Quartararo quickest, Marquez completes 100 laps at Misano MotoGP test

Championship leader Fabio Quartararo has set the pace after two days of MotoGP testing at Misano, while Marc Marquez made a solid comeback to the category.

Monster Energy Yamaha’s Quartararo was quickest in both the morning and afternoon sessions on Day 2 at the San Marino Grand Prix venue, with a 1:31.116s before lunchtime and a 1:31.054s afterwards.

The Iwata manufacturer had brought a 2023 engine and a new chassis, among other items, to the test, and the top speed charts suggested that it has indeed found gains.

The Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia was fastest on the opening day and improved to a 1:31.172s on the second morning to finish the test second overall, ahead of Aprilia Racing’s Maverick Viñales.

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) was the quickest Honda rider in 13th overall with a best time of 1:31.642s, set on the morning of Day 2.

More importantly, the six-time premier class champion completed a total of 100 laps across three sessions in his first MotoGP riding since surgery on his right arm in June, and tested an array of development items.

Among them was a swingarm made by Kalex, rather than inhouse at Honda Racing Corporation, which test rider Stefan Bradl also ran with at times.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), who was fifth on combined times at the end of Day 2, suffered a broken little finger on his left hand when he crashed at Turn 13 and was unable to ride that afternoon, but is expected to be fit for the next round at Aragon.

Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) was also among those who hit the deck, once on each day, at Turn 6 and then at Turn 4, where he also crashed while leading days earlier in the grand prix itself.

Round 15 takes place at Aragon on September 16-18.

San Marino Official Test Combined times

FP1 Day 1 morning, FP2 Day 1 afternoon, FP3 Day 2 morning, FP4 Day 2 afternoon