Bastianini tops Sepang MotoGP test with lap-record pace

Gresini Racing’s Enea Bastianini has topped MotoGP’s Sepang Official test after achieving lap-record pace on his 2021-model Ducati.

The second-year MotoGP rider clocked a best time of 1:58.131s around the Malaysian circuit, ending the second and final day 0.026s up on Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espargaro.

Bastianini set that marker in the first hour of the eight-hour day and was still on top at the halfway mark when rain began to set in.

While a number of riders opted for wet-weather mileage, there would be no advances on lap times thereafter, meaning Espargaro finished up second all told on a 1:58.157s after topping Day 1 on a 1:58.371s.

Those two both lapped faster than the All Time Lap Record which Fabio Quartararo set when he qualified on pole position for the 2019 Malaysian Grand Prix with a 1:58.303s, as did the rest of the day’s top six.

Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin took third at 0.112s off the pace on his GP22-spec Desmosedici Ducati, while Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins had a crash on his way to fourth-quickest.

Aprilia Racing’s Maverick Viñales rounded out the top five on exactly the same 1:58.261s time as Rins, and Francesco Bagnaia was first of the factory-entered Ducati Lenovo Team riders in sixth on a 1:58.265s.

Rounding out the top 10 were Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha), Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda), Johann Zarco (Pramac Ducati), and Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda).

Jack Miller was 14th on a 1:58.645s on his Ducati Lenovo Team entry, 0.514s off the pace, with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Miguel Oliveira leading the way for the Austrian marque in 15th on a 1:58.701s.

On a Tech3-entered KTM, Remy Gardner finished 23rd on a 1:59.348s, four positions behind team-mate Raul Fernandez.

Gardner fractured a wrist on a motocross bike last month and opted not to ride in the wet as he continues his recovery.

Another official pre-season test will be held from this Friday, with three days of running on the cards at Indonesia’s new Mandalika International Street Circuit.

Day 2: Sepang Official test