CONFIRMATION AND CONSISTENCY THE KEY ON QATAR TEST DAY 2
Malcolm Offline
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#1
CONFIRMATION AND CONSISTENCY THE KEY ON QATAR TEST DAY 2
[Image: SuzukiEcstarLogo.jpg]

Alex Rins: 2nd place - 1:54.200 (+0.162)
Joan Mir: 4th place - 1:54.464 (+0.426)


The second day of the 2020 Qatar Test went smoothly for Team SUZUKI ECSTAR’s riders, with both Alex Rins and Joan Mir setting strong times once again.

The main plan for Rins involved continuing the work done yesterday with fairings, as well as finalising settings. The Spaniard got into a good rhythm and he completed 53 laps in total, with a best time of 1:54.200.

Meanwhile, Mir continued on with his Day 1 plans, including front forks and fairing configurations. He also put in a long run of 12 laps in order to test the tyres and get a feel for race conditions ahead of the first round of the season. He felt satisfied with his pace and managed to build on his consistency.

Both riders worked towards finalising the race set-up which will be used during the opening round in two weeks’ time.

The third and final day of testing in Qatar will take place tomorrow, Monday 24th February.

[Image: AlexRinsLosailDay2.jpg]
Alex Rins

Davide Brivio – Team Manager:

“We worked well, we continued with our plan and managed to do what we wanted to do today. Both Alex and Joan worked to confirm the package that we’ll use for the first race and now things are clearer. It was a good day in terms of lap times and pace, so we’re feeling happy and positive about how everything has gone. One more day of testing tomorrow and then it’s time to go racing!”

Alex Rins:

“Today I’ve finished the session feeling happy. We’re becoming more and more sure about the chassis for this season. My rhythm was nice today and everything went very well; tomorrow we will try to do a race simulation. I had a small crash this morning, but it didn’t impact on the overall plan and we’ve still managed to do a lot of work today.”

Joan Mir:

“I’m so happy about today, we improved our consistency and pace, and this is something very important and also interesting to see. I’m a bit disappointed because I was aiming to do a time attack during the last hour of the session, but unfortunately I crashed at Turn 6. Anyway, I’m not hurt, and I’m pleased with the work we managed to do today. I’m ready to continue tomorrow and make even more progress.”

Qatar Test – Combined Classification after Day 2:

1 Fabio QUARTARARO Petronas Yamaha SRT 1:54.038 Day 2 Session
2 Alex RINS Team SUZUKI ECSTAR 1:54.200 0.162 0.162 Day 2 Session
3 Maverick VIÑALES Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 1:54.264 0.226 0.064 Day 2 Session
4 Joan MIR Team SUZUKI ECSTAR 1:54.464 0.426 0.200 Day 1 Session
5 Franco MORBIDELLI Petronas Yamaha SRT 1:54.481 0.443 0.017 Day 2 Session
6 Francesco BAGNAIA Pramac Racing 1:54.520 0.482 0.039 Day 2 Session
7 Johann ZARCO Reale Avintia Racing 1:54.565 0.527 0.045 Day 2 Session
8 Danilo PETRUCCI Ducati Team 1:54.634 0.596 0.069 Day 1 Session
9 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team 1:54.662 0.624 0.028 Day 2 Session
10 Valentino ROSSI Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 1:54.740 0.702 0.078 Day 2 Session
11 Takaaki NAKAGAMI LCR Honda IDEMITSU 1:54.759 0.721 0.019 Day 2 Session
12 Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1:54.762 0.724 0.003 Day 2 Session
13 Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 1:54.823 0.785 0.061 Day 1 Session
14 Pol ESPARGARO Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1:54.890 0.852 0.067 Day 2 Session
15 Jack MILLER Pramac Racing 1:55.194 1.156 0.304 Day 2 Session
16 Tito RABAT Reale Avintia Racing 1:55.352 1.314 0.158 Day 2 Session
17 Miguel OLIVEIRA Red Bull KTM Tech 3 1:55.600 1.562 0.248 Day 2 Session
18 Iker LECUONA Red Bull KTM Tech 3 1:55.644 1.606 0.044 Day 2 Session
19 Brad BINDER Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1:55.644 1.606 Day 1 Session
20 Alex MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 1:55.725 1.687 0.081 Day 2 Session
21 Cal CRUTCHLOW LCR Honda CASTROL 1:55.757 1.719 0.032 Day 1 Session
22 Bradley SMITH Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1:56.407 2.369 0.650 Day 2 Session


