Sepang MotoGP Shakedown Test results - Day 3 (FINAL)

Final (6pm) lap times from Tuesday's third and final day at the 2023 Sepang MotoGP Shakedown Test.
Pirro Sepang.png
Pirro Sepang.png

Ducati's Michele Pirro leads day 3 at Sepang, setting the only sub-2min lap of the week in the final hour to finish 0.550s ahead of Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow  (on Yamaha Test Bike 3) and GASGAS Tech3 rookie Augusto Fernandez (+0.679s).

With Yamaha's 2023 engine performance under the spotlight, Crutchlow's listed top speed was an eye-catching 335.4km/h, which is 5.2km/h quicker than the M1 managed in Quartararo's hands in last October's qualifying and race.

The Ducati of Pirro was credited with a 336.4km/h earlier in the day, but since the top speed shown is 'replaced' every time a rider crosses the speed trap, these might not be their absolute best.

More to the point, the position of the speed trap means such peak speeds might not be all that they seem:

Crutchlow was officially fastest for Yamaha on each of the previous rain-interrupted days, with sunshine finally breaking through the clouds on Tuesday morning to dry some overnight damp patches.

After the Englishman had appeared to do all the Yamaha development work alone, swapping between three different test bikes (T1, T2, T3) on previous days, Katsuyuki Nakasuga and Kohta Nozane took to the track on day 3. Meanwhile, Crutchlow focussed on the new fairing with the T3 machine on the final day, finishing in the mid-afternoon.

KTM's Dani Pedrosa was again riding without a transponder turned on (apart from a brief run on Monday afternoon). Pedrosa was rumoured to have been faster than Crutchlow on day 1.

Aerodynamics...

Lorenzo Savadori with new Aprilia fairing
Lorenzo Savadori with new Aprilia fairing

The Shakedown is mainly used to make sure the new machines are running correctly before they are handed over to the race riders, as well as some development work on new parts (especially aerodynamics).

While more aero parts are expected to be revealed during the official test, Aprilia has been seen using a new fairing featuring extra vents, Ducati has added an new side winglet, Yamaha has a bigger angular 'stealth' fairing, while Honda and KTM seem to have so far used previously seen designs.

KTM is set to debut some new parts designed in collaboration with Red Bull Advanced Technologies, although the rain delays may mean they wait until the Official test. Pedrosa spent time on the final day using a black fairing with an Aprilia-style lower section, possibly the same fairing from the Valencia test.

Only test riders and 2023 rookies (Augusto Fernandez) are eligible for the Shakedown test. The Official Sepang Test, for all race riders, will be held at the Malaysian Grand Prix venue from February 10-12.

Testing took place from 10am to 6pm each day, followed by practice starts...

2023 Sepang MotoGP Shakedown Test - Day 3 (FINAL)
 RiderNatTeamTimeLaps
1Michele PirroITADucati Test Rider (GP)1m 59.803s23
2Michele PirroITADucati Test Rider (GP)+0.315s28
3Yamaha Test Bike T3N/AYamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1)+0.550s54
4Augusto FernandezSPATech3 GASGAS (RC16)*+0.679s19
5Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia Test Rider (RS-GP)+0.920s63
6Stefan BradlGERHonda Test Rider (RC213V)+1.326s75
7Augusto FernandezSPATech3 GASGAS (RC16)*+1.336s28
8Yamaha Test Bike T1N/AYamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1)+1.445s12
9Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia Test Rider (RS-GP)+2.015s3
10Yamaha Test Bike T2N/AYamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1)+2.308s43
11Jonas FolgerGERKTM Test Rider (RC16)+3.820s10

* Rookie

Fastest Day 2 Time:
Cal Crutchlow GBR Yamaha 2m 2.079s (damp track)

Fastest Day 1 Time:
Cal Crutchlow GBR Yamaha 2m 1.146s (330.3km/h top speed)

Official Sepang MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Jorge Martin SPA Ducati 1m 57.790s (2022)
Fastest race lap:
Jorge Martin SPA Ducati 1m 59.634s (2022)

Sepang Shakedown Test - Day 2:

2023 Sepang MotoGP Shakedown Test - Day 2 (FINAL)
 RiderNatTeamTimeLaps
1Yamaha Test Bike T3N/AYamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1)2m 2.079s23
2Michele PirroITADucati Test Rider (GP)+0.519s33
3Augusto FernandezSPATech3 GASGAS (RC16)*+0.691s7
4Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia Test Rider (RS-GP)+0.870s21
5Jonas FolgerGERKTM Test Rider (RC16)+2.046s23
6Michele PirroITADucati Test Rider (GP)+4.805s7
7Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia Test Rider (RS-GP)+5.378s18
8Augusto FernandezSPATech3 GASGAS (RC16)*+10.176s19
9Stefan BradlGERHonda Test Rider (RC213V)+11.340s27
10Yamaha Test Bike T2N/AYamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1)+11.666s16
11Yamaha Test Bike T1N/AYamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1)+11.968s5
12Michele PirroITADucati Test Rider (GP)+12.715s1
13Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia Test Rider (RS-GP)+17.872s7
14Jonas FolgerGERKTM Test Rider (RC16)+24.109s2

* Rookie

** Dani Pedrosa set a 2m 2.807s while his transponder was briefly turned on.

Sepang Shakedown Test - Day 1:

2023 Sepang MotoGP Shakedown Test - Day 1 (FINAL)
 RiderNatTeamTimeLapS
1Yamaha Test Bike T2N/AYamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1)2m 1.146s12
2Augusto FernandezSPATech3 GASGAS (RC16)*+0.185s28
3Yamaha Test Bike T1N/AYamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1)+0.427s13
4Stefan BradlGERHonda Test Rider (RC213V)+0.459s20
5Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia Test Rider (RS-GP)+0.500s7
6Yamaha Test Bike T3N/AYamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1)+0.801s14
7Michele PirroITADucati Test Rider (GP)+0.969s29
8Stefan BradlGERHonda Test Rider (RC213V)+1.069s37
9Augusto FernandezSPATech3 GASGAS (RC16)*+1.331s6
10Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia Test Rider (RS-GP)+1.700s22
11Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia Test Rider (RS-GP)+1.793s9
12Jonas FolgerGERKTM Test Rider (RC16)+2.540s6
13Jonas FolgerGERKTM Test Rider (RC16)+3.509s6
14Michele PirroITADucati Test Rider (GP)+12.234s17
15Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia Test Rider (RS-GP)+17.994s5
16Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia Test Rider (RS-GP)No Time1
17Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia Test Rider (RS-GP)No Time1

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