Pedro Acosta continued his rapid MotoGP acclimatization by topping the Sepang shakedown test with the best time on day three, which left him fractions ahead of KTM’s Pol Espargaro.
The Spaniard made impressive across the three-day test, the first one of 2024. He tallied up the laps as he got ever more confident with his KTM RC16, the Spaniard ending every day within the top three.
A 1:59.385s effort left him second behind KTM tester Dani Pedrosa on day one, before a much-improved 1:58.531s ensured he ended the second day behind Espargaro and Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo.
Not content to leave it there, Acosta improved once again on the final day of the shakedown to record an impressive 1:58:189s to end the day quickest. His effort was just over a tenth-of-a-second slower than Brad Binder’s best time for a KTM in last year’s pole shootout session for the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Alongside Acosta’s impressive progress throughout the test, KTM brought some upgrades to sample. The most prolific was a radical front fender wing, which resembled a miniature version of the appendage usually fitted to the rear of the machine. It also ran slightly modified wings around the rest of the machine.
While KTM dominated the times throughout the week, the other marque’s weren’t exactly lounging by the hotel pool. Aprilia introduced some new aero ideas to its RS-GP, including an unusual ‘batmobile’ style rear wing. This consisted of a pair of small wings drooped down either side of the rear of the bike, just above the exhausts.
Ducati meanwhile continued to push the aerodynamic boundaries with its Desmosedici, the Italian factory introducing a striking new ground effect panel on the side fairing of the machine. Honda also brought several aggressive new aero pieces as it looks to return to the forefront of MotoGP competition.
Like fellow Japanese factory Yamaha, Honda was able to make use of its race riders during the second and third days of the shakedown. This came as a result of the concessions afforded to the manufacturers for this season. Both Honda and Yamaha ran several back-to-back runs with their 2023 and ’24 machines to gather as much data as possible.
Quartararo ended both days in the top four, while Alex Rins lapped competitively on his M1 to end both days within a tenth or so of his team-mate. Honda’s best placing meanwhile was third with LCR’s Johann Zarco on the final day, while Joan Mir ended both days in sixth.
The final day saw comparatively less running due to heavy thunderstorms afflicting the Sepang International Circuit. A shower wetted the circuit overnight before the final day, causing many riders to delay heading out until it dried.
Day three ended prematurely as another thunderstorm pounded the venue, the teams and riders calling it a day at 16:30 local time – an hour and a half before the scheduled end time. Rookie Acosta did at least put in some wet riding before the weather got too bad, his apprenticeship taking a rough turn shortly prior after crashing his KTM.
The race riders from Aprilia, Ducati, and KTM will join their counterparts from Honda and Yamaha in next week’s first official pre-season test of the term.