24-02-2020, 10:18 AM
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Splashdown Offline
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#2
RE: CONFIRMATION AND CONSISTENCY THE KEY ON QATAR TEST DAY 2
I will just HAVE to get this off my chest! All this pre season testing drives me mad. Especially when it's on a course that will be used for a Moto GP in a couple of weeks. 
The F.I.M. should have limited testing a long time ago. Just look at the carbon footprint......that's just one aspect, but if you think about it.......it's quite scary.
What with all the results being published, and all the usual well worked comments from the riders and the manager. 
D'you know, I couldn't give a flying frog what they are doing.
I'm just curious to know if anyone else thinks this way......................and I am mindful that Malcolm very kindly posts this information on here, and that some of you will find it very interesting.
I am clearly old fashioned, but I think this "testing " business is way out of hand. The only results that count are in the actual races.
Save some fuel, stay at home, make sure the bikes are fettled, and finish off the set up on the Friday and Saturday of the race weekend.
24-02-2020, 01:33 PM
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bsa499 Offline
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RE: CONFIRMATION AND CONSISTENCY THE KEY ON QATAR TEST DAY 2
(24-02-2020, 01:33 PM)Splashdown Wrote: I will just HAVE to get this off my chest! All this pre season testing drives me mad. Especially when it's on a course that will be used for a Moto GP in a couple of weeks. 
The F.I.M. should have limited testing a long time ago. Just look at the carbon footprint......that's just one aspect, but if you think about it.......it's quite scary.
What with all the results being published, and all the usual well worked comments from the riders and the manager. 
D'you know, I couldn't give a flying frog what they are doing.
I'm just curious to know if anyone else thinks this way......................and I am mindful that Malcolm very kindly posts this information on here, and that some of you will find it very interesting.
I am clearly old fashioned, but I think this "testing " business is way out of hand. The only results that count are in the actual races.
Save some fuel, stay at home, make sure the bikes are fettled, and finish off the set up on the Friday and Saturday of the race weekend.

Well said Nick! With all due respect to Malcolm's Herculean efforts, I totally agree!!
24-02-2020, 04:45 PM
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Alfie Noakes Offline
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#4
RE: CONFIRMATION AND CONSISTENCY THE KEY ON QATAR TEST DAY 2
I'm old fashioned and more older than younger myself but with all the variable/adjustable aero, frame, electronic, tyre, engine and suspension parameters these days as a rider I wouldn't(not that I'm factory standard) want to be rocking up at the first meeting with new machines along with the potential of unknown issues that couldn't be resolved at the track, having said that all the electronic kit/gubbins on motorcycles doesn't really grab my attention. Would you have turned down essentially more practice time back in the day Nick at the MGP/TT with new bikes/kit ? ..
24-02-2020, 06:17 PM
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Splashdown Offline
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RE: CONFIRMATION AND CONSISTENCY THE KEY ON QATAR TEST DAY 2
No I wouldn't want to turn up at a Grand Prix without having done ANY testing. I just think there is too much of it.
Add to the testing all the blurb and the P.R. Drives me mad.
Agreed, there has to be some testing, but is there too much?
My apologies again to Malcolm, nearly everything that you post is of interest, and is greatly valued by all of us.

Re the theoretical extra practising in the IOM, there would always have been a consideration as to how much mileage the bikes could stand. Thus whilst there were years when the weather and/or breakdowns restricted the number of laps completed, there were also years when you had done all the laps that you could, bearing in mind how many miles the engine had left in it.
24-02-2020, 07:25 PM
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AntG Offline
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RE: CONFIRMATION AND CONSISTENCY THE KEY ON QATAR TEST DAY 2
Don't the MotoGP guys actually test less now compared to the past? I seem to remember them having 3 tests before the season, a couple after the season as well as 3 or 4 tests during the season, usually following a round like Catalunya, Brno or Mugello.

I too generally don't put too much stock into testing because like already stated it's the race results that matter, I remember Colin Edwards being the undisputed MotoGP world champion at testing but when it came to the real thing he never won a race BUT I am interested to see if a new bike looks like it could be competitive or to see the sort of lap times a rookie is posting.

Also they used to have private tests too, which I think are not allowed now.
(This post was last modified: 24-02-2020, 07:41 PM by AntG.)
24-02-2020, 07:34 PM
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