MotoGP Jerez Test Results: VR46's Di Giannantonio Tops Charts, Yamaha unveils new M1, Ducati 3rd Fastest

At the Jerez MotoGP test after the Spanish Grand Prix, Fabio Di Giannantonio of the VR46 Ducati team was the fastest. Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia set the pace at first, but Di Giannantonio took over later and kept it until the finish, clocking a quick 1 minute 36.405 seconds on his 23rd lap out of 70. In the closing moments of the session, Aprilia's Maverick Vinales trailed by just 0.087 seconds, very near to beating Di Giannantonio's time. Franco Morbidelli of Pramac Ducati, who had missed pre-season testing because of an incident involving superbike practice, had a spectacular comeback and completed more than 80 laps.

Though not using a factory-spec Ducati, Marquez and Gresini conducted a lot of testing. With an early time of 1 minute 36.589 seconds, Bagnaia momentarily led the way, but Di Giannantonio eventually emerged on top by recording the fastest lap of the day. Johann Zarco finished the most laps—88—more than three times the distance of a standard Jerez Grand Prix (25 laps) plus a Sprint race (12 laps). Close following, in 16th place and trailing by 0.921 seconds, came his teammate Takaaki Nakagami, who completed 83 laps.

Also Read: MotoGP Spanish GP: Bagnaia Wins in Jerez, Marquez Secures Second Place in a Spectacular Showdown

Apart from experimenting with a new chassis and other possible improvements, Yamaha concentrated on testing new aerodynamic components, such as a triple-element front wing and side fairing influenced by designs from KTM and Ducati, saving some for later tests. In 14th place, just 0.619 seconds off the pace, Alex Rins headed the Yamaha pac. His teammate Fabio Quartararo was 18th, 1.033 seconds behind.

Also Read: MotoGP Spanish GP: Marc Marquez Says 'Winning is Not a Dream Anymore' After Securing P2 in Jerez

Trackhouse's Raul Fernandez gave the 2024 Aprilia a quick test before going back to the 2023 model. Aleix Espargaro tried some updated aerodynamics on the RS-GP, as well as a new ride-height gadget that wild-card rider Lorenzo Savadori had used during the race weekend.

An engine problem caused an early setback for Jorge Martin, while Augusto Fernandez and Marco Bezzecchi fell during the testing session.