2024 MotoGP Sepang Test: Ducati's Pecco Bagnaia Dominant on Third Day, Sets New Lap Record

On the last day of the Sepang pre-season test, four riders, headed by the reigning MotoGP world champion Francesco Bagnaia, set lap times in the 1m56s zone, thereby dominating the day. Although his record was broken on Wednesday, Bagnaia still managed to set the stage for the first 1-minute and 56-second laps of the venue during Thursday's opening hour thanks to the ideal grip. Despite many attempts by competitors to launch single-lap attacks, Bagnaia's remarkable record of 1m56.682s remained unbroken all day long.

On the Pramac Ducati, Jorge Martin—who had set the fastest time on the first day—came very close to surpassing Bagnaia, clocking 1 minute, 56.854 seconds. Third place went to Enea Bastianini, the factory Ducati rider and the quickest qualifier the day before, who set a lap time of 1 minute 56.915. The fact that no MotoGP rider has ever managed a lap time of less than 1 minute and 57 seconds at Sepang before this day emphasises the importance of the accomplishment. With a time of 1 minute, 56.938 seconds, Alex Marquez of Gresini Ducati became the fourth rider on the day to break the 1 minute, 57-second barrier at Sepang, continuing the remarkable performance.

2024 MotoGP Sepang Test: Day Three Result

On the third day, Aleix Espargaro of Aprilia ended that streak by finishing fifth. While Maverick Vinales and Miguel Oliveira, two other Aprilia riders, are still getting to know the 2024 Aprilia RS-GP, Espargaro showed off an impressive combination of stability and greater downforce.

Marc Marquez, Gresini's high-profile recruit, jumped into the top ten, despite a disappointing showing in terms of single-lap pace on Tuesday and Wednesday. His encouraging racing speed suggests a promising beginning to the season. Meanwhile, Di Giannantonio, the newest member of VR46, had a tough time of it and ended up in seventh place while riding a bike setup he wasn't a fan of. 

After a late-day crash, teammate Marco Bezzecchi finished 17th, putting him the only full-time Ducati rider to finish outside the top seven. On his Gas Gas-badged Tech3-run KTM, rookie Pedro Acosta maintained his impressive adaptability and finished seventh. With a timing of 1 minute and 57.365 seconds, he was the best KTM rider of the day, just a hundredth slower than Brad Binder's best RC16 performance from Wednesday.

Joan Mir, the top Honda rider, finished in ninth place. Coming in eleventh place overall, Fabio Quartararo stood out as Yamaha's fastest rider. He was four positions and three-tenths faster than his new teammate Alex Rins, demonstrating how the M1 still has problems in single-lap situations even though its power output has been improved.

Later this month, a two-day session in Qatar will wrap up the MotoGP pre-season testing, preparing for the opening round in early March at the same location.