The second day of MotoGP testing at the Sepang International Circuit, saw definite improvements for every rider – except two (Lukas Pesek and Yonny Hernandez) in the test, but the final hour of testing session was marred by the usual Malaysian rain shower, that forced the riders to head out with rain tires, so lap times didn’t drop any further.
With a better rubbered track and the cooler morning temperatures, Jorge Lorenzo was the first rider to break the 2.
01 barrier on his 6th lap out with, but rival Dani Pedrosa was able to beat that lap time in the afternoon session, when he stopped the clock in 2′00.
549, just 0.
019s faster that the reigning MotoGP champion, but Lorenzo’s pace was much more stunning and constant as he was able to lap in the low 2.
01s more than 18 times, something that the Repsol Honda rider couldn’t obtain.
Marc Marquez continued his impressive apprenticeship with the RC213V and once again finished third, even if the gap between Pedrosa and Lorenzo was higher today as he was 0.
254s adrift.
Valentino Rossi continued his renewed love fest with the Yamaha M1, as he improved over five tenths of second from yesterday, however he couldn’t improve on the gap compared with the two top riders, as he finished fourth and and almost five tenths of a second adrift and despite coming close he wasn’t able to break the the 2.
01 barrier, like the Repsol Honda rookie did.
Cal Crutchlow was fifth again and finished just over seven tenths from Pedrosa, while Stefan Bradl started his test a little later than the others because he had problems getting out of bed as he was feeling ill and completed only five laps, but it was enough to put him sixth and 0.
820s adrift and he was followed by Alvaro Bautista who was already 1.
1 seconds from the top of the timesheets as continued work his Showa suspensions.
Bradley Smith made a massive improvement from yesterday’s 12th place as the Yamaha rookie dropped over 1.
5 seconds and brought himself into the 8th spot and just two tenths of second short of Gresini’s Bautista.
The four Ducati riders were able to cut the gap between the front runners between 1.
5 and 2 seconds with Ben Spies making the biggest improvement between the four, despite rumors that he wouldn’t be able continue testing due to shoulder pain, he managed 27 laps today.
Nicky Hayden finished 9th and his best lap was a hot one on fresh tires, and he was 1.
561 from the top, while factory team mate Andrea Dovizioso was tenth, and Spies was 13th behind Honda and Yamaha’s test riders Kosuke Aikiyoshi and Katsayuki Nakasuga and ahead of Wataru Yoshikura another Yamaha test rider.
MotoGP rookie Andrea Iannone was 15th and just slightly ahead of Aspar’s Aleix Espargaro.
MotoGP Sepang test day 2 test results: