If you enjoyed reading this article, please
click here to view it on Kropotkin's site, MotoGP Matters.
-----------------
2024 Sepang MotoGP Test Thursday Notes - The Vibescast
By
David Emmett | Thu, 08/02/2024 - 16:18
It was supposed to rain on the last day of the MotoGP test, but it never did, and the teams ended up with three full days of running at the Sepang International Circuit. A rarity: the test usually sees at least one day briefly interrupted by rain, though the benefit of Sepang is that the track dries quickly, and you only lose at most a couple of hours. Rain at a European circuit means you lose half.a day or more. Which is one of the reasons MotoGP tests in Sepang.
Some of the teams did get a break anyway. The limit on the number of tires available automatically limits the amount of track time the factories have. It is a crude, but highly effective way of limiting spending, by making it physically impossible to test more.
But three full days at Sepang are extremely fruitful, and gave us a clear picture of where the factories stand. The evening is too short for me to paint the full picture - that will come over the next few days - but I can give you an impression of where things stand in MotoGP. The vibes, for each factory and a few selected riders.
Ducati: greatness beckons
On Wednesday, there were still some doubts about Ducati’s new fairing for the GP24. Those doubts were dispelled on Thursday, as the teams worked on setting up the rest of the bike to get the new aero package to work, to exploit its superior braking, and alleviate the issues in agility it created.