Vinales Fastest On Day Three Of Sepang Test

Press Release
by Press Release

Team Movistar Yamaha ascends to pre-season leadership via the team’s new alien, Maverick Viñales.

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MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP CONCLUDES SEPANG TEST ON TOP

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP has wrapped up the first official IRTA test of the 2017 season today at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Riders Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi have spent the three days working through various testing items to further develop their YZR-M1s and secured first and sixth place respectively in the overall standings.

Sepang, Malaysia (February 1, 2017) – Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team’s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi have completed their testing programme at the Sepang International Circuit today. This third and last day was the toughest for the riders as they rode back-to-back stints in hot temperatures to make up for lost time due to yesterday’s damp track conditions.

Though the focus of the team was still solely on improving the technical aspects, the Spaniard and Italian took first and fifth place respectively in today’s time sheets and first and sixth in the overall 2017 Sepang MotoGP Official Test results.

This morning Viñales showed once again that his riding style matches perfectly with the YZR-M1’s nimble character. He dropped various hot laps before posting his fastest time of the day, a 1’59.368s on lap 40, to slot into first place in the rankings. With a margin of 0.138s ahead of his closest rival, he comfortably held his position until the end of the session after shifting his attention to the last details of his bike’s setting.

A few spots of rain in the afternoon had the young rider sit in the pit box before he could resume his testing programme. As soon as the conditions improved Viñales had his final go on the YZR-M1 and had enough minutes left to end the test with a time attack. Though unable to beat his own best lap, he is leaving the Sepang track feeling confident, having completed 72 laps today.

Rossi also didn’t let any time go to waste on the last opportunity of testing in Malaysia. He filled his morning session with evaluating a new tyre for Michelin and building on his findings from the previous testing days.

Similar to teammate Viñales, the Doctor was eager to start his afternoon session as soon as track conditions allowed. His fastest lap from the morning was a 2’00.125s, putting him in eleventh place, 0.756s from the top, but the Doctor had a trick up his sleeve. Once he got back out on track he fully committed to improving his position in the rankings and set the fourth fastest time, a 1’59.589s, 0.221s from first, on lap 50 of 62. He ended the test day in fifth place as the pace quickened in the final minutes.

The team will now return to Europe whilst the engineers return to Japan to process the data and take their 2017 MotoGP preparation another step further. The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team will regroup in Phillip Island from Feb 15th – 17th for the second pre-season test of 2017.

TEST DAY 3 – RESULTS

1. M. VIÑALES MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP 1’59.368

2. M. MARQUEZ REPSOL HONDA TEAM 1’59.506

3. A. DOVIZIOSO DUCATI TEAM 1’59.553

4. D. PEDROSA REPSOL HONDA TEAM 1’59.578

5. V. ROSSI MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP 1’59.589

6. A. BAUTISTA PULL & BEAR ASPAR TEAM 1’59.628

7. C. STONER DUCATI TEST TEAM 1’59.639

8. C. CRUTCHLOW LCR HONDA 1’59.728

9. J. LORENZO DUCATI TEAM 1’59.767

10. J. ZARCO MONSTER YAMAHA TECH3 1’59.772

11. A. IANNONE TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR 2’00.045

12. A. RINS TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR 2’00.057

13. A. ESPARGARÒ APRILIA RACING TEAM GRESINI 2’00.108

14. D. PETRUCCI OCTO PRAMAC YAKHNICH 2’00.310

15. J. FOLGER MONSTER YAMAHA TECH3 2’00.312

16. J. MILLER TEAM EG 0,0 MARC VDS 2’00.439

17. K. ABRAHAM PULL & BEAR ASPAR TEAM 2’00.445

18. H. BARBERA AVINTIA RACING 2’00.537

19. S. REDDING OCTO PRAMAC YAKHNICH 2’00.645

20. L. BAZ AVINTIA RACING 2’00.873

21. B. SMITH RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING 2’01.338

22. S. LOWES APRILIA RACING TEAM GRESINI 2’01.341

23. P. ESPARGARÒ RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING 2’01.506

24. K. NAKASUGA YAMAHA FACTORY RACING 2’01.658

25. T. TSUDA SUZUKI TEST TEAM 2’02.769

COMBINED RESULTS

1. M. VIÑALES MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP 1’59.368

2. A. IANNONE TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR 1’59.452

3. M. MARQUEZ REPSOL HONDA TEAM 1’59.506

4. A. DOVIZIOSO DUCATI TEAM 1’59.553

5. D. PEDROSA REPSOL HONDA TEAM 1’59.578

6. V. ROSSI MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP 1’59.589

7. A. BAUTISTA PULL & BEAR ASPAR TEAM 1’59.628

8. C. STONER DUCATI TEST TEAM 1’59.639

9. C. CRUTCHLOW LCR HONDA 1’59.728

10. J. LORENZO DUCATI TEAM 1’59.767

11. J. ZARCO MONSTER YAMAHA TECH3 1’59.772

12. A. RINS TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR 2’00.057

13. A. ESPARGARÒ APRILIA RACING TEAM GRESINI

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