Zarco fastest in post-race Jerez MotoGP test
Tech 3 Yamaha's Johann Zarco topped MotoGP's post-Spanish GP test at Jerez with a time less than a tenth away from Cal Crutchlow's lap record.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
As well as Zarco, all Honda and KTM riders, the works Yamahas, Pramac Ducati's Jack Miller, Nieto's Alvaro Bautista and Avintia pair Tito Rabat and Xavier Simeon all took part in the test.
The factory Ducatis, Danilo Petrucci and Karel Abraham were absent along with the Suzuki and Aprilia riders, while Tech 3's second rider Hafizh Syahrin chose to sit out the test due to injury.
Andorran rider Xavier Cardelus, who entered the Spanish GP as a wildcard in Moto2, also rode as Avintia's test rider.
During the test, the field trialled a brand new soft rear tyre supplied by Michelin.
Rabat, Marc Marquez and Maverick Vinales took turns in leading during the first two of the test's eight hours, before Crutchlow took over, going just 0.006s shy of a 1m37s time.
The Briton improved again on his very next effort but he was narrowly outpaced by Zarco, who set a time of 1m37.937s.
The top two remained the same for the rest of the test, with the only change being Zarco lowering the benchmark to 1m37.730s - only 0.077s off Crutchlow's record-breaking pole time on Saturday.
Behind Zarco and Crutchlow, Dani Pedrosa took third, just 0.033s slower than the Briton.
Vinales was fourth with Marquez bringing a third Honda into the top five. The factory Honda team tested a new fairing, with Marquez comparing three different specifications during the day.
Marc VDS Honda rider Franco Morbidelli was half a tenth slower than Marquez in sixth, followed by Rabat and Takaaki Nakagami on the second LCR bike.
Morbidelli's teammate Tom Luthi caused a brief red flag during the test after his bike landed on an airfence after a crash.
Miller was ninth ahead of Valentino Rossi, who was 0.943s slower than Zarco, as Bradley Smith beat KTM teammate Pol Espargaro by 0.01s for 11th.
Cardelus ended the day slowest, 5.3s behind Simeon.
Test results:
Pos. | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap |
1 | Johann Zarco | Yamaha | 1:37.730 | |
2 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda | 1:37.947 | 0.217 |
3 | Dani Pedrosa | Honda | 1:37.980 | 0.250 |
4 | Maverick Vinales | Yamaha | 1:38.139 | 0.409 |
5 | Marc Marquez | Honda | 1:38.232 | 0.502 |
6 | Franco Morbidelli | Honda | 1:38.288 | 0.558 |
7 | Tito Rabat | Ducati | 1:38.304 | 0.574 |
8 | Takaaki Nakagami | Honda | 1:38.444 | 0.714 |
9 | Jack Miller | Ducati | 1:38.586 | 0.856 |
10 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | 1:38.673 | 0.943 |
11 | Bradley Smith | KTM | 1:38.674 | 0.944 |
12 | Pol Espargaro | KTM | 1:38.684 | 0.954 |
13 | Alvaro Bautista | Ducati | 1:39.135 | 1.405 |
14 | Mika Kallio | KTM | 1:39.232 | 1.502 |
15 | Tom Luthi | Honda | 1:39.643 | 1.913 |
16 | Xavier Simeon | Ducati | 1:39.720 | 1.990 |
17 | Xavier Cardelus | Ducati | 1:45.040 | 7.310 |
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