Qatar Testing 🇶🇦

[kopfjäger]

QATAR MOTOGP TEST TIMES - SUNDAY (FINAL)
        RIDER   NAT   TEAM   TIME   LAP
1   =   Fabio Quartararo   FRA   Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)   1m 54.038s   52/65
2   ^3   Alex Rins   SPA   Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)   +0.162s   52/53
3   ˅1   Maverick Viñales   SPA   Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1)   +0.226s   53/68
4   ˅1   Franco Morbidelli   ITA   Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)   +0.443s   55/70
5   ˅1   Francesco Bagnaia   ITA   Pramac Ducati (GP20)   +0.482s   37/52
6   ^8   Johann Zarco   FRA   Reale Avintia (GP19)   +0.527s   55/56
7   ˅1   Joan Mir   SPA   Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)   +0.574s   23/52
8   ˅1   Andrea Dovizioso   ITA   Ducati Team (GP20)   +0.624s   36/60
9   ˅1   Valentino Rossi   ITA   Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1)   +0.702s   22/52
10   ˅1   Takaaki Nakagami   JPN   LCR Honda (RC213V)   +0.721s   30/43
11   ˅1   Aleix Espargaro   ITA   Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP)   +0.724s   26/33
12   ˅1   Danilo Petrucci   ITA   Ducati Team (GP20)   +0.814s   23/49
13   ˅1   Pol Espargaro   SPA   Red Bull KTM (RC16)   +0.852s   25/54
14   ˅1   Marc Marquez   SPA   Repsol Honda (RC213V)   +1.055s   26/46
15   =   Jack Miller   AUS   Pramac Ducati (GP20)   +1.156s   11/42
16   =   Tito Rabat   SPA   Reale Avintia (GP19)   +1.314s   53/54
17   =   Miguel Oliveira   POR   Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16)   +1.562s   20/53
18   =   Iker Lecuona   SPA   Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16)*   +1.606s   45/53
19   =   Alex Marquez   SPA   Repsol Honda (RC213V)*   +1.687s   22/48
20   =   Brad Binder   RSA   Red Bull KTM (RC16)*   +1.892s   19/57
21   =   Cal Crutchlow   GBR   LCR Honda (RC213V)   +2.140s   26/27
22   =   Bradley Smith   GBR   Aprilia Test Rider (RS-GP)   +2.369s   49/52

[kopfjäger]

https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/936421/1/ducati-silent-rideheight-footage-emerges

[Speeddog]

@Anna_Maria_09 crunching data like the boss she is.

Mav, Q, and Rins with a solid 0.3-0.5 sec gap on the pursuers.

Nakagami is likely happy he's on the '19 model, as the other 3 on the '20's are struggling.
MM yardsaled one of his bikes, Cal hit the deck and thrashed his arms, AM is likely riding careful trying to avoid that.

[duccarlos]

MM admitted that they were lost throughout testing. He even stole Nakagami's bike. I'm not sure if I should get my hopes too high. Ducati always have a chance of winning Qatar. After that race, everything goes to hell as MM comes to grip with whatever turd NRC has delivered and he demolishes the rest of the field.

[Speeddog]

Honda is alleging that it's the '20 aero package that's at fault.

They can fit the '19 aero package, or run their test team and composite panel folks into the ground trying mods, but whatever they choose it's got to be homologated by Qatar.

[duccarlos]

So they're not admitting that they finally built a bike that not even MM can ride?

[duccarlos]

https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/936533/1/marquez-great-step-after-being-completely-lost

[koko64]

So much downforce the thing won't turn?

[kopfjäger]

QATAR MOTOGP TEST TIMES - MONDAY (FINAL)
        RIDER   NAT   TEAM   TIME   LAP
1   ^10   Maverick Viñales   SPA   Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1)   1m 53.858s   69/84
2   ˅1   Franco Morbidelli   ITA   Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)   +0.033s   29/52
3   ^6   Alex Rins   SPA   Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)   +0.210s   40/40
4   ˅2   Fabio Quartararo   FRA   Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)   +0.219s   35/58
5   ^1   Jack Miller   AUS   Pramac Ducati (GP20)   +0.247s   69/69
6   ˅3   Joan Mir   SPA   Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)   +0.271s   33/42
7   ^5   Marc Marquez   SPA   Repsol Honda (RC213V)   +0.291s   51/61
8   ˅4   Takaaki Nakagami   JPN   LCR Honda (RC213V)   +0.381s   24/33
9   ˅4   Brad Binder   RSA   Red Bull KTM (RC16)*   +0.425s   40/58
10   ˅3   Andrea Dovizioso   ITA   Ducati Team (GP20)   +0.454s   38/55
11   ^3   Francesco Bagnaia   ITA   Pramac Ducati (GP20)   +0.468s   55/55
12   ˅4   Valentino Rossi   ITA   Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1)   +0.474s   28/47
13   ˅3   Aleix Espargaro   ITA   Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP)   +0.574s   35/56
14   ˅1   Pol Espargaro   SPA   Red Bull KTM (RC16)   +0.765s   42/49
15   ^1   Tito Rabat   SPA   Reale Avintia (GP19)   +0.816s   55/56
16   ˅1   Danilo Petrucci   ITA   Ducati Team (GP20)   +0.894s   35/56
17   ^3   Johann Zarco   FRA   Reale Avintia (GP19)   +0.902s   62/66
18   =   Cal Crutchlow   GBR   LCR Honda (RC213V)   +0.972s   61/70
19   ˅2   Miguel Oliveira   POR   Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16)   +1.150s   48/48
20   ˅1   Iker Lecuona   SPA   Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16)*   +1.443s   26/40
21   =   Alex Marquez   SPA   Repsol Honda (RC213V)*   +1.661s   31/47
22   =   Bradley Smith   GBR   Aprilia Test Rider (RS-GP)   +2.058s   48/55

[kopfjäger]

https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/936533/1/marquez-great-step-after-being-completely-lost

[duccarlos]

https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/936533/1/marquez-great-step-after-being-completely-lost

derby

[Speeddog]

So much downforce the thing won't turn?

Perhaps some weird aero behavior at high angles of attack, random stalling perhaps.
But Cal mentioned issues on corner exit as well.

I think Honda blaming the aero is a fib.

[koko64]

Are Honda still using Showa? There were two issues I read about, one being the 20 bike harder to turn than the19 bike and the second being a total loss of front end feel. The second led to inexplicable crashes with confused riders (reminds me of Ducati in the recent past).

[duccarlos]

Are Honda still using Showa? There were two issues I read about, one being the 20 bike harder to turn than the19 bike and the second being a total loss of front end feel. The second led to inexplicable crashes with confused riders (reminds me of Ducati in the recent past).

The Honda riders were complaining about lack of front end feel last year. MM was able to ride around it, finding the limit by saving an inordinate amount of front end washouts.

I assume that the real concern this year, beyond the front end feel getting worse, is MM's lingering shoulder injury that would not allow him to save the bike. I think that they did go down the road Ducati went on when Stoner was riding the wheels off the bike. He was able to mask the issues, but HRC has the $$$ to right the ship during the season.

[Speeddog]

Engine is homologated at Qatar, and cannot be altered internally until 2021.
Aero is homologated at Qatar as well, but one in-season update is allowed.
Testing by contracted riders (read as: fast guys) is severely limited.

So if the mistake is in either of those areas, it's a big problem.
Their test riders cannot (apparently) help, if they could, they'd not be in this situation.

I suspect they've sliced through a nerve in MM's shoulder and they'll have to go back in to attempt a repair.