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MotoGP Sepang test: Bagnaia under lap record to lay down marker on final day

Under a cloudy sky that provided cooler conditions for the start of the track action, the two-time MotoGP world champion's 1m56.682s remained the time to beat throughout the day, with several challenges coming up short over a single lap attack.

Opening day pacesetter Jorge Martin came closest to toppling Bagnaia with a 1m56.854s on the Pramac Ducati, while factory Ducati rider and yesterday's timesheet topper Enea Bastianini slipped into third with a 1m56.915s.

Given a sub-1m57s lap had never been seen before today at Sepang in MotoGP, it was remarkable to have four riders inside the time as Gresini Ducati's Alex Marquez joined the fray with a 1m56.938s.

With conditions at the optimum due to cooler temperatures and maximum grip levels after a total of six days of track action including the shakedown, it wasn't surprising to also see the long run pace cranked up too.

Bastianini appeared to have an edge over the sprint race-style runs from Martin, coming in half a second quicker, with Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro over a second further adrift, while rookie sensation Pedro Acosta produced an eye-catching run to put him fourth and quicker than Bagnaia over a nine-lap dash.

Espargaro was the standout rider for Aprilia on the 2024 RS-GP with fifth place on the overall times on a mixed day for the Italian squad, as both Maverick Vinales and Miguel Oliveira struggled to 12th and 18th respectively.

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing (Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images)

Marc Marquez made steady progress adapting to life at Gresini after a slow start to the test, ending the final day sixth overall and within six-tenths off Bagnaia at the top.

Brad Binder led the KTM charge with a late lap to push him up to seventh on the final day's times, ahead of VR46 Ducati's Fabio Di Giannantonio who bounced back from a crash at Turn 9, and GasGas Tech3's Acosta.

Honda's Joan Mir rounded out the top 10 as it continues to rebuild with its 2024 RC213V, just ahead of top Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo in 11th.

Both Franco Morbidelli and Raul Fernandez missed today's test action due to injury.

Morbidelli has been ruled out of both official pre-season tests in Malaysia and Qatar as he recovers from a heavy fall suffered riding in Portimao last month, while Fernandez was sidelined after a crash on the opening day of the Sepang test. Michele Pirro and Lorenzo Savadori stepped in for the respective riders.

MotoGP takes a short break before the final official pre-season test in Qatar on 19-20 February.

   Time   Laps   Rider Bike
1 1m56.682s 47  Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Desmosedici GP24
2 1m56.854s 47  Jorge Martín Ducati Desmosedici GP24
3 1m56.915s 35  Enea Bastianini Ducati Desmosedici GP24
4 1m56.938s 49  Álex Márquez Ducati Desmosedici GP23
5 1m57.091s 48  Aleix Espargaró Aprilia RS-GP
6 1m57.270s 54  Marc Márquez Ducati Desmosedici GP23
7 1m57.307s 57  Brad Binder KTM RC16
8 1m57.343s 55  Fabio Di Giannantonio Ducati Desmosedici GP23
9 1m57.365s 41  Pedro Acosta KTM RC16
10 1m57.374s 30  Joan Mir Honda RC213V
11 1m57.525s 56  Fabio Quartararo Yamaha YZR-M1
12 1m57.528s 57  Maverick Viñales Aprilia RS-GP
13 1m57.765s 32  Takaaki Nakagami Honda RC213V
14 1m57.851s 60  Jack Miller KTM RC16
15 1m57.879s 52  Alex Rins Yamaha YZR-M1
16 1m57.942s 41  Johann Zarco Honda RC213V
17 1m57.995s 56  Marco Bezzecchi Ducati Desmosedici GP23
18 1m58.000s 55  Miguel Oliveira Aprilia RS-GP
19 1m58.008s 43  Luca Marini Honda RC213V
20 1m58.673s 45  Cal Crutchlow Yamaha YZR-M1
21 1m58.740s 60  Augusto Fernández KTM RC16
22 1m58.814s 64  Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia RS-GP
23 1m58.865s 43  Michele Pirro Ducati Desmosedici GP24
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