Pramac rider Jorge Martin fastest at the start of the MotoGP test in Sepang with the 2024 Ducati, but the most important finding for him is a different one
Pramac Ducati rider Jorge Martin draws a positive conclusion after the first of three days of the official MotoGP test with all teams in Sepang (Malaysia). With the Ducati Desmosedici GP24, Martin set the fastest time of the day on Tuesday (1:57.951 minutes). Compared to the GP23 from last year, the GP24 has a more powerful engine. Martin rode both specifications and was therefore able to make direct comparisons.
“I wasn’t expecting a lap time like that. After all, we’ve only just returned after a two-month break,” said Martin, who was the only rider to break the 1:58 barrier on the first of the three days of testing in Sepang.
“I had a good feeling straight away. I’m pleased that we’re picking up right where we left off [at the end of 2023],” said the current MotoGP runner-up, who added: “I also feel really good physically. I can only say it was a good start.”
From a technical point of view, the four Ducati riders who are riding a GP24 this year initially started with the 2023 version of the Desmosedici. Over the course of the day, they switched to the 2024 bike. In Martin’s case, the GP23 was completely painted on Tuesday, while the GP24 had an unpainted fairing.
And what differences did Martin notice with regard to the engine? “I like the new engine,” he says. “I set my fastest lap time with the new bike. That’s a good sign. Nevertheless, we still did a lot of comparison tests with the old bike today.”
When asked specifically which of the two engine specifications he prefers, Martin replies: “At the moment, I prefer the 2024 engine. But we still have to work on it. We don’t want to make the same mistake as in 2022.”
Martin is alluding to how the Ducati works team shelved the then new engine two years ago because it was too aggressive. The Pramac team, on the other hand, stuck with the 2022 engine and experienced a winless season with it.
Back to the 2024 Sepang test: In a summary of the first day, Martin, who was fastest on the day, said: “To be honest, I didn’t concentrate too much on the lap time today. I was mainly interested in getting to know the new engine and how throttle response and performance are in general. “
For Wednesday, Martin plans that “both my bikes are 2024-spec so we can continue to work in that direction. Overall, I think it’s a better bike”. In addition to Martin, the Pramac team will not be testing newcomer Franco Morbidelli, but Ducati test rider Michele Pirro. Morbidelli has been ruled out for both the current Malaysia test and the upcoming Qatar test.
Incidentally, Jorge Martin was the only rider from Ducati’s MotoGP program who was not present at the private tests with production bikes in Portimao last week, where his new team-mate Morbidelli crashed and is therefore currently unfit for action. When asked about this in Sepang, the Spaniard spoke of “a misunderstanding” because he himself had trained in Barcelona shortly afterwards.