On the other hand, he was only tenth in average speed (thanks to BSB crew chief Chris Pike for this info), but that may or may not be significant.
Bagnaia said the Ducati's biggest improvement was in the all-important braking area, where it already had an advantage. And he could shorten his braking distance even further with Öhlins' longer-travel front fork. This fork was available last year, but Bagnaia preferred to stick with it because he knew that good front feel is the most important thing on a road bike.
If he changes, he may become even faster. “The suspension travel is greater, so I can brake even harder,” he added.
Martin, who fought Bagnaia throughout 2023, was two tenths behind on his best lap, but on average he was the fastest of all. No wonder he is confident.
“With last year’s experience, we hope I’m the one who can try to beat Pecco,” he said.
Ducati's GP24 features a new fairing designed to further improve downforce for increased grip by combining larger diffuser channels in front of the Aprilia-style curved ground effect sections.
“I have to try to understand how Pecco, Martin and the others ride the Ducati and then learn from them.”
“At first there was a headache because of Pecco and Enea [Bastianini] I liked that disguise, but I didn’t,” Martin said. “It's a little more stable and has more downforce, but it makes the bike a little slower when changing direction, so we adjusted the setup and my riding style. Overall, the 2024 bike is better.”
Bagnaia's factory teammate Bastianini had a terrible season with the GP23 last season but appears to be back on track, largely thanks to the 2024 engine specification that solves the engine braking issues that hurt him last year.
Perhaps Marco Bezzecchi inherited Bastianini's problems with the GP23, which is more difficult to steer into and out of corners. He was 15th but had no time for a time attack.
Márquez was fourth fastest. Alex, not Marc. The six-time MotoGP king's move from the Honda factory team to the independent Gresini Ducati team is the story of 2024, but there were no headlines for him in Sepang. The 30-year-old was sixth fastest, almost six tenths off the lead and just behind his little brother and Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaró.
Does he have problems with the Ducati? Probably not.
On the final day, Márquez completed some sprint racing simulations and was faster in some sections than in previous time trials, suggesting there is much more to come.
“The way you open the throttle, how you use the lines and how you get the most out of the Ducati is completely different,” he said. “With the Honda you use the front a lot, with the Ducati you use the rear more. At first I rode the motorcycle like a Honda, so it shook a lot, but then I understood it better. I have to concentrate on myself, get used to the bike and try to understand how Pecco, Martin and the others ride the Ducati and then learn from them.”
Martin definitely has full confidence in Márquez. “Marc will be very close and maybe ready for victory in Qatar! [which hosts the season-opening GP on 10th March],” he said.
Aprilia's latest seat is designed to increase rear braking load, clean turbulent air and improve stability at high speeds
Oxley
Aprilia
Espargaro 5., Vinales 12., Oliveira 18
Aprilia was quickly reduced to three men as Raul Fernandez got the Trackhouse project off to a fiery start: he crashed on his fourth lap of the first day, his 2023 RS-GP caught fire and he sat out of action with a pelvic injury. It didn't take long for the American NASCAR team to figure out that motorcycles do more damage than cars…
Aleix Espargaró was the only Aprilia rider on the pace, just four tenths behind Bagnaia and mostly happy with the latest RS-GP. “The 2024 bike is much better, but the weakness is still the engine. If we want to fight for victories, we need more top speed,” he said.
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