Marquez stayed on top for the majority of the day Photo: Repsol Honda

Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez finished the one day MotoGP test at the top of the timing sheets Jerez.

Similar weather conditions to race day brought warm track temperatures and less grip for the 19 riders out on track, but this didn’t slow them down. Fresh from his third podium out of three races in the 2013 season, Marquez was working on electronics and led from the second hour to the end of the day, setting a time of 1.38.824, just 0.147 seconds shy of his qualifying time on Saturday.

Britain’s Cal Crutchlow finished the day in second position, only 0.092 seconds behind the young Spaniard. Despite having no new parts to test, Crutchlow set a faster time than he had done all weekend and focused on modifying set-up. The Yamaha Tech 3 rider is still recovering from a crash in qualifying on Saturday so he didn’t push his Yamaha M1 to the limit. Fellow Yamaha riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi sandwiched race winner Dani Pedrosa in the timing sheets, with the Yamaha Factory teammates using the day to compare two 2013 chassis’. Just 0.573 covered the top five, with Rossi being the only one not to break the 1.38 lap times.

Alvaro Bautista focused on the front and rear suspension on his Go and Fun Gresini machine and finished the day in sixth position, three places ahead of LCR Honda factory rider Stefan Bradl in ninth. Ducati Factory teammates Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden filled the seventh and eighth positions, both finishing within 0.62 of each other. They tested two different Italian 2013 machines, one of which the ‘lab’ bike Pirro raced on Sunday. Yamaha Tech 3  rookie Bradley Smith rounded out the top ten, just 1.185 seconds off fellow rookie Marquez’s time.

Not all CRT riders went out on track for the one day test, however those who did tested  an upgrade to the Magneti Marelli MotoGP ECU specification, which should help with bike set-ups, wheelie control and an ‘anti-jerk’ strategy which should help riders mid-corner. Hector Barbera was the fastest of the CRT riders in 11th with a time of 1.40.197. 

Pramac Racing and Power Electronics Aspar didn’t attend the test today. Rider injuries in the Junior Ducati team prevented them from taking part; Ben Spies is still recovering from a should injury and Andrea Iannone is to undergo surgery to help cure arm-pump problems on Tuesday (7th May). 

Results below: 

1              Marc Marquez     1’38.824 Repsol Honda Team