The three-day test at the Malaysian venue provided plenty of indicators as to who has made the biggest leap since 2023, and who could be on the back foot going into the new season.
In the midst of high heat and humidity, double reigning champion Franco Bagnaia set a blistering time of 1m56.682s to top the charts, taking advantage of slightly cooler conditions on Thursday morning to lower the lap record.
His 2023 title rival Jorge Martin ended just under two tenths behind him in second with a time of 1m56.854s, while factory Ducati team-mate Enea Bastianini was just 61 thousandths of a second adrift in third place.
The common denominator in the ‘big three’ was that they were all running identical machinery, the latest-spec GP24 carrying a new engine and aerodynamic package. The fourth rider with access to the same bike, Pramac recruit Franco Morbidelli, suffered a blow to his head in a private test at Portimao last month and won’t return to action until the opening race at Qatar next month.
Apart from the trio, Gresini’s Alex Marquez was the only other rider to break the 1m56s barrier in the test, despite competing on a year-old Desmosedici.
Source: Autosport