Marc Marquez sets Sepang record in quick final testing session
Last Updated: 06/02/15 1:51pm
World champion Marc Marquez set an unofficial track record on the closing day of MotoGP testing at Sepang in Malaysia.
The Honda rider, mostly using a new version of his 2014 bike, ended the day with a best of one minute, 58.867 seconds, almost seven tenths of a second quicker than at a similar time in 2014.
Marquez was the fastest out of 28 riders on the opening day of testing on Wednesday as well, clocking two minutes, 0.262 seconds during his penultimate lap in typical sizzling Malaysian temperatures.
Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa was the second fastest rider on day three, trailing Marquez by 0.139 seconds, while Ducati's Andrea Iannone took third more than half-a-second behind, but ahead of Yamaha pair Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.
Pedrosa was the fastest rider on Thursday as the Japanese team dominated proceedings.
Marquez, who is seeking a title treble in 2015, admitted he was shocked at the pace of the Honda although he conceded conditions were just about ideal for fast lap time.
He said: "The truth is that when I saw the time I was surprised, just like everyone else! In any case, I must say that today the track was fast, as we all rode faster than before.
"I'm glad I was able to set a good lap, but more important is the fact that I felt very comfortable, right from the start. We did a race simulation later on, which also went very well and was perhaps even more important than a single lap.
"During the race simulation we tested different mapping and in every part we tried different things. The positive is that with the new bike we are already at the same level as in 2014, and there is still plenty of room for improvement. Now I can’t wait for the second test and to see what progress we can make."
The teams will have one more official testing session in Sepang on February 24 with the season starting in Qatar on March 29.
