With the exception of Suzuki, who will leave the MotoGP world championship at the end of this season, the remaining five manufacturers completed a great deal of development work at Misano. In part, already thinking about 2023, but in some cases also focused on this course.
During the two days of testing there was a lot of activity on the track, which always leaves some doubts. The track was in excellent condition on both Tuesday and Wednesday, with above-average grip levels, so don’t look too hard at the times.
What did Honda test in the MotoGP tests at Misano?
In just two days, the Japanese used a lot of material to see if they could find a solution to the current crisis in the near future. His test rider, Stefan Bradl, tested different frames and used different swingarms. The most striking swingarm was the one produced by Moto2 manufacturer Kalex . This type of swingarm is made of aluminum and has a fairly large size, which allows you to find the right combination of weight and stiffness.
Stefan Bradl raced it on Tuesday before swapping it for a carbon swingarm. However, it is a clear indication that Honda is willing to look outside its own factory to improve, and that is quite a feat for the Japanese line-up.
On the technical side, Honda got into the action with another aerodynamic package, which particularly caught the attention of the Aprilia staff, as it is a copy of the package that Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaró have used since the Barcelona test.
Marc Márquez -logically- has not yet used a second aerodynamic kit since the start of the season, so he still has the opportunity to use another variant. Honda was very happy with the return of the Spaniard, who completed a hundred laps spread over both days and was ultimately the fastest rider of the brand.
What did Yamaha prove in the MotoGP tests in Misano?
It has taken years and years, but it seems that Yamaha has finally stepped up to build a better engine. It is something that Valentino Rossi always complained about in his good years, but Fabio Quartararo seems to have achieved it.
Yamaha has made a move and we are only in September. In the fastest section of the track they managed to clock 298.3 km/h, a fraction less than the Ducati rider, Jorge Martín. The most striking thing is that the character of the engine has not changed drastically, its drivers admit.
Yamaha also focused on 2023, although they also worked to improve Franco Morbidelli’s feeling with a new mount, which also lowered his braking confidence a bit. The truth is that the brand has these developments (in addition to the engine, frozen) are available for use in Aragon.
Team principal Massimo Meregalli also hinted that there was a change to bring more power, but kept quiet when asked about it specifically.
What did Ducati prove in the MotoGP tests in Misano?
Ducati will have the most complete engine in 2023, and after a hesitant start in 2022, they are now in top form. Development work for 2023 focused on factory riders Pecco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini.
Each of them went into action with a new chassis and different aerodynamics. The Italians also had a new clutch lever, although the drivers were not very clear about the purpose of it. Possibly they were looking to further refine the famous accelerations.
As usual at Ducati, the real fireworks arrive at the beginning of the season. So it’s just a matter of waiting. The two Pramac drivers were also able to run with the new clutch, while the others (Jack Miller, Luca Marini, Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio di Giannantonio) mainly focused on improving the set-up.
What did Aprilia prove in the MotoGP tests at Misano?
The two Italian brand drivers finished in the top five after two days of testing, one of them with a broken little finger. Aleix Espargaró was knocked out on Wednesday afternoon after a fall at the end of the morning session, although he is confident of being in Aragón.
It has been an important test for Aprilia , especially considering that Maverick Viñales took a liking to the RS-GP in the previous test in Barcelona. Both tested several new mounts, some of which the technical director did not rule out for this season.
Regarding the aerodynamics, the Aprilia engineers who used to work in Formula 1 seem to have also brought some innovations, although the main focus is on 2023.
What did KTM test in the MotoGP tests at Misano?
At KTM , Dani Pedrosa, their test rider, appeared to test a 2023 prototype of the RC16 on Tuesday, but team principal Francesco Guidotti denied this.
What is clear is that KTM returned to the track with several new features. Brad Binder rode them on Wednesday when Pedrosa sat out. Binder wanted to improve his corner entry with the 2022 setup.
Binder also rode several new front forks from WP Suspension, the brand that makes KTM’s shocks, but that wasn’t much of an improvement. The most visual change to the KTM was again the modified exhaust.
