2018 MotoGP Testing Begins At Valencia

Two days after Sunday's dramatic showdown between Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso, MotoGP's premier class was back on track in full force—two Aprilias, two KTMs, three Yamahas, six Hondas, and eight Ducatis—for the first of two days of 2018 preseason testing at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain.

Air temperature at 10 a.m. was a chilly 55 degrees Fahrenheit, later rising under sunny skies to a reported 64 degrees. Twenty-one riders eventually took to the track, though Alvaro Bautista (Aspar Ducati) crashed heavily during his first run and sat out the rest of the day. Suzuki's Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins were ill and didn't even dress.

Movistar Yamaha built seven motorcycles—four for Maverick Viñales, three for Valentino Rossi—with a mix of 2016, '17, and '18 engines and chassis. Rossi destroyed one of those combinations just before noon, but Viñales, Johann Zarco (Yamaha Tech 3), and Rossi ended day five hours later with three of the four quickest lap times.

Honda also had a new prototype RC213V, with one bike each for six-time world champion Marquez (Repsol Honda), Sunday's race winner Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), and new Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) signee (still operating under the newly expanded, two-rider LCR Honda banner) Cal Crutchlow.

Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo lapped on what appeared from a distance to be the same Ducatis that they raced this past season. Upon closer inspection, however, the aluminum frames were visibly different. In addition, all four machines were fitted with new Öhlins forks with lengthy carbon segments near the bottoms of the gold stanchions.

As the sun began to set in the late afternoon and the temperature dipped, the riders stopped riding and began to emerge from their respective garages to face the bright lights of the television cameras and then speak more casually with journalists. Here, in alphabetical order, are highlights from a few of those conversations:

Aleix Espargaró, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini: "We tried the new Öhlins fork, which I liked a lot. We also tried, let's say, part of the 2018 bike that changes weight distribution. Tomorrow, we will focus all day on the '18 bike with the new geometry. I still need to get used to that because it also changes my position on the bike. We know that we are quite good on the brakes. Rear grip is also one of our strong points. We're looking to improve the entry to the corner, especially turning with the brake."

Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Team: "Conditions were perfect. The track was fast—after three days of racing, it's easier to go faster—and I was able to make a comparison and understand very well everything we tried. I have a really good feeling on the bike; I was able to ride low 1:31s with a used tire, so I'm really happy about that. We tried a new fork from Öhlins, and it looks a little bit better. We didn't have a completely new bike for next year; we still have to decide a few things."

Cal Crutchlow, LCR Honda: "We went through our normal bike that I raced on Sunday. I did one run on that and then I rode the HRC prototype most of the day. It feels similar but there are quite a lot of differences. On the last run, I went back to my old bike. We'll sit down tonight and suss out our plan for tomorrow; I've got a list as long as my arm of new stuff we have to try. Marc and Dani and I need to find the best base for all of us."

Franco Morbidelli, EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda: "It was nice to try MotoGP and work with the new crew and all the people from Michelin and HRC. The power is amazing and the delivery is so smooth. I was struggling with the wheelie. I started with the base electronics and toward the end I was needing a bit more power in acceleration. Braking is more demanding compared to Moto2; I think I will have to train more in the gym. I am a rookie. The important thing is to learn every time I go on the bike."

Jack Miller, OCTO Pramac Racing Ducati: "My 2018 season started on Monday when I met the new team. I expected a fast bike that has a good contact on the rear and a good exit, but I was positively surprised by the entry of the corner and the middle, especially in the double turn here in Valencia where you don't touch the brakes. I like the speed on the straight but also the stability under braking. The Ducati seems to suit my style. It doesn't wheelie too much and I can focus more on the line."

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda: "Today, the grip of the track was amazing. During the race weekend, maybe because of Moto2, the grip was much different. This afternoon, everybody was very, very fast. Most important is to take the good way in the winter; don't be the fast one. We have an engine. We have a chassis. We have an exhaust. Many different configurations. Already we start to feel some small positive and small negative points. I want to wait until tomorrow to work more and see what is the real level of that bike."

Maverick Viñales, Movistar Yamaha: "On the same bike that I had during the weekend, I felt much better—like I've come back to my usual form. I was riding low 1:31s all day long, even with 27 to 28 laps on the tire. We have many things to try tomorrow and reconfirm. I was as fast on the 2017 bike as on the '16 bike. We see positive points with both of them. On the '16 bike, I can brake and enter the corner better. On the '17 bike, I can exit better."

Valentino Rossi, Movistar Yamaha: "We continued to work on the 2016 chassis. With a new tire, I can make a good lap time, but the problem, like we know, is rear-tire degradation. I confirmed that I am able to go faster with the old bike. The engine was the first 2018 prototype. Unfortunately, I did two laps and crashed. I hope that they are able to fix it and I can use it tomorrow. I tried the new [Michelin] rear. I like it, but I did the best lap time with the standard tire."