of his Desmosedici GP. On the other hand, team mate Pecco Bagnaia, 12th at the end of the day, did very little work. He completed just 24 laps before the lunch break to avoid overloading his right shoulder, already strained a lot in yesterday’s victory.

Rounding out the top 5 is Pol Espargaro’s Honda, who scored 85 laps. However, all eyes were on the other side of the HRC box, in which Marc Marquez had three bikes at his disposal, complete with 2021 aerodynamics to be re-evaluated, to go in search of that feeling with the front that seems to have lost with the RC213V 2022. However, the eight-time world champion only finished 15th, eight tenths behind, with 60 laps to his credit.

Sixth and eighth times for the two Suzuki riders driven by Joan Mir and Alex Rins, who worked mainly on the setting today, with the second solving the technical problem that had hit his GSX-RR during yesterday’s race. The news that shook the paddock, however, came after the checkered flag, because according to an indiscretion collected by Motorsport.com, the Hamamatsu manufacturer would be ready to say goodbye to MotoGP at the end of the 2022 season.

Aleix Espargaro’s Aprilia slipped between the two Suzukis and it must be said that the meat in the fire was really a lot for the Noale manufacturer. In the morning, the two owners had the most advanced lowering device that Savadori used during the weekend at their disposal, as well as testing new electronics and related to clutch management. In the afternoon, the evaluation of a new frame and a new swingarm was also scheduled.

The top 10 then ends with the two Ducatis of Jorge Martin and Enea Bastianini. It was an interesting day for the Gresini Racing driver too, because the Borgo Panigale manufacturer made 2022 aerodynamics available to him, adapting it to his GP21. A solution that according to “Beast” has pros or cons, but which would seem directed to use if it is made available.

The times at the end of the day