World champ Marquez impresses fans
Team Honda’s Spanish rider ends the final day of testing with new unofficial track record at Malaysia’s Sepang circuit
Reigning world champion Marc Marquez of Spain showed why he is still a force to reckon with as he led the pack for two out of three days of pre-season MotoGP winter testing which ended on Friday at Malaysia’s Sepang circuit.
The Honda rider, mostly using a new version of his 2014 motorcycle, ended the final day of testing by clocking one minute and 58.867 seconds, breaking his own unofficial track record set last year at one minutes and 59.533 seconds.
Marquez was the fastest out of 28 riders on the opening day of testing on Wednesday as well, clocking two minutes and 0.262 seconds during his penultimate lap in typical sizzling Malaysian temperatures.
The Spaniard became the youngest rider ever to win the world title in 2013, and the first rookie to win in 35 years.
Hot on his heels on Friday was teammate Dani Pedrosa who was the second fastest rider of the day trailing Marquez by 0.139 seconds while Ducati team’s Andrea Iannone took the third spot on the timesheets with a 0.521-second gap.
Nine-time Grand Prix champion Valentino Rossi, who is hungry to add more silverware to his mantel, was the fouth fastest rider at one minutes and 59.401 seconds.
Trailing Rossi was Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo on one minute and 59.624 seconds.
Top riders come to Sepang early each year for a pair of test sessions — the next one starts on Feb 24 — putting bikes and equipment through their paces on the tightturning circuit in preparation for the coming season.
The new season officially kicks off in Qatar on March 29 and Malaysia will host the penultimate leg of the championship on Oct 25.
In Buri Ram, in the meantime, Team Yamaha riders Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith took part in a promotional campaign at Chang International Circuit on Friday.
They tested the company’s YZF-R3 and Exciter 150 before a large crowd at the circuit.
Thai racers Chalermphol Maiphol and Decha Kraisart, who compete in the All Japan series, also took part in the event.